One Over X News

Last Night

Yesterday was Ela'na's birthday. As I have been so frequently reminded over the years that January 13th seems to be a frequently significant day, I am always wary of the things that might happen. This year was a fairly eventless anniversary.

I went in to work a little early and arrived shortly before 10AM. Nice customers prevailed over the couple of them that had a bad disposition from the moment they walked in the front door. I don't know why people want to act that way. I am certain they would not want someone coming to their place of business and acting like a horse's patoot. I deal with problems and problem customers all day long but the nice customers tend to get the most attention and the best service. Why? I guess depite the conventional wisdom of a squeaky wheel always getting the grease, I really want the nice customers to keep coming back. It is human nature. Having said that I also want to make certain that all of my customers have a good shopping experience. When any of my staff including myself has failed to provide a good shopping experience, I need to hear about it and make corrections. Very often when a customer is being loud and obnoxious it is because of something that an employee triggered. My point is that all the children on the playground should play well together or leave the sandbox.

I really, really, really try to treat every customer with the same respect to which all people are entitled but some that do not respect me as even a person are probably not going to get the utmost customer service.

I got out of work a little late, which is not unusual. On my way home, I phoned Ela'na to wish her a happy birthday. We had not connected the other night to get her computer fixed so I wanted to apologize to her for that and tell her we could reschedule it very soon. I know how hard it is to get along without a computer when you are used to having access to the world.

When I called her, she was in the financial aid office of a college near to where she lives and so we couldn't talk for long. Our conversations are usually pretty brief and to the point, anyway. I try not to intrude on her privacy. Sometimes she has something to discuss at more length. Sometimes I need to ask her opinion. Despite her youth she is gifted with a nice blending of street smarts, insight and intuition. I had not intended it to be a long call. I just wanted to tell her happy birthday, indicating that her friend remembered.

As she has been out of touch with the other Wolves for a while, due mainly to her computer problems, some of the other members of the old Wolf Pack had asked me to pass on their wishes for a happy birthday. They know that I can usually reach her in a day or two.

I am very pleased that she is going back to college, though. I am very proud of what she had done for herself this past year. She has a remarkable will and undying determination. Her example has inspired a good many of the characters in the series, either by direct suggestion or by some seemingly insignificant comment in conversation that caused me to think along different lines.

Some of the people that have read the books and have been in contact with me know that the Ela'na character is based on someone that I know. Some have asked me what does Ela'na look like? I don't know why that matters except that humans are visually oriented creatures. I really believe that I Ela'na is simply a very kind, beautiful and spontaneously funny person that I find is devastatingly attractive as well.

Toward the end of the First Edition of Book 1, there is a line art drawing of her as a Wolfcat, based on a picture that she sent to me a while ago. My daughter Amanda drew it. As it has been used before in the public domain I don't think Ela'na would have issue with my posting it here. She has been a model previously, though so I would not post any other image of her without her expressed permission. Since she has served as a basis for so much that had evolved into the storylines of the books that I have written, it seems relevant to post her image.

Ela'na was very pleased and flattered by the drawing that Amanda did. Both my daughters have artistic tendancies. My son does too but in him it is more obscure. He is more of a writer, like his dad. I think Amanda and Sarah received a decent blending of talents from my aunt Sylvia on my mother's side of the family and from their mother who is also very talented.


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posted by Unknown @ 6:30 AM