The Inquisitive Inkpot
Exploring Tales and the Art of Telling
Home: a whole new world
“Home” came to mean something new and wonderful on March 2 this year when we said “I do.” And this month, I finally went there.
As I shared earlier, my husband deployed four weeks after our wedding to serve our country overseas. The day he left, I also flew back to my hometown in Michigan so as not to spend six months alone. But that place was no longer home.
For any military spouse, you know what this means. Home is no longer a place, it’s a person.
And home is going to change addresses a lot over the next eleven years as we get restationed again and again. But home isn’t the house or the street or the state. It isn’t a set of familiar surroundings and faces you know like the back of your hand.
Home is where he is.
This fall, we finally both came home.
That being said, The Inquisitive Inkpot is still a writing platform. I’m not going to go all military wife life on you and forget the purpose of this website. But if you’ve kept up with the past year of my posts (few as they have been!), you’ve noticed I share more of my life with you now. That’s going to continue. Not because you don’t have better things to do than peruse the details of a rising screenwriter-turned-military-wife’s life—but because I believe the most meaningful life changes and experiences are meant to be shared for others’ benefit.
So let’s get to the writing updates!
- I signed an agreement with a distributor Forerunner Productions, granting distribution rights for my short film “The Pawn Shop.” The official trailer is live now, and the release is coming up in a few weeks!
- I am working on getting my children’s books The Misadventures of Melvin the Missing Sock and Bertrand the Bashful Bumblebee into the Air Force base mall, as well as local book stores.
- I had an exciting meeting with a producer about my historical TV series, which has led to conversations about a potential feature film.
- This November I am starting work on my first feature film script.
- This February, I will be attending NRB, the largest international Christian-friendly media conference. There I will be presenting both features to members of the industry, and pitching at least one of them.
Oh and lastly, I left my 9-5 job at the news organization. After conferring together about the need to spend my time strategically and really invest in the military community, we decided it was time for me to leave.
That has proven to be the right decision in many ways for now. Not only has it freed up time to connect with other families, but it has given me time to build into my own.
Homemaking, I am learning, is a beautiful gift. One goal I have been able to actualize is making my life more physical—less controlled by notifications and screens. Yes, there is still strategic screen time and leisure screen time. But the majority of my day is no longer spent staring at a screen missing out on the beauty and joy of the world around me. And part of this means making the home a welcoming place.
Can I just say some things that I may not say in five years if/when kids come along?
I love doing laundry.
I love sweeping and mopping.
I love meal planning.
I love grocery shopping.
I love cooking.
I love walking the dog and playing with the dog.
I love doing the dishes.
I love decorating.
I love cleaning the house for guests.
But most of all, I love being home.
Oh my dear Shiloh,
It brings my heart much JOY to see you in this state of mind and heart! [although I am a bit surprised that you are not the one with the T-rex costume…]
Wishing [again] all the happiness and goodness God has in store for you both.
Shalom,
Papa