I am a member of the Northeast Georgia Writers Group, and we have a very able lady among us, one of our officers, and published author. She is ever alert to send us interesting information from which she feels we could benefit.
Recently she sent the web site of one of the authors who had visited our group. She is Loretta Hannon, author of "Cracker Queen" and she had so many helpful things to say to our group. On her web site she challenged us to write our memoir in six words, and send it to her. I did just that. Since it is appropriate to what I am writing today, I am sharing it with you now:
Perpetual motion, not a good notion
Many years ago I was in a teachers writing group. It was a fun thing for me as I enjoy writing and was at the time teaching creative writing to my first graders. Early on in the year I introduced my class to the idea of writing their own newspaper. They were very enthusiastic about this project and it became a daily activity for them as part of their seat work. To describe how I did this is not the point of my writing today, suffice it to say that my students loved doing it and became quite accomplished in working on their own to make their individual daily newspapers.
In the teacher writing group sponsored by the Gwinnett County Board of Education, we met and shared our writing. We had a very supportive leader; She read our writings and commented on our papers. One of the things I wrote was "Smell the Roses".
In essence I wrote about being a Type A person and how a quick sniff of the proverbial rose was enough for me, as I had other things to explore.
This idea of a quick sniff came back to haunt me on January 30th. At my age I have slowed down considerably and my family insists that I put away my pick ax and act my age. My son-in-law had come up to prune in my vineyard on the Monday in question and he instructed me to sit in the golf cart and keep him company with conversation. I obeyed him for about thirty minutes and then thought that it would be safe enough for me to gather the vines he had pruned and carry them to the edge of the woods. All went well for a good while, then on one trek I noticed a Forsythia in bloom. I was intrigued as it was uncommon to see this in January. My sons and grandson had helped me plant a row of Forsythia along the woods but I did not think they were this far over. I took a step into the woods for a better view and immediately slipped on some leaves and began to fall back. Trying to protect my head I put out my left arm to break the fall. All would have worked according to my plan except for one thing. My right foot did not get the message that I was changing directions and it refused to come along. As my body twisted to the left I wondered why my right foot was staying upright when the rest of me was falling. Then I felt it, excruciating pain in that right foot, then it obliged me and came with me to the ground!
Immediately Jim, my son-in-law took me to the Urgent Care center for medical attention. Yes it was a fractured ankle and yes it was painful and yes it will be a lengthy recovery. So much for my perpetual motion DNA. My motions have been scaled down to a slow shuffle with a walker and a lovely black boot to hold my foot still. Beating myself over the head was not helping one bit so I settled down to reading some very good books which my son brought to me. Also I am able to prop up my right foot and use the computer for short periods.
My fast pace has been severely halted. Now I have plenty of time to smell the roses. It has not stopped my brain from racing however. Now, I am counting my blessings and biding my time with plenty of time to look out the windows and wish I could smell the daffodils out front nodding and swaying with the coming of spring.
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