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This is a thank you note to
the many people who came through for my book signing of HOW TO KEEP UP WITH
THE JONESES at Hasting’s book store in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Maybe up until this time I
have not really had any feeling as far as reward for having spent so much
time on the material. There is not enough money to pay for twenty years of
research. The cost of having antique photographs of the Jones family and
other lines saved I paid for out of what would have been my clothing budget
for myself. Some in the family asked when I was going to buy a blouse
instead of wearing the square, boxy tops I had sewn up out of some dollar a
yard scrap. I wore my same pants for years because originally they came from
a very good brand. An indulgent friend gave those to me. When these became
beyond-wearing, as pants, I cut then off and wore them for walking shorts.
No one seemed to care, except maybe Mother who was embarrassed about it and
finally said she was tired seeing me in shorts.
We won’t even talk of the
long hours, usually at night, spent working on the material or the thick
hide I had to have when one or the other family member complained about this
or that issue in the book.”
Then there was criticism from
the grass-roots of alma maters for the title. Too materialistic in thrust
and I ask, “In our society?” Someone else thought the title was mis-leading
and to that I say, “If the book is judged by its cover that person wouldn’t
enjoy it anyway. It is a book for the one who reads enough to know they must
look at the cover of a book in an experienced, curious way to choose good
reading material.”
After all, I learned that
when I was in my teens, the year I was given the award for reading the most
books in our small library.
To be able to see so many
people, cluster around the antique photographs of the family and tuck the
book, lovingly, into their shopping cart or under their arm made me very
humble. All the other issues were just so much water under the bridge. Here
was the actual reward and I have to say, I would do it all over again.
Donna Jones Flood,
Author
“Look for up coming book: “Upon Their Hands They Will Carry You.” |
