Month: March 2026

A Robin’s Tale

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Robin (Photo by M.A.D.)

Since childhood, we are conditioned to see things as useful, utilitarian, and with a purpose. We learn it from our parents, at school, and later on, from all the messages we receive from society. The messages tell us that things must have a purpose, a use, to be valuable. We learn to equate utility with value, and eventually, with how good or bad things are. It is a subtle message, one that can hardly be spotted in our minds, in the way we view and judge things/people/life.

The robins are back, a sign that the lovely weather of spring days will soon arrive. Although they have their place in nature, it is not obvious to me how they impact an environment. At first glance, they might not seem “useful” at all, but for me, it is a sight that besides beauty, it brings me joy, peace, and relaxation. For me, they are valuable. Things don’t have to always be useful to be valuable. The mere existence of those pudgy birds is enough. God made them perfect.

Sometimes, we judge ourselves, we measure ourselves with the same ruler. We judge our value according to how “useful” we are, to how much we do in a day, how successful we are in life, how much money or possessions we have, or not. We go a step further and we compare ourselves to other people, whom we also judge, and we mentally and emotionally assign ourselves a “place” in the timeline of success. We think that we are in a lesser position than we should be, or that we are not enough according to those imaginary standards.

The same God who created the robins created us with value to Him. As part of His magnificent and perfect creation we have a valuable place in it, whether we see it or not. Maybe if we can accept our being, the immense value we have to our Creator, we might not be so harsh unto ourselves, and maybe, we will start seeing ourselves and our brothers and sisters with the loving eyes of our Creator, who is the perfect source of it all, including us, and the robins.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.”

Psalm 139:14

De-evolution?

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I have a dream; that one day, people in this country, from the top down, will have manners and decorum once more. I don’t know what has happened, and I never expected to see it in my lifetime, but people have become uncivilized. When I see how people who have higher positions in our government talk to one another, the type of crass language, cursing, and simply, the kind of less than civilized behavior they display, I have to ask myself what happened to an older generation that once viewed decorum and manners as something of value, moral value, the same generation that equated such public display of inappropriate and vulgar behavior to a lack of intelligence. We behave as cavemen who cannot control a single emotion, whose brains are still in development, from an evolutionary point of view.

My goodness, what has happened to us? Our demeanor is not better than that of medieval characters who believed in fallacies, myths, and superstition, and execute faulty reasoning. It is 2026, and with all the accessible knowledge and technology we have, it seems as if we are de-evolving, going back to a primal state; pretty soon, we will be pounding our chest and howling.

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18 ESV)

How Do I View Independent Publishing Now?

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Many years ago, I wrote about my decision to pursue independent publishing, specifically, print on demand method, and how important this technological development was in making my dream of becoming an indie author possible. At the time, there were many views on independent publishing vs traditional publishing, but mostly, the disdain for independent publishing by the traditional publishing industry. Basically, they viewed it as an author’s career suicide. At the time, and after much research done, I decided that independent publishing aligned more with my views and expectations, work ethic, and my writing style and future endeavors.

For a while, as independent publishing in venues like Amazon and others continued to develop and evolve, it seemed promising and liberating for many authors, as well as affordable. However, with the passing of time, a “gold rush” environment emerged, and it seemed to attract other people who wanted to make a quick buck, who could care less about writing, and who plain and simple stole other author’s work, modified it, and published it as their own. The worst-case scenario that traditional publishing so warned us about, materialized. Now, with the development of AI, another layer has been added to the chaos that already enveloped the independent publishing industry. The speedy AI creation of stories and even the modification of stolen work by using AI is real. Indie authors who care about the craft are facing an overcrowded environment where it is hard to distinguish the good from the ugly, making it harder for their work to be found by readers.

So, how do I feel about independent publishing now, after all the new challenges, perils, and a less than attractive environment for indie authors? How do I feel about traditional publishing now, after seeing what has become of the independent publishing industry? Because honestly, even the so-called vanity publishers of the past seem more attractive now in comparison. If anything, the farmers who own the cows are the ones who benefited either way. Well, I have to say that independent publishing still aligns more with my writing style, the method, that is; however, if back then, I knew what the future would hold for the industry, I would definitely be discouraged to follow that path, and I would seriously have considered traditional publishing. It has become a garbage dump, a less than attractive venue for my taste, and I have to admit that traditional publishing still holds the golden medal, as far as a reputable venue, although much of it has changed in various ways. The flood gates were opened without any type of filtration system, and now, at least for me, this type of venue for independent publishing lacks appeal, honesty, and trust worth.

I don’t know what the future will hold for me as an indie writer, and I may have to go back to basics through research and study of an industry that seems to have fallen short of my expectations. Writing is what I love to do, and I guess that I should be asking myself if I want to do it under today’s circumstances of a less than appealing environment for me as an independent author. It is something that I have to answer myself, seriously and with honesty.

Evil

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Evil is a theme in my novels, but it is viewed in a supernatural way, not so much as a real condition, such as in a crime novel. Unless you are a victim of evil personified, most people think of it as something remote; it exists, might be supernatural or not, depending on your spiritual beliefs, and it manifests through human behavior. Since I can remember, I have always considered the supernatural side of evil to be real, but also, I was raised by a religious and devoted catholic grandmother, one who would tell me stories of old, ingrained in an ancient culture, stories of witches and demons, and supernatural beings that happened in the past. Lore or not? It doesn’t matter, but it did permeate into my novels. It probably shaped my views and interest in the topic, but also, fueled my curiosity; so much, that once, I dared asked a priest if he believed that evil was real. He answered something generic, that evil was in this world … I interrupted him and rephrased the question: “Do you believe that the Devil is real, that demons exist?” He looked at me a bit surprised, but calmly he said, “Yes, it is real.” I asked, “Why doesn’t the church tell people the truth?” His answer resonates in my memory until this day. He said, “Because most people would not be able to handle the truth.” I understood and I did not keep pressing him on the topic. I never asked again, but I always remember the answer.

More than three decades have gone by, which takes me back to my novels and the theme of good vs. evil in the supernatural sense. The current novel I was writing (and I say was writing because I stepped away from it for a while) does not follow the same lines, as far as this theme goes, although it has a bit of a supernatural flair mixed in more with the human condition. I asked myself the other day, did I step away from my “niche,” did I abandon my personal quest? Is this why the current novel seems so challenging or is there something more to it? I am not forcing the writing of this novel, but I know one hundred percent that I have to write the story, however the flow of it is very different, but I know that I am the one causing it. There are a few stories that are waiting to be written, all of them calling me at once, however, I know that until I conquer this one, in mind and soul, I will not be able to tend to the next one. Now, it is personal.