2015 Ojai WordFest “Literary Legend” award on Saturday April 25th

Catherine Ann Jones

Just notified that I will be given the 2015 Ojai WordFest “Literary Legend” award on Saturday April 25th. It’s always a surprise when awards come to honor the writing or teaching. And a moment of doubt arises “Do I really deserve this award?” It doesn’t matter how many awards come, the surprise and momentary doubt is a given.

This one is especially sweet as it is given by writers and in my home territory. So on Sat, April 25, I will be attending a lovely lunch with some familiar faces around me. No airplane rides or airport delays!

I always feel a pang when in introducing me, they relate my body of work and honors as I am older now so it begins to sound a bit like an obituary. I want to add, “It’s not over yet! There’s still more to come!”

Still, when writers spend most of their waking hours alone at a desk toiling at self-expression which can be wonderful if all consuming, it is a celebration of the years spent in what we deign to refer to as a dharma or a calling.

Last evening I was invited to give a talk on my life as a writer. Later many in the audience said how inspiring it was and that they felt encouraged in their own literary pursuits. What I didn’t say to them was be careful what you wish for. A life dedicated to self-expression can be a Pandora’s Box, releasing past ghosts and demons. And yet, I wouldn’t have it any other way. The plain truth is I feel most myself when writing and most ‘lost’ when between projects, Moses wandering in the desert waiting for God’s instruction.

How important it is to follow that inner calling no matter the challenges that inevitably come with the territory.