No this isn’t going to be a recollection about how I walked more than a mile to school, in the snow, uphill both ways…… I’m sure you have heard your grandparents or parents tell that tale a time or two. I lived seven miles from my school (K-12 all in the same sprawling building) and had to ride the bus every day. It was a treat for me when I would stay overnight with a friend in the town my school was in and we could walk home. I don’t remember the distance, but I do know it took of forever, not because it was so far, but because we were talking, looking at flowers, petting dogs, and goofing off. It was fun especially after sitting still all day in class. I never did that very well, still don’t. Continue reading “Enjoy the Fresh Air”
With the recent hurricanes affecting the U. S. we have seen wonderful examples of good neighbors on the news. Too bad it takes a catastrophe to makes us aware that human empathy is still present in our crazy world of division. Continue reading “Look Out For Each Other”
Today is National Grouch Day. Sesame Street has Oscar the Grouch and he is constantly complaining, about something; anything. He’s a glass-half-empty kind of fellow. The picture above shows a definitely unhappy child: maybe he’s hungry; he didn’t get to have a new toy; he doesn’t know when he’ll see his Mom again because she left in her military uniform; or his father is crying and he’s never seen him do that after talking on his cell. The reason for the tears: he just found out his favorite uncle died.
My husband and I spent the last couple of days at the funeral of his cousin Jerry. The first of fifteen cousins in his generation we had to say good-by to. It can be frightening to think our age naturally puts us in line for it to happen more often and closer to home. The fear of the unknown date can cause you to get grouchy; the riled emotions and sadness can cause you to get grouchy; trying to find a funeral home in a big, unfamiliar city can cause you to get grouchy; and so can the noise being made by other guests in the hotel you are trying to sleep in. It’s an emotional time for everyone involved, especially for the spouse left behind that has to figure out what the “new normal” is going to be.
Jerry had been sick for a long time. Sometimes you couldn’t even tell there was cancer in his system; other times, you didn’t think he would last another week. So when the end finally came, it was not a surprise. How much it hurts was a surprise. We all said it was a blessing he was no longer in pain. We added, he wasn’t here long enough to suit us.
I’ve been to far too many funerals already. I’ll share with you that both of my parents funerals were like a party week. The relatives came, the neighbors, the friends. People we hadn’t seen in a long time made contact with calls, cards, and flowers. It was festive. The pain set in afterwards when the house was quiet, and the company disappeared. Then the mind asks, “What just happened?”
Jerry’s funeral was like that. Cousins converged on Baltimore from Chicago, Boston, Knoxville, TN, Rochester, NY, and Miami. Friends came from next door, Washington, DC and Maine. We laughed about some memories and cried over others. We hugged each other; we said I love you. One of the family members didn’t speak to me and it really hurt my feelings. I thought he was mad at me, but then I found out he didn’t talk to hardly anyone. Grief can do that to you when you aren’t ready to face it yet.
I know this isn’t my usual type post, and there are lots of other reasons to be a grouch, but this reason is on my mind. The National Day of calendar suggests spending time with a grouch on this day and give them a reason to smile or pass them one of your own. It may help them be less of a grouch, and just maybe help them to heal from the pain of loss.
When I first saw the picture for this day I wondered why they used orange slices. Duh! Orange is one of those words that has no rhyme. There are a few others, but for as many words as there are, very few. I’ll list some of them: arugula, beige, blitzed, chaos, circle, circus, fiend, film, gulf, kiln, midst, month, music, pint, purple, rhythm, silver, siren, toilet, width, woman.
It seems we could make a really interesting sentence using a whole bunch of those words strung together. Have fun trying. I tried to think if maybe we used an Irish brogue or southern drawl we come up with some words that sounded like they rhymed. I gave up, not having either a brogue or a drawl.
So let’s look at the (NOR REASON) part of this day. I hope you don’t mind my going off on a tangent. I am currently reading a book that has so many words I have never seen before, mostly verbs, that I am questioning the writer’s goal. I read to be entertained, not to take a vocabulary class. My husband and I looked up one of the words last night and couldn’t come close to understanding why the author thought it was the right word to use in the context of his sentence. I was glad it wasn’t just me that didn’t get it!
I have had the occasion to enjoy meals with doctors, lawyers, and professors. I have had people from those same professions in my quilting classes, and I have never met anyone that uses the big words they know while in general conversation. They talk like anyone else does when around the table with friends. So, why do authors do that, and why do their agents and publishers think it is all right? Maybe I should be more open minded and enjoy the opportunity to learn, but it takes me out of the rhythm of the story.
I have often been told I write like I talk and I’m proud of that. As you can see from my blogs, no big words here, just down home memories. Many years ago I can remember using; the car was purple and going as slow as maple syruple…. I wonder what the context of the conversation was.
Sue Spitulnik 