Broken Heart? Keep Calm and Carry On

I did a little research on "broken heart syndrome" tonight. There really is such a thing. Its scientific name is Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. You'll have to look it up for all the medical information, but, in a nutshell, you can die from it, but it is very unlikely, and, while more women have it than men, men are more likely to die from it. So, there you have it. And, before I go any further, I want you to be encouraged. That is the good news and the bad news about it, and if you are experiencing it, go ahead and let it go right now. You can do it. What I was really wanting to do was not report on this malady, but rather to explore the actual phenomenon and what you can do about it. There is a novel called "Anatomy of a Broken Heart" by Oluwaseun Kukoyi, which is a series of short stories about different broken heart scenarios, I assume, and reminds me of another book called "Eleven Kinds of Loneliness" by Richard Yates, which is also a collection of short stories. I checked it out of the library because it was in a volume along with "Revolutionary Road" and another novel by this author. Sounds like all this broken heart business originated in Japan, which is rather suspicious. Takotsubo? Kukoyi? Sounds Japanese to me. I started reading "Revolutionary Road," and did not get very far in it. I only got it because Anne Lamott's character, Noah, I think, said it was his favorite book and it was about loneliness, which, as we all know, can be one of the causes of a broken heart. I have had a lifelong curiosity about why people read what they read and why certain books get published, and I have definitely noticed a trend or two. One trend is that people like to buy "self-help" books, or "how-to" books, because, I guess, most people are admittedly in need of help about one thing or another, maybe their broken heart. The other trend I've noticed is that people like to read fiction, and what kind of fiction? Mostly romance and murder mysteries, an interesting observation from my perspective. I am on the analytical side, but not that analytical. I think I am one of the people to whom the professional writers address when they address people who like to write but will probably never be published. I am okay with that. Non-fiction is so vast I will mention it only in passing, in the interest of time. There are unlimited non-fiction topics, including natural science, psychology, politics, history, biography, the arts, which we might have included in the more concise term “arts and sciences.” I hope I’m not leaving anybody out. Whoops. I left out true crime, a favorite of mine. The people who say most of you won't ever be published always say, "Write anyway," because it's the writing that's important, not whether or not you get published. They even say it's the best time for a writer, before they are published, because after that it's about making money and it's no fun anymore. I'm sure I am oversimplifying, but that's what makes sense to me. When I was writing for newspapers, only a fraction of the time was I really in love with what I was writing. It was just a matter of having a plan, working the plan, producing the work, and none of those processes had to really involve my heart at all. They had to be done quickly and efficiently, period. I wrote a monthly column for the real estate insert of my local paper for about a year and it was good exercise, and I got paid, but it was not a subject about which I cared a great deal. So, that is the bottom line, really, why write about something you don't really care about? I am perfectly fine with having a job in education (literacy tutor), which I care about, and not trying to be a professional writer anymore, although as a reporter, feature writer, and sometime columnist, I was writing for pay. I would love to be a syndicated columnist or a regular feature writer, but right now, I am enjoying writing every day for the few people who read what I write. Now, back to the broken heart subject. So, the bottom line is, about broken hearts, people who write books that sell write about things that break people's hearts, because people are looking for the cure for their broken heart, whether it involves a break-up or a tragic loss of some kind. Everyone experiences these things. I mentioned romance above, the somewhat favorite fiction topic, from my observation. Murder mysteries also seem to be near the top of the list of popular themes and are interesting, but I've only read one that I really liked. It was "Before and After" by Rosellen Brown. I've read it twice. I read it first in graduate school, when I was studying family life and child development, because it dealt with how a murder affected a family. Now, why do people read this type of books? Is it because everyone is looking for a cure for their broken heart? Or are they just bored? The answer is probably some combination of both of these. So, all you readers and writers, we will never run out of things to read and write about, and if we don't ever get published by a traditional publisher, we will be able to just enjoy writing and not have to deal with publishers, because, honestly, I have never met a publisher who wasn't mean. Well, I did meet one in Kansas City, but he got fired just like the rest of us when they decided to fire all the new-hires and switch out the publisher and keep the editor. Publishing of every stripe can be very nasty, I'm just saying. That paper went out of business shortly thereafter, as well, so you catch my drift. I don't know what it is about the news business or the book publishing business, very competitive, very dangerous, like being in a war or something. So, if anyone has a broken heart out there, join the club. If you have had your heart broken, you are just like the rest of us. If you are estranged from somebody, if someone you love took their own life, if you have been unable to hold someone you loved very much or you had to let something go that you had set your heart on, be encouraged, you are human, and really, that is part of being human, not a reason to be depressed. Be strong, be courageous, learn from your disappointments and keep growing. Life is a gift, and gratitude is the healthiest response. I don't want to hear about anyone out there complaining of a broken heart and see, now you don't even have to worry about if you have "broken heart syndrome." As the Brits said during World War II, "Keep Calm and Carry On." Love you.