Logged into Submittable for the First Time in Over a Year

My feelings regarding publication has changed through the years. Although I enjoy writing poetry and supporting other writers through reading their work, I feel I do not want to participate in the jungle of submission and eventual publication. Perhaps I have a fear of rejection—although I have a lengthy Submittable list and Excel Spreadsheet of rejected pieces, so I'm not sure that's the case. Although my time of involvement in the writing community was transformative, I'm not so sure it is where I belong. I met so many wonderful people and found several incredible opportunities. I remember a lot of friction in the community. A lot of competition, which was not always friendly. Like any other group of people, the writing community had cliques and groups that were not always kind and/or inclusive. Perhaps this has changed for the better since I were last involved. Perhaps this is not a writing community issue. Maybe it's me. I feel I have become more isolated since I stepped back from the writing community. It's easy to do if you don't have social media. It's now been over a year since I deleted my social media accounts (apart from Pinterest, which I still look at occasionally). During this time, I have done little writing. I watched my daughter graduate high school and drove her up north to college (800 miles from home). I drove her back home for the summer. I have adjusted to a job outside of my pharmacy background and I'm still trying to find my way. I am so thankful to Fred (Bay Media) for publishing my book. I hope he knows that. I need to email him and tell him. Life is such a strange thing. It seems like a constant starting and stopping, like thousands of mini universes revealing themselves over and again. I do enjoy Alan Good and Malarkey Publishing, so if you haven't checked them out, I highly recommend. I subscribe to their book club. It's a great way to support small-press authors and a publisher who has given more than I ever could.