"I wish I could terminos my problemos. You got something in that can that'll do that for me?" I said to the round teenager with white ear plugs who had just gotten out of a souped-up Toyota that looked more like a race car than an exterminators work truck. "Terminos Su Problemas" was decaled on the rear bumper. I wanted to take him up on his offer for a complete cleansing but alas, I knew all he really offered was some toxic spray to kill whatever beach vermin inhabit the jungle near the beach. He smiled and went about his business.

I don't really have any problems, none who read this do. If you need a reminder of that, come to a third world country for a few days, even a 2 and a half world country like Mexico. Not only is the profound glory of God's green and blue and brown and white earth slamming you in the face moment to moment, so is his soul as evidenced in the sparkling eyes, soft spirit and warm smiles of people who live in one room shacks and make 8 bucks a day bringing me my coconuts and salads... and they would give you the shirts off their backs if you needed them. I'm in a funky sleepy part of Mexico, surrounded by small towns not fancy hotels, but still the cavern between the haves and the have nots is glaring.

I mean a handful try to con you at the gas station, not zeroing out the previous sale before they pump your gas, thus charging you double, but that's only the few. The rest are so true.

Okay, so here's the deal. The book is being shipped today. That means a couple things. One, I'm out of control excited for you to read it and two, I'm probably going to be posting stories here less frequently over the coming couple months. Since you'll have the book to satiate all things Schaeffer, and I have to write my next movie in preparation for shooting it or the Showtime pilot based on the book in the fall, I need to focus up a bit on those projects. I know you'll forgive me for not being in your lives here three times a week but you'll have the book to tide you over. I mean I'll still be writing here, just once a week or so and I'll be sure to give you updates if I'm doing any in store readings. The only one planned right now is in NYC in mid-May, but I'll let you know specifics as they come up so keep close, just forgive me if they are a little more sporadic for a while.

Now, a couple things about the book. About 20% of the book contains stories from this blog. They are spread throughout but are slightly frontloaded in the beginning of the book. They are part of a greater whole so I encourage you to reread them since the flow of the book is obviously well intentioned and those stories, while you may have read them before, are integral to that flow. The book is 336 pages so the vast majority will be new to you. It will certainly feel mostly fresh even with a few intermittent stories you might or might not remember having read before.

For those of you who only came to this blog a few months ago, the book will be 100% new since I stopped including portions of the book here in the fall.

Be sure and write if you have a moment. I'd love to hear your response to the book. Its dear to me and of course, I hope will be dear to you. With my films, I can hide in the back at screenings and feel your love. This is harder, unless I happen upon one of you reading it on the subway and spy on the way to yoga. That's why I wrote it. For you. I hope you feel more a part and less apart as a result of it. namaste, all love. e

Posted by Eric Schaeffer at 11:11 PM

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