What Came First: Writer's Block or PTSD?

I have wanted to be published for many years. The problem was, I’d had writer’s block for over 36 of those years. Back when I was 17, I was a student in Mr. H’s English class at Lincoln East High School in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was also the coach for one of our athletic teams, but I don’t remember which one. 

One of our assignments was to describe something in vivid detail. For my story, I chose Toby, my mother’s Newfoundland dog. Well, Mr. H. used my work to point out that I anthropomorphized my character. And he did so with a relish. Though he didn’t name who the student was, he looked directly at me during his entire tirade.

To say I was humiliated was an understatement. It was bad enough that I tried to hide from everyone in a school where the population was over 2,000.  I especially tried to hide from the football and basketball teams. They loved to grab my books and throw them in the trash can on a regular basis, and that was minor compared to the other things that they succeeded in doing. 

That experience in Mr. H’s English class, caused me to slip even farther down the rabbit hole, which isn’t healthy, especially for a 17-year old with no viable-support system.

Flash forward, I am now 65-years old. As of today, there have been over 67,000 views on my blog! My plan is to post every Sunday between 2 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.

The very insecure little girl in me is so thrilled. I’ve had many readers’ mention how much they have enjoyed my postings and that they look forward to reading more! What do you think of that, Mr. H?

Until the next time...

How I Became a Diva...

I was five when we left Okinawa where my father had been stationed at the Air Force Base. We were re-assigned to the Air Force Base in Lincoln, Nebraska.

I spoke a mixture of English and Japanese and it made sense to me and my parents. Unfortunately, the staff at General Arnold Elementary felt that it was inappropriate upon entering Kindergarten that I didn’t speak English.

They decided I would best be kept in the corner of the classroom until I spoke fluent English. Meaning, I wouldn’t be able to participate in class activities or socialize with the other students. Now to some people this seems like a drastic measure for a child to experience.

Not for me. I was thrilled. I had my own easel board and paints. I had my own nap-pad where I didn’t have to share germs. Plus, I had a corner office! There are adults who would step over each other to have such a space.

I’m an only child and my parents weren’t very sociable. We didn’t participate in any activities such as church or neighborhood gatherings. As a result, I never had much interaction with other kids. So being separated from the rest of my classmates wasn’t as traumatic for me as it would have been for other children.

I have pleasant memories of keeping myself entertained and enjoying my personal space. I did mingle with my classmates. Just not as much as I might have, had I been fully participating in classroom activities. By second semester, I could speak fluent English, but I failed to mention it. I was content with my corner and my own easel board!

I suffered through several teenage girls assigned to babysit me. I remember they always watched TV and didn’t acknowledge my presence. By age 8, my mother gave up on the sitter idea and I basically took care of myself. The original latch-key kid. After school, I would come home and entertain myself with TV shows. I especially liked Perry Mason and I Love Lucy. What a life!

There was a toy store in downtown Lincoln called “Toy Castle.” I made friends with the owners. I ended up calling them Aunt and Uncle. They found me interesting and invited me to their home for overnight visits. Their daughter was by now a teenager, so I guess having a little kid around was fun for them. Not your typical kid thing, but definitely a Diva move!

For many years I didn’t present myself as a Diva because the people I associated with would not have understood where I was coming from. When I worked at Smith College however, my work-study students were quick to point out my Diva qualities. Ah, so nice to be finally recognized. And the rest is history.

Until next time…

Witticisms I’ve Collected Along the Way - Chapter 2

I cannot take credit for these wonderful witticisms. I found almost all of these in the latest catalog that I recently received from Catalog Favorites.

Attitude

·        A fun thing to do in the morning is not talk to me.

·        I’ll see your hot mess and raise you a walking disaster.

·        I’m not mean, I’m brutally honest. It’s not my fault truth hurts. Here’s a band aid.

·        I don’t have ducks. I don’t have a row. I have squirrels and they’re drunk.

·        I don’t care what people think of me. I’m busy. I’ve got MAGICAL shit to do.

·        It only takes one slow-walking person in the grocery store TO DESTROY THE ILLUSION THAT I’M A NICE PERSON.

·        If I was a bird, I know who I’d shit on.

·        If I give you a straw, will you suck the fun out of someone ELSE’S DAY?

    Statements of Truth

·        If you’re happy and you know it, it’s your meds.

·        Dust once. It came back. Not falling for that again.

·        Camping: Where you spend a small fortune, to live like a homeless person.

·        The more you weight, the harder you are to kidnap. Stay Safe. Eat Cake.

·        The 12-step chocoholics program. Never be more than 12 steps away from chocolate.

·        If you can’t remember my name, just say “Chocolate” and I’ll turn around.

·        Line dancing was started by women waiting to use the bathroom.

·        To me “drink responsibly” means don’t spill it.

·        Today I was a hero! I rescued some beer that was trapped in a bottle.

·        My GPS says, “estimated time of arrival.” I see “time to beat” and the game is on…

·        My GPS has learned to say “your other left.”

·        I hate it when the voices in my head go silent…I never know what they are planning.

·        I have a daughter. I also have a gun, a shovel and a alibi.

·        Being an adult is like folding a fitted sheet.

·        On the surface: cool as a cucumber. On the inside: squirrel in traffic.

Aging Gracefully

·        My Bucket List: 1.) Keep Breathing.

·        Over what hill? I don’t remember any hill.

·        The older I get, the earlier it gets late.

·        I thought growing old would take longer.

·        The Golden Years have come at last! I cannot pee, I cannot see, my budget shrinks, my memory stinks. The Golden Years can kiss my ass!

·        I came, I saw, I forgot what I was doing. Retraced my steps, got lost on the way back. Now I have no idea what’s going on.

·        Don’t grow up, it’s a trap.

·        I don’t have grey hair. I have wisdom highlights.

·        Go braless…it will pull the wrinkles out of your face!

More Unicorn Tails

·       Sometimes, I question my sanity. But the Unicorn in the kitchen told me I’m fine.

·        He told be I was delusional. I nearly fell off my Unicorn.

·        Always be yourself. Unless you can be a Unicorn then always be a Unicorn.