I could hear them before I could see them. The giggling and deep belly laughs were carrying through the park. I was out taking a long walk on a bright blue spring day. Some portions of the trail I was on skirt around a golf course - not yet open for the season. Out of the corner of my eye I caught the first flutter of activity ahead. A brother and sister were running and chasing each other on the greens. Smiles on their faces; not a care in the world. One chased the other up a hill, Jack and Jill style. When they got to the top they fell to the ground and rolled down to the bottom, laughing all the way. With boundless energy back up the hill they traipsed only to do it all over again. I couldn’t help but laugh myself just watching the scene. It took all the restraint I had not to charge up the hill with them and throw myself on the ground to roll down too. Why should the kiddos get to have all the fun! Let’s Get Emotional
My goal with the challenge this year is to use it as an exercise to write something focused on a particular emotion. I hope to convey that mood or feeling through word choice in the story. I welcome your feedback on what worked or didn’t for you in each piece.
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It was Derby Day and I was headed out to an event to root for the ponies. One needs to get glammed up for Derby Day. I was wearing a charming blue dress that matched my eyes and a fabulous pair of 5-inch heels. I felt great and was looking forward to a fun day with friends. When I arrived at the event, I headed to the bar to get a drink, and when in Rome, well Kentucky, ok, ok, I wasn’t in Rome or Kentucky but since it was a Derby Party the featured drink was the Mint Julep. I had never had one before so that’s what I ordered. I can’t say I loved it, but it wasn’t awful, so I sipped as I mingled. Standing and chatting in a cluster of people I suddenly got very, very dizzy. It was as though someone flipped a switch. I was fine and then I wasn’t. I started to break out into a cold sweat. My stomach started to churn and I felt like I was going to pass out. I whispered to the closest friend that I needed to sit down ASAP. The place was packed, not a table or chair in sight. There was however an open space on the patio wall. That was going to have to do. Now in front of this wall was an area that was nicely mulched, ready for flowers to be planted. It was a very thick layer of mulch. I didn’t pay much attention, as I was more concerned with the fact that I was feeling rather green. It was just one drink, what the heck. I stayed put perched on the wall until after the race. A band started playing and my friends and I decided to go check it out. I stood up, forgetting that I was standing in six inches of mulch in 5-inch heels. As soon as I stood, I started to sink, and down I went fluttering to the ground. I tried to get up as gracefully as possible, as quickly as possible, but the damn mulch! Derby Day parties have become a tradition, but now I skip the Mint Julep and stick to donning a fancy hat. Oh, and I steer clear of the mulch! Let’s Get Emotional
My goal with the challenge this year is to use it as an exercise to write something focused on a particular emotion. I hope to convey that mood or feeling through word choice in the story. I welcome your feedback on what worked or didn’t for you in each piece. We had been friends for over 30 years. We met in the 2nd grade. We grew up together and shared some of life’s biggest milestones. I had come to think of her more like a sister, rather than just a friend. As adults her husband and children became an extension of my own family. We shared our wins and losses. I would seek her out for advice, someone to vent to, someone to cry with, someone to laugh and have an amazing time with. I trusted her with every aspect of my life and thought she would always be there for me no matter what. And then she wasn’t. We never saw eye to eye on politics. She and her husband would sometimes like to get into debates with me. I tried to be respectful of their views, I listened to them, but I just didn’t always agree. I felt they were entitled to their opinions, and because of the strong friendship even when I was uncomfortable on the receiving end of the barbs, I just let it go. I never really felt it was a big issue, until it became one. At a party talk turned toward politics. She began poking fun and teasing but was taking it a bit too far. I felt she sensed I was getting uncomfortable and annoyed and thought that would be the end of it. But then she asked me a question, “Do you sometimes feel attacked by my husband and I on politics?” I replied honestly, “Yes.” It never occurred to me that I could be anything but honest with her. It never occurred to me that she would take offense at my response. Her reaction however was to tell me, “If you feel that way I want nothing more to do with you.” I was stunned; I couldn’t believe she took that stance. That was the end of our friendship. We never really spoke or saw each other again after that. I tried reaching out at one point to explain how upset I was. She never once tried to contact me to discuss it and address it. That just made me feel even worse. I always felt a true friend would have acknowledged my feelings and reacted by perhaps trying not to continue to interact with me in a way that made me feel like that. For me a line was crossed that day, I was devastated to discover that someone I felt so close to could discard the friendship so easily. You begin to question your judgment in a situation like this. I was so blindsided by the whole thing, how could I have trusted someone so implicitly that would treat me so coldly and turn her back on me simply because she didn’t like hearing the truth. I can honestly say I have never in my life felt so betrayed. Let’s Get Emotional
My goal with the challenge this year is to use it as an exercise to write something focused on a particular emotion. I hope to convey that mood or feeling through word choice in the story. I welcome your feedback on what worked or didn’t for you in each piece. I have reached the conclusion that more times than not I see the world through rose-colored glasses. I want to believe that people are genuinely good. I want to believe that people care about other people and will do the right thing more than not. More and more these days I am proven wrong, and it leaves me feeling utterly dejected and astonished. By now it shouldn’t surprise and shock me. The lack of humanity in the world is on display in the news everyday. I just allow myself to see that as the exception and not the rule. I guess I don’t want to admit just how much ugly there is out there. But then you see something that gives you a slap across the face. The glasses come off and you are blind-sided by the sheer disgust of reality. That which you believe to be the exception is actually the norm. I had one of those moments after watching this video. It left me in tears for more than one reason - the vileness I see in the folks who unashamed took something they clearly didn’t need and the compassion of one person who clearly had a need but was willing to only take what he felt was necessary so that others could also take what they needed.
It’s 6:00pm, the phone is ringing. I don’t want to answer it. I rub my arms up and down as I shiver. I know who it is - well not specifically “who” but I know the voice that will be on the line. He’s been calling everyday starting at 6pm for the last several months. I take a deep breath and pick it up, “Hello.” “I had a dream about you…” I hang up, hands shaking. The phone rings again. I pick it up and hang up. It rings again, I pick it up and hang up. Again it rings, I disconnect the phone for the night. This is my daily ritual. Every day. When it first started, the first few calls, I tried to get him to tell me who he was. It soon became apparent that wasn’t going to happen. I stopped engaging with him. I would hang up immediately. I thought that would deter the calls. But it didn’t. After a few weeks, I spoke to the police. Unless I knew who it was and he tried to physically harm me, there was nothing they could do. I was informed that if it escalated I was to contact them. After that I stopped going anywhere by myself. I bought mace. I told friends and family, asking them not to tell anyone where I am or where I am going to be. I’m not sure they really understand what it is like to be targeted like this. How unsettling it is. How cautious I need to be. It could be anyone, someone I know, someone in one of my classes, a complete stranger, anyone. Someone could be watching me, following me. I’ve spent countless hours trying to figure out who it could be. Listening for a voice that sounds like him. Being on alert every moment when moving from point A to point B. How could they understand, it isn’t happening to them. To them it is just an annoyance. I begin to unplug the phone every night before the calls even start. After a month goes by I think, that should do it. Certainly he has given up by now. I start to leave the phone plugged in again. A few nights go by and nothing. It worked, it’s over. Before the week is out, the phone rings again. My skin prickles, because I know. “Hello.” I hear the voice and hang up, then collapse to floor and cry as the phone rings again. Let’s Get Emotional
My goal with the challenge this year is to use it as an exercise to write something focused on a particular emotion. I hope to convey that mood or feeling through word choice in the story. I welcome your feedback on what worked or didn’t for you in each piece. I rested my forehead in my hands and took a deep breath. My head was pounding. It had been for the last several hours. Around lunch I took a pain reliever, but the throbbing never eased up. My shoulders ached. I thought, maybe I should just go home and call it a day. I’m drained. I look over at the backpack I lugged into the office this morning. It was my day to head to the rink. I’ve got nothing left today. Just skip it, I thought. Another deep breath. I force myself up and shut everything down. I grab the backpack and head to the restroom to change. I mutter to myself, "You’ll be fine, once you get there you’ll be fine." The cool air hits me as soon as I walk through the doors. It feels good. I sit and lace up my skates as I hear the music playing on the early session. It’s loud. Again I think maybe this isn’t a good idea, but I’m here, keep pushing. I step onto the ice and begin to take some warm-up laps. The air rushing past is soothing. The rhythmic rise and fall as I complete patterns around the ice is calming. The tension releases. I stop to sip some water and notice, it’s gone. The hammering in my head is gone. I smile. I feel lighter, recharged; time to start jumping. As I push away from the boards, one of the coaches starts the program music for one of her students “Let it Go” fills the rink. I laugh, skate over to the sound system, and turn it up. Let’s Get Emotional
My goal with the challenge this year is to use it as an exercise to write something focused on a particular emotion. I hope to convey that mood or feeling through word choice in the story. I welcome your feedback on what worked or didn’t for you in each piece. I adore children. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever think I wouldn’t have a few of my own. But over the last few years I have had to face the harsh reality that childless is my fate. I’ve lived with endometriosis and fibroids my entire reproductive life. I was officially diagnosed in my early 20s and was told the longer I waited to have children the more difficult it would be to conceive and carry a child to term. I wasn’t concerned at the time. I was in love, in a committed relationship, and I believed we would get married and have children. I was wrong. When that relationship came to its end, I thought I still had plenty of time. I’d meet someone new, we’d get married, and we’d have kids. Again, I was wrong. Time ran out. It’s very difficult to force yourself to come to terms with this. I was angry with myself for failing this aspect of my life. If only I had done things differently, if I had made better decisions, if I had taken better care of myself. I was deeply saddened and mourning a loss. The emotional toll and feeling of worthlessness is mentally and physically draining. The life I had always imagined disappeared. Let’s Get Emotional
My goal with the challenge this year is to use it as an exercise to write something focused on a particular emotion. I hope to convey that mood or feeling through word choice in the story. I welcome your feedback on what worked or didn’t for you in each piece. Like a quick burst of daylight filling my bedroom, the lightening startled me. The book I had been reading was still propped open on a pillow; I must have dozed off some time ago. A long slow rumble that built into a violent crack shaking the house followed the flash. I closed the book and tucked it under a pillow, then snuggled deeper into the duvet, pulling it in closer around me. The warmth enveloped my body and eased my suddenly tensed muscles back to a relaxed state. I inhaled deeply, the lingering scent of lavender from freshly laundered bedding permeated the room. I closed my eyes and focused on the sounds of rain drumming against the roof and windows. The glimmers of light, rumbles of thunder, and pitter-patter of the rain lulled me back into a dreamy slumber. Let’s Get Emotional
My goal with the challenge this year is to use it as an exercise to write something focused on a particular emotion. I hope to convey that mood or feeling through word choice in the story. I welcome your feedback on what worked or didn’t for you in each piece. The arched stone entrance beckoned. Dwarfed by trees and overgrown with vines, Mother Nature had almost reclaimed it. Soon passersby wouldn’t even know it was there. But it called to me, enter. Curiosity taking over common sense, I lifted and ducked under the vines to pass through. A breeze ruffled the leaves on the trees and wafted the scent of pine around me. The forest beyond the entrance was rich and dense. I wandered through trees covered with a deep green moss. Carefully winding my way through tall ferns, I came to a small stream cascading through the trees. Rich lush green, everywhere I looked, surrounded me. Just when I thought I’d get lost in the sea of green, a bright fuchsia from a wild rhododendron added a shock of color. I sat upon the stump of a downed tree beside the stream. I closed my eyes and inhaled the rich tones of decaying leaves and wood, the musky notes of ferns. I began to hear music, pipes and chimes, off in the distance. When I opened my eyes I caught just a glimpse of white ahead of me. I tried to look closer, but there was nothing moving. Out of the corner of my eye there was another flash of white. I turned my head and heard giggling, but again I could see nothing there. Goosebumps rose on my skin, suddenly I didn’t feel I was alone. Let’s Get Emotional
My goal with the challenge this year is to use it as an exercise to write something focused on a particular emotion. I hope to convey that mood or feeling through word choice in the story. I welcome your feedback on what worked or didn’t for you in each piece. It was a dreary, overcast Friday and the end of another very arduous week. I packed up for the day and walked out to head home. In the parking lot I glanced up at the gray sky and spied a single bright spot streaking by. I paused to watch it a moment and mumbled to myself, “I wish I were on it.” A ray of warmth and light woke me the next morning. I opened one eye and peaked, “Could that be the sun?” After weeks of wet, chill, and mud that single ray felt glorious. I reached for my phone and checked the forecast, sunny and warming throughout the day. Just what I needed; a perfect getaway day. I was out the door and in my car in no time. I took twisting backcountry roads past fields of cows and horses also basking in the long elusive sunshine. I stopped a moment beside one field to take some photos, the cows were still sporting their winter coats, and I love how fuzzy they look. Soon I was driving into a valley along a river, mountains emerging on each side. The water was high and racing from the snow and ice melt. I rolled the windows down to breath the cool, fresh mountain air. Before long I was once again skirting through small towns, stopping along the way at random craft and antique shops. I found a quaint cafe to grab a bite for lunch and was back on the road. The terrain began to change once again and the homes became distinctly New England style. I rolled the windows down; I should be close enough to smell it. I took a deep breath and smiled, there it was the sandy, salty, seaweedy smell on the ocean breeze. I few more twists and turns and I could see it, my destination, the red-roofed house nestled beside the lighthouse, statuesque on its rocky island. Let’s Get Emotional
My goal with the challenge this year is to use it as an exercise to write something focused on a particular emotion. I hope to convey that mood or feeling through word choice in the story. I welcome your feedback on what worked or didn’t for you in each piece. |
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