A few days ago, I finished the third rewrite of my third novel. I thought it was a sign, and so emailed the manuscript to a publisher/editor. The moment I pushed the “send” button, I could think of several things I would have or should have added or done differently. AAARGH!!!

              That is such a predictable pattern in life. The moment something leaves our hands, we realize how we should have done it better: the proposal, now in the hands of a committee—to be revised beyond recognition; the piece of art, now in a show or on a wall—revealing nothing; the child, no longer a child, no longer under our roof—not nearly prepared.

              Is perfection always beyond our reach? Does 20:20 vision always have to be in the rearview mirror? I have to wonder if the designer of Windows 10 (once it was on the market) screamed into a bottomless vacuum, “WHAT HAVE I DONE???”

              At some point, we have to release our creation, whether it is a book or a living, breathing child. The deadline for refinement has been reached, whether it was created externally or self-imposed. WHAMMO!!! It’s out of our control and in the world.

              And if we are lucky, it survives and succeeds beyond our expectations. Yea!