"27" Anson, Lasagna and Christmas

 

This was a very enjoyable chapter for me. Now that Jakob has risen above his rough years, it is nice to see — and write! — the positives in his life.

Click here to read Ascension: Jakob’s Ladder, “27” [Chapter 9].

As the author, I found challenges here in this chapter as well as joys. The lasagna dinner with Anson was written in Hi, I’m Lance, but that was all written from Lance’s perspective. Now I had to rethink the experience from Jakob’s point of view. That was interesting.

If you are interested in comparing:
Click here to read Hi, I’m Lance, Meeting 110 [Chapter 31].

I think what I enjoyed most about writing this chapter was the conversation with Oliver at Christmas. There was a lot of emotion there. People in conflict are usually relatable because the individual realizes he or she is not perfect. In the case of Oliver, watching others be happier is something to which everyone in the world can relate. We all do that. Humankind seems to want what other people have. The true enjoyment of those scenes was the interaction between brothers. When siblings are young, they fight, they tease, they argue. It is as adults that each person comes into their own. The teasing and fighting is done at a more mature level (hopefully). I have to wonder how many families become closer as adults than they were as kids. Some definitely drift — often for good reasons — but some almost become friends more than brothers or sisters. Watching Jakob interact with Oliver is also a bit of fun.

Among the readers out there, a few might inquire, “Why did you just gloss over the wedding?” Good question. Obviously, the wedding is major, so it needed to be discussed between Jakob and Trevor. I just felt the experience between Lance and Jakob would not differ significantly. Each of them had “saved” the other, and the commitment was just as strong with both of them. A major retelling didn’t seem necessary.

If you wish to relive the wedding, click here for Hi, I’m Lance, Meeting128 [Chapter 33].

I suppose I should point out the obvious. Ascension: Jakob’s Ladder was intended to tell Jakob’s whole story. An abundance of new text has been written, but all of that was his early years. For the first time, this chapter goes beyond where we left off with Lance and Jakob. I hope you have enjoyed the continuation of their story. There’s more to come.