The Same Old Broom

Remember Only Fools and Horses? The episode where Trigger talks about 'his father's broom'. "I've changed the head a couple of times, and the handle's been replaced, but it's still the same broom...." *

It's an old joke, but one we recognise. The thing that seems the same to us, even though every part of it is new.

Which is rather like the MS I'm polishing now. If I start telling you its history, I won't be able to stop and I'll probably start sounding desperate. There have been rejections in its past. And revisions. And requests. Lots of each of them.

More recently, I've rewritten large chunks of it, employing what I've learned since it's baby steps as a first draft.

Which brings us back to the broom. You see, in broom terms, I first replaced the bristles. Then I decided the head didn't support the bristles well enough, so I replaced that with something sleeker and more sturdy. Which is great. It sure sweeps a good floor now.

Only the handle keeps giving me splinters.

But, since a wise person recently told me, "you need to move on" and since I know this to be true, I'm going to hand that old broom onto someone else to look at. And suggest they wear gloves.

In any case, by the time I'd replaced the handle, the bristles would probably be worn out again....

But it's a good book - er, broom - despite its flaws. And someday, in the not too distant future, someone's going to want to buy it. I tell you now - that's going to feel extremely good.


*Probably I paraphrase. You get the gist.