• Home
  • About Kim
    • Author Bio
    • Author FAQs
    • Other Writing
  • Books
    • Book Club Discussion
  • Events
    • Beaches, Bathrooms, and Books
  • Blog
  • Press
    • Press Kits
  • Contact Kim
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Kimberly Dalferes | Author

Crazy, Southern, Irish Gal, Author

Swingin’ For the Fences

March 23, 2012 by Kim Dalferes

The view from the perch in the middle-aged cheap seats is often backward looking, or at least a bit reflective. The passing of another St. Patrick’s Day last week had me pondering a bit about luck and success and how we define who we are or what we’ve accomplished. Mighty deep thoughts indeed! Particularly on St. Patrick’s Day, the Irish are thought of as a lucky tribe, the whole “pot of gold” or “Luck O’ the Irish” thing. However, as a group the Irish have also certainly suffered their share of heartache and adversity. It seems to me that it’s the overcoming of obstacles and tragedies, such as the great potato famine, that enables us to truly celebrate and appreciate our successes. As it’s often been said, everyone loves to cheer for the underdog. 

Just for fun, here are a few of my favorite “underdogs”, often viewed as tremendous achievers who have been blessed with great success. However, these folks were not always as lucky as you might think:

·       In 1951 Julia Child, with Simone Beck and Lousiette Betholle, began testing recipes for a collaborative cookbook. It took a full decade before Mastering the Art of French Cooking was finally published in 1961.

·       Harland David Sanders, also known as Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, had his famous secret chicken recipe rejected over 1,000 times before a restaurant agreed to use it.

·       Legendary Babe Ruth, my favorite leftie, struck out a record 1,330 times at bat during regular season play. He also held the record of 714 homeruns for four decades.

·       Lucille Ball, one of my personal heroes, was kicked out of her high school drama class because she was too shy. She went onto become one of the greatest and funniest dames of all time. 

·       James Joyce’s Dubliners was rejected twenty-two times before he found a publisher who would take a chance. Only 379 copies sold the first year; 120 bought by the author himself. Joyce went on to write classics such as A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Finnegans Wake.

·       Susan Lucci, an actress famous for her decades-long portrayal of Erica Kane on the soap opera All My Children, was nominated for an Emmy a record eighteen times; not winning until her nineteenth try in 1999. 

So, have you had set-backs that have led to your biggest successes? I would love to hear about them.

Hoping that today you my friends, just like Babe Ruth, will all be swinging for the fences,

Kimba

 PS: A birthday shout-out today to my truest friend Rodney, who is indeed one of the luckiest guys I have ever known.  It ain’t the years baby, it’s the mileage.

Filed Under: The Middle-Aged Cheap Seats Tagged With: babe ruth, colonel sanders, I was in love with a short man once, irish, James joyce, julia childs, Kim Dalferes, Kim Dalferes Authors, Kimba, luck, success, susan lucci

Comments

  1. Heather says

    April 5, 2012 at 1:55 pm

    Amazing!

    • Kim Dalferes says

      April 6, 2012 at 7:39 am

      Hi Heather, thanks for joining us and commenting.

  2. Aplle Imac says

    April 5, 2012 at 2:23 am

    Hi there, I found your web site by means of Google even as looking for a similar topic, your website got here up, it appears great. I have added to favourites|added to bookmarks.

  3. Rodney says

    March 23, 2012 at 5:10 pm

    Thanks Kimba!  Cheers!

Hello!

Author photo #2 in colorI hope you enjoy your time here and that you come back often. Wondering what makes me tick? This favorite quote from one of the grand dames of writing, Erma Bombeck, might help: Hook 'em with the lead. Hold 'em with laughter. Exit with a quip they won't forget. This seems to be a good overall life goal, don’t you think?

Hello!

Author photo #2 in colorWelcome to The Middle-Aged Cheap Seats,  the blog of Kimba Dalferes: slayer of king salmon, estate sale junkie, sometimes writes books.
Read More...

Beaches, Bathrooms, and Books!

What kind of bum are you: beach or bowl?

Sahar bathroom picKimba’s books have been called both “beach reads” and “bathroom reads.” She prefers beach reads, but hey, if the size 11 shoe fits…Read More...

Kim Dalferes’ Latest Book…

Crazy Southern Irish Gal Two-Book Bundle

Humor writer Kimberly “Kimba” Dalferes dishes on a wide variety of topics–from days of her youth spent blissfully on the shores of Florida’s beaches to menopause and empty nests–in her nonfiction collection Crazy Southern Irish Gal Two-Book Bundle. In both titles: I Was In Love With a Short Man Once and Magic Fishing Panties, Dalferes’ crazy Southern Irish gal perspective inspires her illustrations of life’s quirky twists and turns. Together, these books offer descriptive and colorful essays on subjects such as getting a tattoo in midlife, unique uses for kitty litter, handling a rabid bat, public speaking gone wrong, and naked hot-tubbing in Vegas. Dalferes skillfully weaves what at first glance may appear to be dissimilar themes into a tapestry that invokes her life’s motto: live out loud, laugh often, and ‘occasionally’ drink tequila. Now available through Amazon Kindle.

Search

Upcoming Events

There are no events to display

Author Hangouts

Beaches Bathroom Books Header sm
logo for A.Lbadge-ba50-final bombeck-writers-workshop lakerMagazineMasthead VWC-Logo-Master---97-years badge

The Archive


Goodreads reviews for I Was in Love with a Short Man Once

Reviews from Goodreads.com

Random Kimba Musings

Upcoming Events

"Bringing Your Book to the World: Book Launches, Signings, and Publicity", 2017 Virginia Writers Club Symposium, Charlottesville, VA, Saturday, August 5, 2017 http://www.virginiawritersclub.org/event-2484727

MORE INFO COMING SOON - Bridgewater Plaza Fall Festival, Saturday, October 14, 2017, Moneta, VA

"What's Creative About Nonfiction?", Reston Regional Library, Fairfax, VA, Monday, November 13, 2017, 7:00 p.m. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/rr/

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 Kimberly Dalferes · Customized by Elaine Griffin Designs · Built on the Genesis Framework