BEING OPEN -- by Jane Kelley

Now that certain powerful computers can use Language Learning Models to make sentences express ideas, I've had to ponder what exactly do I do. Is writing just recombining the phrases and themes that others have used––including me? What can I do to remain vital? How can I make what I do matter?  

I will continue to be Open -- with a glowing, capital O!

OPEN MINDED. I have opinions. Who doesn't? I believe mine are correct. Of course -- or else I wouldn't hang on to them. And yet, if I close myself off to ideas I dislike, I might miss discovering something that is worth considering. Shutting the door ends all possibility of learning something new.

OPEN HEARTED. I don't have to love everybody. But I should I care about everyone––especially those of us who can be a little difficult to like.

OPEN TO NEW IDEAS. Being curious is one of my strengths. I want to learn about anything and everything. No matter what I learn, there's often a place for it in my stories. Homing pigeons, Greek philosophers, WWI soldiers, incantation bowls, water main breaks, and yes, even robots.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS. I want to find new ways to connect with people. Communication can happen in so many different ways––songs, dance, drawing. The stories we share are what matters, not the format in which we find them.

OPEN TO ANYTHING -- like being the only adult to swing.

Jane Kelley is the author of many middle-grade novels, including THE DESPERATE ADVENTURES OF ZENO AND ALYA, which ends happily when a girl opens a window so a parrot can fly in.