Efflorescent Memoirs

As day turned to night, as the sun fell across the lonely streets of the deserted town, and teenager’s whoops grew louder, there was a man. Or a basic shape of a man. He seemed to be wearing a cloak. When I first saw him I thought of the great detail put into the costume he was wearing. Or was it a costume? “Sir, thatis such great outfit… You been scaring some kids?” I laughed awkwardly, but he didn’t respond. “Alright, I’ll bite, what are you?” I said curiously. Then he began to change, his broad shoulders began to hunch over, his hips got wider and his chest ripped through his cloak. “Dude what the..." He cut me off with a huge hiss. But it didn’t come from his mouth then I realized he had a tail-no a snake on his behind! That is when I ran. I dipped through back yards, scurried through houses long since abandoned, and my every move scared me to death. Every creek in the stairs took the life out of my soul. Then I stopped. What was I doing?! I couldn’t move my legs, my arms wer…

"I have been downcast myself ... but never in despair.  I can shake off everything if I write."  Anne Frank

October 29, 2014  9:54 PM
I told my students that they had to write at least 3 diary entries between Monday and Thursday. I usually give them guiding questions that are anchored to our text but this week, I am encouraging them to do some free-writes, as long as they don't write them in their own homes. I want them to choose places that Anne Frank might have gone, if she would've been able to leave the confines of her father's attic, during the start of WWII. Being that Anne couldn't leave, couldn't get a breath of fresh air, couldn't go to school, or see her friends, I wanted them to write about doing those things.. I'm hoping that by doing these diary entries, they learn to appreciate their freedom and the little things that they have; things that so many others aren't fortunate enough to have at all. 
So like a good teacher, I too have to do the same... Only I'm cheating.. Because I'm in my room.. In my bed.. But to be honest, this doesn't fe…

My current schedule is nonstop ... I literally maximize every minute in my day to work on lessons, blossoms, pynkz, post graduate work, research fellowship work, etc.. etc.. Even during lunch I'm knocking something off of my to-do list. I rarely get home before 10 PM and when I do, I'm doing more work... My dog doesn't know me anymore .. I still need to unpack and put things away in my new place ... And my hair has been in two messy braids for a few days now.. But the crazy thing is that I am not even tired. I'm not burnt out. I'm not complaining. What I am - is called: HUNGRY.. I'm on the grind. And my only fuel is seeing the bigger picture. Knowing that everything I do now, will pay off later. Knowing that my children's children's children will still eat off of the seeds that I am planting now. That's my motivation. I'm ready for tomorrow. Another day, another opportunity to get things  DONE. 

7:29 PM 
"Ugghhh!!" I screamed in utter disappointment. "I lost everything I was just writing! The entire memoir about our first road trip."
"You didn't save it?!" 
"No! I was about to but when I went to change that terrible song, I must've accidentally erased it."
"Well baby, it's not gone. You're a writer. It came from you so it's still in you."

but I love your feet only because they walked upon this earth and upon the wind and upon the waters until they found me 
Pueblo Neruda

releasing your negative energy is the most positive thing you can do for yourself. 
finding the perfect outlet can often be the hardest part.
so many of us turn to drugs and alcohol or even sex for a quick fix.. but those frivolous things do nothing to heal the soul. ..
try: taking some deep breaths lighting incense and candles  taking a hot bubble bath  playing some smooth jazz reading a favorite book  coloring or painting or crafting  drinking some hot chocolate writing a letter to yourself about your day  making a list of the successes of the day   meditating on a single word e.g. Love; peace; freedom; future and focusing on the positives.
we are so quick to stray to what's going wrong that we don't even acknowledge our blessings. we are alive, we have survived another day, in good health, with warmth and shelter. there are so many people among us who can not say the same. 
focus on the positives. 
be an optimistic prism..  attract a brighter light.
look in the mirror and smile. find your inne…

...ribbon in the sky for our love .....

No spells or magic could be casted to change things. There was no app. Heck, iPhones weren't even invented. I had to do things on my own. There was only one way, practicing. 
So I would practice all day every day. I would do it in church, in class, in the car, and even in my sleep. My favorite place to do it was in secret. No one and - I mean NO ONE - knew about my....

I was teaching my students how to use a captivating hook to get started on a short story. Using voice expression, I read the hook above. The plots of each of the stories that the students wrote to follow that hook varied in size, tone, and subject. I didn't give the students any writing guidelines or topics. The only rule was that their story had to be relevant to the hook. 
Warner's is a great example. ***
No spells or magic could be casted to change things. There was no app. Heck, iPhones weren't even invented. I had to do things on my own. There was only one way: practicing.  So I would practice all day …