Gulf Shores

Gulf Shores
Photographer Patricia Gulick

Friday, March 30, 2018

3/30/18 RMB What if


3/30/18 RMB What if


Dear Rita Mae Brown,

Teddy told me a few years ago to replace the word “should” with “could” in my self-talk. The sentence “I could clean house today.” sounds so much gentler and inviting than “I should clean house today”. It rather turns the meaning to an option, an inviting opportunity.

This month, along those lines, I’ve tossed in “What if”. Sometimes that’s the entire sentence. At others, it proceeds “(What if) I really wanted this house clean, what would I do right now?” That one is in keeping with the same theme, but it works for any kind of plan, to better health, improve work habits, direct and steer my life, you get the picture.

It seemed a concept worth sharing, so there you have it.

By the way, I recently ran across an interview of you by David Letterman dated May 18, 1983, on a show also featuring Johnny Winter. I recommend searching it out for any RMB fans, or Johnny Winter fans for that matter. We are fortunate to live in a time where the images and recordings made in our lifetime are so easily replayed and enjoyed.

In my endeavor to read all of your books in order, I recently finished Whisker of Evil, a collaboration with Sneaky Pie Brown. The last line was one of my favorites, and it wouldn’t be giving away any of the plot to share it. In a conversation about life after death the last line reads:

“I believe in life before death.” Mrs. Murphy smiled.

How very Mrs. Murphy that line is. What if we all reveled and cherished life as much? What if.


Have a Wonderful Easter Weekend,
Loraine Paige