[Spotlight Post] Jimmy Simpson (A Valentine’s Day Post)

In honor of Valentine’s Day – and Friday Spotlight Day – I’m spotlight my husband, Jimmy Simpson. Some of you know him well. Some of you don’t. And a couple of you are responsible for him being a permanent part of my life – so thank you. There are many reasons I love this man – besides the fact he puts up with the occasionally completely neurotic mess that I can be (writers and creative types, we’re a challenge), and I’m going to share some of them with you.

Jimmy has been involved in Fandom and conventions a lot longer than I have. He came up in the Dallas Fantasy Fairs, going to conventions and starting to hang out in art shows. He’s been collecting art for almost twenty years and has gotten to know artists and organizers. Teresa Patterson trained him to run art shows, and he has built the FenCon Art Show into one of the highest regarded and respected art shows in the region. I could probably name drop to infinity the number of SF artists and art directors he has met and had dinner with, but he won’t.

He has been a booth manager for Allen Williams at shows like Dragon*Con and San Diego Comic Con – and now he’s MY booth manager (and business manager – God bless him). He’s introduced me to a whole new world that I should’ve been paying attention to since I started publishing, the artists. And if it weren’t for being a booth manager for Allen Williams, we might not have finally summoned up the courage to get together.

My husband is also one of the hardest working people I know. I’m in complete awe of his spreadsheet skills. He’s keeps all the business stuff so organized that I have NO WORDS. It’s why I embrace the 1950s lifestyle of “Here’s my money, please take care of it. Let me know how much I can spend and when.” I don’t think in those terms – but I’m really glad he does. He keeps track of everything and God Bless him for it.

It’s this ability to deal in detail that has made him so valuable to his Day Job. He does information systems for his company – and database stuff, and programming stuff, and all kinds of stuff that he doesn’t often tell me about because of the glaze over effect. But it keeps him secure in a job when I haven’t been. So secure that I’ve been a little perturbed with the company for the long hours they’ve required lately due to mergers and buy outs and “Jimmy, FIX IT!” stuff, but they appreciate him almost as much as I do…almost. 😎

That’s just the public side. On my side, he’s a super patient person who loves me in spite of my insecurities and difficulties – even though I know I irritate the fool out of him from time to time. That’s being human and living with a red heard. He supports me through the unknowns of publishing and writing – encouraging me along the way and keeping me from giving up at times. I’ve lost count of how many times he’s said, “You DO. NOT. SUCK.” when it’s been awhile since I’ve had an acceptance or a job offer. He knows when to shove me at the coffee pot or bring me ice cream, and that’s why he’s my permanent Valentine.