When I’m writing a fictional narrative, the story is so much more interesting if I come up with a clever or authentic way to weave an important detail or two into the narrative without it being too obvious. That way, when the detail ends up being the critical element of a surprising plot shift, the reader can think,
“Oh my gosh! I remember that!”
For me, a sneaky detail just makes the story more engaging for the reader.
But my own real story is way too twisty and convoluted to do that well. Everything in my recollection is still too raw to be clever, and I’m much too tired to set a surprise hook for you. So I’m going to interrupt my flow here to insert this one detail that will end up having an enormous impact on my journey later on. It was such an inconsequential thing at the time…
Until it wasn’t.
As I said, Lou was doing some marketing consulting and such when we were trying to get our life back on track. He had a wide range of clients to engage with, but because two of Lou’s largest successes were in the multi-level marketing (MLM) world, there were a lot of people asking Lou for his advice, and a lot of people who were trying to recruit Lou to join their “downlines.”
But there was a doctor who lived in Tampa, Florida, who was developing an “anti-aging” pill, and this doctor wanted to distribute it using an MLM model. So he asked Lou to consult him on how to price the pills and to give his input on the doctor’s best marketing options.
Originally, Lou just met with the doctor to discuss his product, but before long, the doctor was treating Lou with some “natural anti-aging treatments” as a form of barter. One of the treatments was to treat Low-T. (Lou was 60 at the time, which is when Low-T becomes more than just an awkward TV commercial.)
Anyway…
This doctor was treating Lou with his “very special formula,” and my goodness — Lou was feeling amazing! He was stronger, fitter, and his whole mindset was different. Our entire world was trembling on the edge of falling apart, but my husband was strong, positive, and happy. And, he was losing weight and building so much muscle. If ever there was a time that a positive mental attitude and a healthy body are good things, it’s when you’re in the trenches, trying to dig your way out.
So even though some of the stuff this doctor was giving Lou seemed a bit “ad hoc” and honestly…kind of sketchy, I didn’t criticize it or begrudge Lou for taking advantage of the treatments he was being offered. At the time, I think I was just thankful that my man was upbeat and ready for anything.
In Lou’s exact words, he was feeling “as strong as bear’s breath!”
