below are the 2 writing prompts i picked (out of a bag!) at the 1st meeting of a local writer's group on 9/21. our next meeting is on 10/16 and i do believe we'll have to read out pieces aloud if we chose to share them! (yeesh!)
Written Tuesday, 9/25/07, 11:18am "My Mother never told me"
My Mother never told me… There wasn’t anything I couldn’t do, that writing is a good thing, that she doesn’t like me, if she had any hopes and dreams for me and not for her, that she’d like to be a grandmother, that I’m a good person or that she wanted me to go to college.
My Mother never told me… That I really was fat at times growing up, that I could be successful, that any of my right decisions were right, that it’s ok to be different and not blend in or that it’s ok to trust yourself.
My Mother never told me… That she resents the fact that I love and am committed to other people besides her, that she’d tell everyone I moved out when in fact she kicked me out, that she “didn’t mean it” when she kicked me out, that she’ll do anything she can to make me look bad in front of other people and make herself look good, that I was supposed to be her surrogate friend, companion and spouse for life or that trying to be a better daughter regardless of our past & present problems wouldn’t make a difference to her.
There’s so much more my Mother has never told me, more than she may even realize. But I still know.
Written today, 10/2/07, "Best Friends"
I’ve struggled with this prompt from the first day I sat down to have at it! (Tues., 9/25/07) I wasn’t digging the “what my best friends mean to me and who they are” approach, though I tried to go that route on 5 different starts. So I put this aside!
Even though I realized last night that best friends don’t have to be strictly human (more on that in a moment!), I’m still having trouble with this!
For me, what comforts and gives a sense of peace or love or support or joy can be a best friend! My journals and blog (the writing aspect, not so much the re-reading!), books I read, my gardens, my cats, sometimes music, favorite movies and tv shows, autumn weather and its’ amazing colors, candle light on a dim and chilly day, the moon shining in our windows at night… Many of these things have been around in times when I had no one, for whatever reasons, mine or theirs. And when I’m home alone & sick in one way or another and Hubby’s at work, these things are here for me still.
I do have what most would consider “real” best friends! Brenda, Matt, Gillian, Michelle and Kathy. Each are completely different from one another and have nothing in common besides me! We’re not a group that hangs out like in Sex and the City or Friends. But that’s ok because I love them all dearly and they are more important to me with every day that passes.
I’m not going for a cliché here, but Hubby is also one of my best friends and here’s why: When we were first together, I told him everything. And I do mean EVERYTHING! He didn’t judge me, belittle me or do anything else negative in response. And he didn’t walk away. I’ll admit that now he has a tendency to listen not so much and before I know it I’m listening to his opinions and he’s trying to “fix” what I’ve been telling him about, which is absolutely maddening and while I feel I shouldn’t have to preface certain things with “I just need to vent” (which a past therapist told me to do!) and feel I should just be able to talk, I know he’s still that same man who will love me regardless of what I tell him.
Written Tuesday, 9/25/07, 11:18am "My Mother never told me"
My Mother never told me… There wasn’t anything I couldn’t do, that writing is a good thing, that she doesn’t like me, if she had any hopes and dreams for me and not for her, that she’d like to be a grandmother, that I’m a good person or that she wanted me to go to college.
My Mother never told me… That I really was fat at times growing up, that I could be successful, that any of my right decisions were right, that it’s ok to be different and not blend in or that it’s ok to trust yourself.
My Mother never told me… That she resents the fact that I love and am committed to other people besides her, that she’d tell everyone I moved out when in fact she kicked me out, that she “didn’t mean it” when she kicked me out, that she’ll do anything she can to make me look bad in front of other people and make herself look good, that I was supposed to be her surrogate friend, companion and spouse for life or that trying to be a better daughter regardless of our past & present problems wouldn’t make a difference to her.
There’s so much more my Mother has never told me, more than she may even realize. But I still know.
Written today, 10/2/07, "Best Friends"
I’ve struggled with this prompt from the first day I sat down to have at it! (Tues., 9/25/07) I wasn’t digging the “what my best friends mean to me and who they are” approach, though I tried to go that route on 5 different starts. So I put this aside!
Even though I realized last night that best friends don’t have to be strictly human (more on that in a moment!), I’m still having trouble with this!
For me, what comforts and gives a sense of peace or love or support or joy can be a best friend! My journals and blog (the writing aspect, not so much the re-reading!), books I read, my gardens, my cats, sometimes music, favorite movies and tv shows, autumn weather and its’ amazing colors, candle light on a dim and chilly day, the moon shining in our windows at night… Many of these things have been around in times when I had no one, for whatever reasons, mine or theirs. And when I’m home alone & sick in one way or another and Hubby’s at work, these things are here for me still.
I do have what most would consider “real” best friends! Brenda, Matt, Gillian, Michelle and Kathy. Each are completely different from one another and have nothing in common besides me! We’re not a group that hangs out like in Sex and the City or Friends. But that’s ok because I love them all dearly and they are more important to me with every day that passes.
I’m not going for a cliché here, but Hubby is also one of my best friends and here’s why: When we were first together, I told him everything. And I do mean EVERYTHING! He didn’t judge me, belittle me or do anything else negative in response. And he didn’t walk away. I’ll admit that now he has a tendency to listen not so much and before I know it I’m listening to his opinions and he’s trying to “fix” what I’ve been telling him about, which is absolutely maddening and while I feel I shouldn’t have to preface certain things with “I just need to vent” (which a past therapist told me to do!) and feel I should just be able to talk, I know he’s still that same man who will love me regardless of what I tell him.
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