Rachel Linden’s The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is the type of guilty pleasure I yearn for after reading  heavy historical or literary fiction. Think This Tender Land, The Great Alone or A Gentleman in Moscow. So, imagine my surprise when I found inspiration in a magical realism romance novel.

Although I don’t have a good sense of direction, this line reminded me I can still reach my destination. I’ve never known where I was going, both figuratively and literally. Even with a GPS telling me exactly what to do, I can get lost. I never took physics, maybe that’s the problem. 

Navigating Destinations

I’ll never forget my hot teared stained cheeks and heart drumming loud in my throat on the day I tried to show off new driving skills to my grandmother. Sent to pick her up and drive her to our house, I could take the local roads I knew well or the highway, which was faster. When I chose the highway, I took the South ramp instead of the North one.

After thirty minutes of driving, my grandmother, who had never driven before, suggested we might be lost when she recognized a hospital where my grandfather had been treated. Forced to exit the highway into a city I has never driven in, I gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles. Construction. Confusing road signs. One-way streets. Strangers approaching our car at stoplights.

We made it home, just before dark, but driving in cities still sends my pulse racing. If my GPS (which I need like air) fails, I will cry. Without a GPS at my fingertips, I may not have agreed to move across our state to a new area.

Navigating Choices

And then, there are life choices to make.

I’ve never had a passion for any career. I lacked confidence in my writing, so I changed my major to liberal arts when I found out my university’s communication school was very competitive. Unsure of what to do with an English major and a speech communications minor, I went to law school. When I was seven, I had a long sleeve baby blue nightgown with the words, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a lawyer,” so really, did I have a choice?

Again, uncertain of what to do with my subsequent law degree, I worked in community banking as I waited for my bar exam results. I began as a receptionist and later became a customer service representative. The bank President noticed qualities in me I sometimes underestimate: persistence and a willingness to learn. He offered me a job as the bank’s Training Director and when I balked at being ready for the opportunity, he said, “You know what you don’t know, and you’re willing to admit it. I know you will find the tools you need to do this job.”

His faith led to my master’s degree in training and development and a career in Human Resources. I found the courage to follow the path ahead, even without a clear direction.

Navigating Life’s Roadblocks and Traffic

Fast forward to me leaving my human resources career to stay home with my children. I resumed my passion for writing by accident. I created a blog to promote a new business and build an online presence (a long story for another time!). People liked my writing style—it was elating.

And then, a friend’s daughter asked me to help her with her college application essays. She was struggling to reduce her essays to the required word count. Together, we edited her writing so that it was clear, succinct, and powerful. Satisfied with her essays, the joy in her voice lit a fire inside me. I wanted to do it again.

But life got busy. I didn’t help other students until my children started working on their essays in 2020 and 2022. Again, I found my way to helping my friends’ children and reignited my passion for this work. I applied for a few jobs and even offered to volunteer at my daughter’s school to review essays. No one was interested. Life got busy again, and I forgot about my yearning to be a “real” college essay coach.

Navigating A Path

Now, with life less hectic, I have no excuse for not pursuing this goal. I’m not certified to teach, but my heart tells me I am good at this work. Two months ago, I applied for twelve essay coach jobs. I didn’t hear from a single one. And yet, reading this line about eventually reaching a destination made me realize I need to keep pushing myself in the right direction.

Despite fear of failure whispering like a devil in my ear, I offered my services (with a free consultation) in a post on my new community Facebook group chat. I posted on my Facebook page as well. I’ve already made two contacts.

While publishing novels remains my goal, I also realized my destination does not have to be singular. This path seems right, and I’m thrilled to see where it leads.

Thanks Rachel Linden, this is one great line!

If you’d like to read more about The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, click here.

If you’d like to read about me, and why I started this blog, click here.