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C. A
room full of old people...
A room full of old people in the cellar of
the First United Methodist Church of
Orrington after service. There is a dull
roar of voices, as years of friendship and
stories move comfortably around eachother.
All of their children now grown up, my
mother being one of them, are continuously
the subject. For 50 or more years, they have
shared the same neiborhood in South
Orrington; the old women in their pretty
dresses still getting together to gossip,
and the old men in their suits laughing
easily together. They have experience so
much together: the new fads of each decade,
living through the hardships of the 1930s
and up, most of the men going off to war
together. They know each other's family
problems, took care of each other's kids,
and have pictures to prove it. They have
been sharing their lives together, gathering
at the grange to deal with issues, throwing
parties, dropping by just to visit, drop off
a gift, or to borrow something. The women
having their little get togethers, taking
the kids out to the lake while the men are
at work; the men all getting together on
their night, members in the Shriners.
A room
full of old people, sitting silently, with
tears in their eyes as all of these memories
come back to them. They listen to the sermon
as they stare at the casket holding another
one of their friends. Even if they did not
have much like for this person, or it was
someone who had left the neighborhood, the
old people are still there to give their
condolences. There is pain from loosing
someone that you have shared everything
with. As another one passes, the ones that
are left alone with the memories grow few.
But the old people who are left sitting in
that room with the past have the hardest
part. My grandfather was one of the old
people from South Orrington in one of those
caskets. But it wasn't just my families
loss, it was the neighborhoods loss;
everyone was there to give comfort. It's not
just a room of old people, but a life some
of us can only dream of: memories, friends,
knowing people are there for you, everyone
together. However, it is saddening to say
that a life like this is dieing with this
generation, with this room of old people.
Journal Day 5
I am not a romantic person, but recently I had a moment
with my husband that went like this: "Honey, I was
thinking this morning, with our 14th wedding anniversary
approaching and all, I just want to say that I'm just as
much in love with you today as I was when we got
married. More, even."
The moment passed as quickly as it came. My emotional
outbursts are usually more along the lines of crying
jags or yelling. I returned to studying for my
psychology quiz. I believe it was something along the
lines of personality disorders.
I felt my husband standing beside me. To my surprise,
when I looked at him his eyes welled with tears. For the
rest of the evening he grinned like a kid, staring at me
and sighing. He was as taken aback by my comment as I
was. By bedtime I'd forgotten all about my "moment."
He came home for lunch the next day and said, "I just
want you to know that what you said yesterday really …
really moved me. I just want to say—" he breathed
deeply, "—that you and I—"
"Oh don't be queer about it," I said quickly.
His face fell. Why had I cut him off? I wondered. Was it
just my pride? I searched for my earlier feelings, but
all I could remember was the quiz material that I had to
memorize before the class that evening (I think that I
was starting to wonder if perhaps I had a personality
disorder).
I guess I'm not a fan of words; actions speak louder. My
heart sank as I watched the confusion on his face change
to hurt.
"It was a moment," I said. "I've moved on."
How frigging lame was THAT? I returned to my Wal-Mart
list: kitty litter, deodorant, candle for the
bathroom. God our house stinks.
I glanced at him, and he grinned. We both laughed, and
now my "moment" is his favorite story to anyone who
listens, told well with love and humor. That tells me
more than any words what his real feelings are.
Copyright (c) 2006 by Sarah Tilden Warner
Memories of high school….class of ‘73
Gary Topler – football hero, loved the girls, one night at a time. He would
charm you into his arms, take you for what he could get, and dump you the next
day. On to the next girl…no love lost. College bound…football coach…what else?
Joann Eberware – cute blonde, tall, thin, athletic, pothead. Caught in the
girls’ room in our catholic high school with a cigarette. Third floor girl’s
room, Sister Edward Elizabeth, aka Eddy Betty walks in..Joann exits via the
south window. Walks around the ledge for about five minutes, realizes she has no
where to go, comes back in the window and tries to make it past Eddy Betty. Nice
try, Jo. Detention for a week in her office. Blamed me for not warning her on
time.
Mary Stevenson - a very large person…not in stature..just in being. She was very
large. She hated everyone..not the least of which was me. She called me a narc,
to which I responded “What’s a narc?” (I was very naïve in high school) So
convinced was she that I turned her drug dealing self into the nuns that she
waited for me one day after school in the hall, and tried to beat the crap out
of me. I kneed her and ran for the door, never looking back. She ended up in
jail after graduation. (Never found out it was her friend’s mom that turned her
in)
Joe Gravat – senior president. Present at the above attempted beating in the
hall. Great football hero. Looked the other way, and never leant a hand. What a
star! Went on to college and became a lawyer. Great profession where you get to
look the other way a lot!
John Bianco – AAHHH..he was the love of my life…or so I would have liked him to
be. Very quiet, also a football hero. All the nuns loved him..very polite, great
grades, wonderful personality. VERRRYYY good-looking. Never got to date him.
Told me at our 20th reunion I should have told him I had a crush on him…he felt
the same. Nice time to tell me…jerk. He grew up to be a politician…go figure.
John Norga – Tunes of Deep Purple come to mind. Driving through the Parkway on a
Saturday afternoon. Watching lines of cars covered with high school kids parade
slowly through the crowded park. The sweet taste of Boone’s Farm wine lingering
after a long, meaningful kiss. Man, could he kiss! Left high school and joined
the army.
Susan Petri – perfect…only word that will fit her description. Beautiful,
talented, smart, personable, and modest! She did everything right. All through
school, she aced her grades, honor society, band member, homecoming queen. Went
on to be a doctor serving overseas. That was her…always giving.
Jim Jones – superstar…never touched boos or drugs. Good – looking, talented,
football star quarterback, popular. EVERYBODY liked Jim. Geeks, brainiacs,
potheads, jocks, they all loved him. For his eighteenth birthday we all had a
party for him. Someone slipped something into his drink, and Jim thought he
could fly. Of course he couldn’t…but from a third story porch railing…who would
guess?
As I look at these hands I wonder how
they have lasted this long. Construction
work was my role for 10 years,
sheetmetal work to be exact. I see the
four different locations where I have
received stiches over the years, one
nasty cut in particular almost infected
the bone, this is the most visible of
scars. As my roles in life changed, I
see the scar of a human bite from an out
of control patient at a psyciatric
hospital. If my fingers could speak to
me, I think they would say, "why do you
do that? When people are ducking for
cover, you run directly into the middle
of an unsafe situation to help bring
safety to those around you. You've never
asked me how I feel about this
arrangement. I am getting tired of
holding on to people!" When I look
closely at my hands, I see alot of dry
and cracked skin, alot of blisters, and
the occasional scab, from building my
own house (which is still on going). But
most significantly, I see hands that are
not afraid to correct my children when
they need timeouts. I see the look of
respect on my sons face when my hand
takes hold of his arm to direct him away
from an area, because he was not
following directions. But the best thing
I see in my hands is the love I never
had, the love I learned to give. My
children run to my hands when they are
hurting, and hide in my hands when they
are afraid. I gently rock those precious
angels when they are sick, with my ugly,
bent, scared, unprecious hands. My hands
correct, but make no mistake about it my
hands love.
Copyright (c) 2006 by psychman
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She has long brown hair, big teddy
bear brown eyes, and stands about
six feet tall. She's beautiful. You
know it's going to be a great day at
work when she's there. That big
gorgious smile of hers almost blows
the place down. She has these eye
lashes that everyone wishes they
had. No need for make-up. She
treated her residents, nurses,
activities assistants, and
housekeepers all with dignity and
respect. Everyone wanted to be her.
It was an usual Tuesday morning. The
sky was grey with small droplets
falling from the sky. All in all,
the day was gloomy. Sally walked
through the front door. The sky
became blue, the droplets
evaporated, and the sun shined like
it had never shined before. The
assignments were filled and off the
four of us went off. Sally was
always very helpful. No matter what
it was or how long it took, she
would be there. Sally continued on
with her assignment. I walked down
the hallway with an eery feeling.
Something just wasn't right. I went
to check on the other girls just to
be sure they were okay. Sam was in
the second room to the left,
everything was fine. Jenna was the
fifth room room down to the right,
everything seemed okay. I went to
find Sally. She was all the way to
the end of our hall, the last room
on the right. I stopped at the door
and heard an awkward sound. This
time I did not knock at the door. I
quickly opened the door just in time
to see Sally hit that woman. I
paused in disbelief. This was not
the Sally I knew.
Sally had ugly long brown hair,
hateful big brown eyes, and stood
about six feet tall which was the
closest she would get to Heaven. Her
eyelashes did the best job at hiding
all of her possessed features she
gloomed with. She treated the other
nurses, activities assistants, and
housekeepers all with dignity and
respect. The residents were a
different issue. I watched the
authorities escort her out of the
facility. The hall was dark, the sky
turned grey and small water droplets
began to fall from the sky. For the
first time, I did not want to be
her.
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http://soundfallen.blogspot.com/2005/10/prompt-reaction-4.html
http://jsfish.blogspot.com/2005/10/prompt-reaction-week-4.html
(The first of the above pieces was written about the author of the second
piece, and the second of the two pieces was written about the author of the
first!)
http://madinamanblogger.blogspot.com/2005/10/theme-4.html
http://millaysmalaise.blogspot.com/2005/09/theme-week-3-do-over-what-language-is.html
http://smg91286.blogspot.com/2005/10/prompt-reaction-3.html
http://madinamanblogger.blogspot.com/2005/10/theme-6.html
http://smackyourbitchup.blogspot.com/2005/10/i-had-ephipany-freeestyle.html
http://zebuesk.blogspot.com/2005/10/prompt-reaction-6.html
http://tmaym.blogspot.com/2005/10/theme-week-5.html
http://mybloggeraddress.blogspot.com/2005/10/prompt-6.htmlhttp://jeterchick04.blogspot.com/2005/11/division-example-essay.html
http://jeterchick04.blogspot.com/2005/11/division-example-essay.html
http://millaysmalaise.blogspot.com/2005/10/theme-week-7-building-bigger-bridge.html
http://millaysmalaise.blogspot.com/2005/10/theme-week-9-meaning-beneath.html
http://soundfallen.blogspot.com/2005/11/prompt-reaction-7.html
http://jsfish.blogspot.com/2005/11/prompt-reaction-week-9.html
http://jsfish.blogspot.com/2005/11/process-essay.html
http://adriannesenglishblog.blogspot.com/2005/12/process-essay.html
http://aantone.blogspot.com/2005/11/process-essay_23.html
The three process essays just above are corkers--all the
details fit to print. Lovingly rendered material. Made my teacher day.
http://soundfallen.blogspot.com/2005/11/prompt-reaction-9.html
Very unusual piece.
***
Reaction to Prompt 30: Ain't no way I'm gettin into my garbage...let's see
what's in the author's mind bin instead, shall we?
1 slightly used shadow that lined my sister's form. –shared
2 "10-year Plan" lists circa 1991 and 2003 -obsolete
2 definitions of love -modified
1 naive notion of liberty and justice for all -shot to hell
1 completely distorted view of Beauty -wrinkled (slightly)
376,000 (estimated) brain cells of varying importance -chemically altered
1 half-packed suitcase (with atlas) -unpacked
1 pair running shoes –resouled
2 disturbing letters to my parents leftover from the age of anger – crumpled
1 promise of “til death shall part us” – broken
16 leaves of various shape and color –overturned
1 inventory -completed
--Amy Cross
***
A couple of clever loathing-EMCC pieces from Stephanie Pottle:
Quiz:
If you had to eat one of the following, which would it be?
A – finger paint
B – toothpaste
C – poop
D – mom’s cooking
E – EMCC dorm food
If you had to sleep on one of the following, which would it be?
A – floor
B – broken glass
C – rock
D – pull out couch
E – EMCC dorm bed
If you had to wear one of the following, which would it be?
A – bottle
B – dirt
C – turkey
D – shirt
E – EMCC sweatshirt
If you had to live in one of the following, which would it be?
A – card board box
B – trash can
C – industrial waste park
D – house
E – acadia hall
If you had to go to school at one of the following, which would it be?
A – Jeeve’s school of butlery
B – Igor’s school of lab assistants
C – Madame le Goth’s school of obedience
D – Jenna Jameson’’s school of sex
E – EMCC
If you picked anything other than d on any of the above, you may want to seek
help. If you answered E on any of the above, you have been brainwashed, seek
immediate reprogramming.
***
And then:
Twenty-five reasons students of EMCC don’t spend any longer than necessary
living in Acadia Hall
ONE
Monday, you go into a stall, pull down your pants, sit down realize there is no
toilet paper, stand up, pull the pants up, hold them closed and hop to another
stall, all because the bathrooms haven’t been cleaned since Monday.
TWO
The skeevy people (not current students) that are kind of friends with someone
who lives on campus or used to go to school here that find it crucial to spend
every waking moment in the lobby. Don’t these people have homes?
THREE
The exciting new pastime some people have devised of stealing every dry erase
marker in the school.
FOUR
It’s EXPENSIVE.
FIVE
People seem to think, from time to time that expelling the contents of their
stomachs in the hall is a dandy idea.
SIX
You end up living in a dry sauna or an igloo because you can’t control the heat
in the frickin’ rooms!
SEVEN
Even if you are of age, you can’t sit down and enjoy a drink or two after a
stressful day of classes or work.
EIGHT
You are required to purchase a rather expensive meal plan and the food sucks.
Plus after a year of bugging Tommy, there is still NO Ben and Jerry’s anywhere
to be seen.
NINE
Quiet hour are a good idea, but you either end up with no enforcement, or over
enforcement by…
TEN
Anal R.A.s who let power go to their heads. Yea, you job is important, but get
some perspective.
ELEVEN
No cat’s… or dogs for that matter.
TWELVE
There are two signs in the lobby. “This is your home…” and “There will be no
swearing in the lobby.” EXCUSE ME?
THIRTEEN
People can’t seem to remember that poop needs to go away, as in you may have to
flush more than once.
FOURTEEN
Everyone does it, but listening to your neighbors do it constantly when you’re
not getting any yourself just plain sucks.
FIFTEEN
A distinct lack of parking for residents, but a Gestapo rated security force for
inappropriate parking.
SIXTEEN
400 pound female culinary student in the hall in a bra and short shorts with
half the ass hanging out or pieces or terrycloth closer related to washcloths
than towels.
SEVENTEEN
Rats. and I don’t mean rodents.
EIGHTEEN
Drunken eighteen year old adolescents screaming and running down the hall at two
am when your R.A. is sleeping three floors away
NINETEEN
People with absolutely no musical tastes who assume the higher the volume, the
higher the sound quality.
TWENTY
Excessive cleaning fees for many due to the inability of a handful to puck up
after themselves. (And the laziest janitor I’ve ever seen.)
TWENTY-ONE
Neither telephone or internet access is included… that’s a good, fifty to a
hundred dollars a month. HELLO! We’re college students.
TWENTY-TWO
The rooms look like prison cells and in the middle of the winter, the walls seem
to close in like the walls of a prison.
TWENTY-THREE
People who don’t understand the meaning of the words subtle or mature telling
you to grow up.
TWENTY-FOUR
Absolutely no space for students to spend spare time hanging out. The lobby I
better known as a living room.
TWENTY-FIVE
standing in two feet of snow, pouring rain, and/or the freezing cold to have a
cigarette.
***
A nursing student's journal from Meghan Ruhlin:
Monday,
December 12th
Studying.....huh.....I dont know if there IS a way to study for this! Should
I have done more, read more? These were the questions dashing through my
mind on the way to school this morning. I didnt even remember half of it
because my only thoughts were on exam #4. I sat in my seat, "Oh shit, Im
gonna do bad, Kelly has my lucky pencil!!" Immediate panic set in to the
superstitious student. Being superstitious and a Nurse might not be a great
mix. The test read, "What precautions would you take for a patient with low
potassium (select all that apply)" I answered it the best I could. But then
when the test was through, we got in groups and did the test over. WHY CANT
I FUCKING GET IT!!!!! MY BRAIN BLANKS OUT THE (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY) EVERY
TIME!!!! I HATE THIS!!!! I was stressed to the maximum, this lead to a
spending spree. I think I could find a diagnosis for that; it really is a
problem.
Wednesday, December 14th
Today was
a fun fun fun fun class. The topic; Sexuality. We talked about many many
things from, "is a man gay if he likes to stick fingers in his anus-False"
to "if a woman uses a vibrator, she will become dependent on it-false."Then
the the conversation switched to 'premature ejaculation.' ( This is not a
joke either!!)A classmate said to the the teacher, 'can you define premature
ejaculation?" The response was, "When a man ejaculates sooner than he wants
to."
The reply
from the classmate was, "Isnt that everytime?"
The class
was in an uproar. Everyone was dying laughing. That was a great way to
lighten the load just before getting the test results back. For sure I
thought I got below a 73, (thats the lowest you can get.) I ended up getting
a 74. Not great, but not failing.
Thursday,
December 15
Very,
very shitty day, to say the least. I woke up estatic because it was the last
day of clinicals. We were getting out early to go eat at the olive garden.
When the morning crew was reporting off, I heard my patients name called,
"No more hallucinations, but we need a C Diff sample."
Great, I
was expecting bad, but not as bad as it became. I supervised her eating, and
went to get her in the bathroom and get a sample. I put the 'hat' in the
back of the toliet seat to catch the stool. She didnt make it all to the
toliet so she was a mess. When she was through, the smell was the most
horrendous thing that I had ever come across. I got her somewhat cleaned up,
and the OT finished. The worst part wasnt over. I had to spoon the liquid
stool into the container, rinse the 'hat' out, and bring the sample to the
refridgerator. I was ok, until I got the the spooning part, the gags became
uncontrollable. I hid it from the patient, I did not vomit, but I couldnt do
it anymore. The sample I got was going to have to be enough. I continued
with the rest of my patient care, but then again, I dont think you would be
human if you attended nursing school and didnt gag.
***
***
Griz doing irony and Griz writing with her own voice without
mentioning herself. Slick trick:
Car pulls up and it’s off to best friend’s birthday party. First outing…scared to death…holding onto daddy’s arm… Fluffy pink dress on…Mary Jane’s…white anklets. Wizard of Oz book wrapped in rainbow paper. Cake and ice cream..pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey…kool-aid and Jiffy Pop…swim in the inflatable pool…talk about Barbie, Ken, and Skipper…
Car pulls up and it’s off to eighth grade graduation…Scared to death…holding onto dad’s arm…White miniskirt, first set of “high heels…chunky style”…waist-length hair cut to a bob…can’t wait to sit next to Jerome DiGiacomo…gotta love alphabetical order…(Cavatelli comes next!)…After ceremony party at the friend’s house…coke, pizza, and playing post office and choo-choo…first kiss…hugs and promises to keep in touch in high school…
Car pulls up and it’s off to senior prom…scared to death…holding onto dad’s arm…”Nights in White Satin” playing while the dancing ball reflected off the walls…speared shrimp…giggling in the girls room…fixing makeup…sneaking wine…dancing…dancing….dancing….
Car pulls up and it’s off to wedding…long white dress….scared to death…holding onto dad’s arm…”Annie’s Song”…daisies…rice shower…honeymoon at Niagra Falls…endless promises…moonlight walks…champagne toast…dancing…dancing….dancing….
Car pulls up and it’s off to Dad’s funeral…long black dress… scared to death…holding onto dad’s arm…crying with sister…sneaking wine…Three gun shots…Taps…
68. A city street…
…Em ‘n Em blasting out a second story window…
…three rows of bleached white sheets and boxer shorts hanging out to dry
…seven kids of varying nationalities fighting over the fire hydrant that just sprang a leak…
…group of older kids playing a basketball game, getting in shape for college…
…shiny black limo carrying a beautiful, young girl to her first “job”…
…a tired mom attempting to keep three toddlers entertained while an infant rests on her hip, falling asleep despite all the rucous….
…animated neon signs urging people to have a Coke and a smile…
…hoards of pigeons fighting over discarded McDonald’s scraps…
…lovers sit entwined on a park bench, oblivious to the world around them…
…boys on skateboards trying to outshine the ones on bikes doing wheelies…
…the smell of exhaust from so many cars…
…flashing red palms…”Go”, “Don’t go”, “Go”, “Don’t go”
…the faint clanging of church bells…
…people in a hurry…
…people with no where to go…
…sirens…police….ambulance…fire….
Tuesday, April 25, 2006 3:31:14 PM
“Not me, uh uh, no way am I flying!”
In the news today... young man gets killed by locomotive while fishing off railroad trestle…
“Holy cow, I can’t believe you want to go in a plane…how crazy is that?
In the news today…man dies after falling off cliff at Acadia National Park while trying to retrieve a sandal…swept away by wave…
“Don’t you know how dangerous it is to fly?”
In the news today…elderly priest struck by lightning while playing golf…
“I would rather drive myself than get into a plane!”
In the news today…woman killed as her car hydroplanes into a phone pole…
“People who fly are taking their life into their own hands.”
In the news today…teen-ager loses life while surfing…shark attack…
“Nothing is scarier than getting onto a plane…”
In the news today…seventy five people die, hundreds injured as train derails…
“Yup, driving is the safest way…no planes for me”
In the news today…Eight people dead, nineteen hospitalized in seven-car pile-up on Connecticut turnpike.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t fly…too dangerous!”
In the news today…man shot accidentally in bizarre hunting accident.
…mauled by tiger in zoo…
…died from food poisoning…
…terrible down-hill skiing accident…
…run over by boat…
…snow-sled through the ice…
…four-wheeler crosses barbed-wire fencing…
…attacked by bobcat while cycling…
…drowned in backyard pool…
Tuesday, April 25, 2006 3:32:28 PM