Two Dina’s sit opposite each other in their home office wearing their “at home clothes,” which look exactly like pajamas. Two cats perch between them. Both Dina’s appear uncomfortable. It’s awkward to write a bio page, they think.
One Dina can’t digest the silence: “Welcome to my website where I share my love of the 26 letters that rule me. What I think about. What I draw about. Where I go. And the people I like to talk to.”
“Bullshit!” The other Dina growls: “I understand that from the early age of seven, you admired Andy Rooney. Let’s avoid the fancy, prancy, fast-food fluffery.”
“Prancy isn’t a word.” The first Dina corrects. She glances at her phone. “Is this going to take long? I have to pick up my kids in fifteen minutes.”
The first Dina pours herself some black tea with milk.
Andy Rooney said there aren’t enough hours in the day to get through all the worrying that needs to be done.
He couldn’t be more correct.”
The other Dina scans her bookshelves. “Okay, everyone’s bio page toots their big, haughty horn. Somewhere you have to state you’re a published author, a classical pianist, a mom of three kids, a beachside resident of La Jolla, and a graduate of two Ivy League schools.” She yawns. “Unless you want to save it for the obituary.”
“Can I mention that I research the life cycles of orb spiders, termites and sea gulls? Or, that I love my mini-van? But I’d wish it were painted matte black.”
The other Dina nods in agreement.
“Should we mention that we are thinking about which healthy smoothies Phoebe Katsell is making right now? Or, that we are always hungry?”
“But Dina, why now? Why start a blog, today?” The first Dina answers: “I finished nursing my son, placed him on the floor and he crawled away.”
Doodling the edge of her journal, the other Dina says: “By the way, I like this office chair. Good choice. So, what you’re saying is that when you squirrel away time for yourself, you tinker on this website.”
Suddenly, their eldest daughter bursts into the office. Nonchalantly she hands the first Dina a TV remote: “Can I watch a video? Remember, you promised? And I want a hot dog.”
A third Dina wanders into the room obviously late. “Lo siento! El hombre UPS era tarde con mi paquete de amazon.”
“Life before book” and “Life after book.”
Dina is a La Jolla based writer with three children. She has published one book, “I Heart My In-laws”, and numerous articles. She has appeared on The Today Show. She has contributed to several radio shows, her favorite being drive-time talk in Saskatoon, Canada. Her interviews and writing have been published in New York Daily News, NY Newsday, and Redbook among others. She was also an AOL.com relationship coach. She earned an MFA from Columbia University and a BA from Brown University.