Rejection as Redirection
markkoenig /unsplash Last spring I received an email from a website I'd contributed to in the past. The editors were seeking submissions for a summer issue and the topic was coupling or uncoupling (hat tip to Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin) at midlife. Typically, for better or worse, I write whatever moves me. In other words, I don't usually respond well to call-outs or writing prompts. But I'd had an idea in my head for a few months that sort of fit the bill. I'd put off writing it for no other reason than sheer laziness. When I read this email, it felt like the universe prodding me to just write it already. So, I drafted, revised, mulled, polished, and eventually sent off the piece. While I wasn't expecting a quick response, I was expecting a response—especially when it got to be a month past the submission deadline. Still, I heard nothing. I waited a month and followed up with a polite, "Just checking to see when you'll make a decision for this upcom
