Clinton, South Carolina, Wednesday, August 19, 2020, 1:05 p.m.

The coronavirus blurs the lines between major and minor accomplishments.

On Monday night, I finished the 22^nd chapter of a novel. I’m closing in on the completion of the rough draft, but it’s not quite as rough because I’ve done a lot of retracing my steps and polishing previous chapters in lieu of pondering how it’s going to end. I used to know how it was going to end, but I’ve reconsidered and rearranged a good bit of it. All in all, though, I ought to be prouder of what I have achieved.

But … I finally remembered to buy some lightbulbs on the way home from a volleyball match at Laurens Academy, which might not seem like much, but it was the first bona-fide athletic event in this county since March. The private school is forging ahead, while the public schools have pushed back until September. There’s even an 8-man football game a week from Friday.

It had been a long time, at least a decade, since I needed lightbulbs, and when they started burning out, I just thought I could rummage around and find some, which I did for a while. Also, some of the old ones didn’t last very long.

Somehow I consider remembering to drop by the Dollar General to be about as significant as 2,000 new words of fiction.

It feeds on human interaction, the fiction. Mingling with people I know is operating at about 10 percent capacity. It has become precious.

I’ve read some good books. I’ve played guitar a lot, though I haven’t written any recent songs. I’ve got a chorus stored away here, a chord progression there. I’ve seen some fine movies I didn’t know existed.

This was supposed to be a column for my website, Laurens County Sports, but I decided this was the proper place for my mind to navigate. Yesterday I took some photos, sold some ads, bumped into a friend at a car dealership, watched a volleyball match … and bought some lightbulbs. The last was the accomplishment.

I need a new dish rack. I’ve never had a dishwasher. I need some bowls. Not just any old bowls, but bowls that facilitate the cracking of eggs on their rims. I’m set in my ways. I also need more bowls, ones that hold just a little bit more soup to warm in the microwave. I’m tired of spilling a little in the plate while I carefully walk from the kitchen to the living room. The dining table is covered up with boxes, baskets, caps, CDs, large bowls full of pliers, screwdrivers, and, quite possibly, lightbulbs I didn’t see. I haven’t eaten there in years. It’s around the corner from the TV.

There’s always something to do more important than cleaning up.

Like this. How am I going to clean up with the guitar in reach?

 

Take a look at my new website, Laurens County Sports. It’s undoubtedly going to be better when Laurens County has actual sports again.

If you enjoy my insights about racing and other subjects, make a small pledge of support. Rewards are in place for pledges of $5 or more. If 1/10 of my followers and Facebook friends pledge $1 a month, I’ll be set. Read all about it here.

If you yearn for my writing in larger doses, I’ve written quite a few books. Most are available here.

Lightning in a Bottle, the first of my two motorsports novels, is now available in audio (Audible, Amazon, iTunes) with the extraordinary narration of Jay Harper.

My eighth novel, a political crime thriller, is called Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. It’s right up to date with the current political landscape in the country.

My writing on other topics that strike my fancy is posted here.