Westword, Volume XIV

WESTWOOD – My sister, Ally Hayes, has written over half a dozen books over the last decade, accumulating accolades, cranking out novels and novellas. Genre-wise, she lands somewhere in the big Venn diagram overlap of romance, drama and Desperate Housewives. This is a considerably larger market segment than I had realized. In fact, to increase our own audience here, we are strongly considering rebranding this column Fifty Charades of Jay!
 
Anyway, in the same time frame and in no concert whatsoever with Ally, I became a regular columnist for two different Westwood publications, first appearing in our local broadsheet for four years. Now at Westwood Living, we are in Year Two but really just getting started – connecting people, making our town a bit smaller and entertaining a bit…all while you get to check out the best local solutions for your home or your business.
 

So our content may differ quite markedly, but that isn’t really the point here. Because the question must be asked:
 

What the heck happened to those two siblings in their late thirties and forties?
 

Neither majored in English. Writing was not a common supper table topic. True, we both had Tom Brown and Mike Milan at Westwood High: the former for AP History, where he sneakily taught us how to write, too; and the latter for English, where we were encouraged (forced) to explore creative writing. They made a huge impact.
 

So, perhaps Ally and I are just slow, since it took two or three decades to see any results.
 

Now, here is a little background on her first book. If you know our family, you’ll be able to connect several of the main characters with real-life people. And, one of the female leads is possibly, maybe, definitely based on my sis.
 

Oh yeah, and one other thing…that female lead IS AN ONLY CHILD.
 

What?! When I read it, it was as if an occult hand reached down and moved some giant chess pieces, erasing me from the planet. Not to worry, though. I understand sibling rivalry well, and my response, with a smirk, is something along the lines of, “I see what you did there…challenge accepted!”
 

So what does this all mean…other than serving as a reminder to keep your friends close and your enemies closer?
 

Listen. You might not finish where you start, and life is sure to bring some twists and turns, so fasten your seat belt, steer the best way you know how, and appreciate each day. I mean, I am good friends with a guy who used to be on TV doing the sports every day, and then a few years later he started a whole new career and became publisher of a magazine!
 

There’s more. Love your family and friends. Enjoy the time you spend with them. Work honest and work hard – but know that work-life balance is a real thing, and no one (no one!) has ever carved on their gravestone “Wish I had spent less time with loved ones, and more time working.”
 

Lastly. My sister and I lost our father, Joseph Resha of Westwood, back in April; we spent a week together during the grieving and arrangements. She has lived in Chicago for over 25 years, so it was nice for these two late-blooming writers to come together and bond, probably better than when we were kids. Joy always follows sorrow.
 

You know, maybe in her next book there will actually be a younger brother for the main character…
 

Nah, not a snowball’s chance in hades! But that’s okay, I’ll get her back soon. Like I said – challenge accepted!
 

Westwood Living? No…thank YOU for living in Westwood. See you next month, and I look forward to hearing from you any time at jayresha@comcast.net. Ally Hayes can be found on Twitter @partlyhazy – and her publications at Amazon.com.