Eva Pasco – My Train of Thought

 My Train of Thought

Prior to making final revisions in my manuscript for my debut women’s fiction novel, UNDERLYING NOTES, I had to finish writing it.  By May 2006, I’d written twenty chapters and was in a quandary how to end my protagonist’s postmenopausal journey in the Second Act of Life.  However, at this juncture I knew chapter 21 required Carla Matteo to board an Amtrak bound for New York at Kingston Station. Because it is so imperative for this writer to cross the line of demarcation between fiction and nonfiction seamlessly, I intended to embark on the same course of action as my unsung heroine, Carla Matteo.  Armed with a notebook, pens, and my then husband in tow, we boarded the 7:16 A.M. southbound train on the track running along one of the busiest small train depots on the Amtrak system, close to where I lived.

Seated by the window I began taking copious detailed notes as we moved along the coastal route—all of which became incorporated in the novel, by the way—along with several fictitious twists of acerbic lime! At precisely 8:55 the train coasted to a dead stop at New Haven Terminal due to a major power outage affecting Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor from Boston to DC.  Though passengers could have boarded the Metro to Grand Central, there was no guarantee power would be restored by early evening, or how Penn Station’s Amtrak schedule would be affected.  Sorely disappointed our much anticipated trip to walk around the city and have lunch at Sardi’s were sabotaged, we decided to wend our way back home to Kingston, RI by Greyhound from New Haven to Providence,and take a taxi from the capital city to Kingston Station where the car was parked—talk about a round trip!

Eureka !  While going Greyhound, a bolt of cerebral lightning struck where I decided to incorporate the snafu in Chapter 21.  What is more, my mind got on board an ending that seemed so right!  There was no turning back—book speak only.

As our taxi approached Kingston Station, we passed the small community church on Kingstown Rd.  This time I paid closer attention to the weekly spiritual message sprawled across the sign at the edge of the property: God’s purpose today may not be apparent until much later. I thought it so apropos for the revelation I just had to finish my novel.  At the time, I had no inclination whether my manuscript would be published, nor had I figured out my approach in seeking publication.  That May I also could not have foreseen veering off track two years later to embark on a solo journey in my fifties. Much further along the track than I’d anticipated, my purpose in life is more apparent due to progress made. 

Related posts:

1. Italian Spinach Bread Pudding Recipe From Eva Pasco
2. Baby Boomers Fiction – Underlying Notes by Eva Pasco
3. Spring’s Spirited Renewal
4. Be Part of the Cure for Alzheimers
5. Fuming But Not Mad

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