Tin Foil Hats

Every once in a while it occurs to me that many things happen to me that require editing to be believable. For instance, a total stranger did, no exaggeration, leave her six month old infant on my doorstep at two o'clock in the morning. There really was a dead raccoon in my chimney. Police chuckle instead of giving me traffic tickets. I don't make these things up, and unless they are funny, I don't try to explain them. No one would believe it anyway except possibly my brother Tim who says I'm the kind of person who has birds land on her shoulder. He gets it, but I don't know if anyone else does.
When I write stories, I edit reality to make fiction sound believable. I know that most people think that writing is about making fake stuff sound real, but for me it is about making personal experiences sound like something that could possibly happen in a rational universe. I know that's absurd, but I just shrug my shoulders and deal with it.
Now instead of trying to write about what happened this morning, I'll just say you wouldn't believe it anyway.
Nancy Sherer