You CAN write a story!

October 13, 2017
4:58 p.m.

Every once in awhile someone will say something to me that gets me thinking.

Yeah, dangerous. Ha ha.

Anyway, what was recently said to me was this: "It's all well and good for you--you know how to write a story. But I can't."

So, I offered the usual platitudes, the "Sure you can!" and the "You can do anything you set your mind to" and etc.

But here's the thing. You really can. You really can do whatever you set your mind to, including write. Because you do it every day.

Okay, maybe not on paper, or on a computer or a word processor. But you do it. Every day. All day long.

We are all the script writers of our lives.

Don't believe me?

Does this sound familiar?

"Okay, tomorrow in art class I am just going to walk right up to Tony and tell him how much I like his painting. Then he'll tell me he totally gets the concept behind my abstract, and we'll discuss art and various styles for the rest of class. And then, he'll be so into the conversation that he'll invite me to sit with him at lunch! Oh, this is gonna be great!"

So the next day you go to art class. There's Tony. You're so nervous! The butterflies in your stomach feel like bats! But you march right up to him.

"Hi, Tony," you say. "I really like your painting."

"Yeah, yeah, thanks a lot," says Tony. Then he turns around and starts talking to Penelope! You might as well be a fly on the wall.

And you think: "That's not the way it's supposed to go!"

Because you had a script, damn it! You wrote it, you rehearsed it, and the jerk didn't say his lines right! Oh, and to top things off? He just asked that cheerleader to sit with him at lunch! Great!

Or how about this?

"Our anniversary is on two days and he has not said one single word about getting a sitter or going out or anything at all! Does he think it's easy to make plans at the last minute?

"I'll bet he forgot! That's it, he forgot. How could he? I've given him the best *insert number of years or months here* of my life!"

You work yourself into a righteous state of grief or rage or whatever, and the poor, unsuspecting fellow comes in. Before you can blast him, he says: "I didn't want to say anything until I was sure, but guess what?"

"What?" you growl.

"I was totally able to snag tickets to the ballet you've been wanting to see!!"

Shocked silence from you. How could you have been such a...you know.

"I could only get seats two days after our anniversary though," he adds. That darling man!! "Dinner?"

"I will make you the best dinner ever!" You say. Great ad-lib, by the way. "Maybe Mom can take the kids to a movie."

Now, this story has a better ending than the first one, and in both cases, no one ever knew the original script but you.

Even though the story didn't turn out the way you thought it would, you still told a story.

You see?

Now, the reason I know that we all do this--not just me--is because of all the times I have heard someone say, "That sounded better in my head!" Or "That didn't go the way I planned it."

Writing is just taking that scripting skill and moving it along into a more "what if?" zone. If we can make up whole conversations, situations, arguments and day to day plans, what can stop us from moving on from there and writing some things down?

You'll never know unless you try!

And so, kiddos, the next time you're faced with a writing assignment, know this: It's already in you. You can do it.
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On another note, today I deliberately involved my parents in my snack-attack tom-foolery.

It's hard to feel guilty while feeling so completely satisfied.

Into all lives, a little salt must pour.

Yeah, potato chips. Jalapeno flavored. Yum!

By the way, neither of them complained a bit.

Tee hee hee!
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So far today, I have no Friday the 13th horror stories. Six and a half hours to go. Hopefully there will be nothing to report.

(I'm not saying a word about politics. It's all a horror fest.)

I'll get back to you if I stub my toe or something.
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Be careful out there!!

Bye!