Category: writing

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Peacock Feathers and Flannery O’Connor

peacock feather

I noticed today is the anniversary of Flannery O’Connor’s death. Although I’ve taught her stories on and off for the last 30 years, it’s only in recent years that I’ve taken a serious interest in her — actually — in her life.

I’ve read The Habit of Being, the collection of her letters, and really started to gain an appreciation for her deep faith. It led to my choosing to feature her in my book, My Badass Book of Saints. I found great inspiration in her life — her dedication to her craft, her dedication to her faith, and most important, the way in which she lived with lupus. It helped me a lot after my husband’s diagnosis with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

I found in her a kindred spirit, and a delightfully quirky person known for training a chicken and raising peacocks.

A few years ago when a friend and I were sitting in Atlanta with nothing to do,  we decided to go on an adventure, a pilgrimage to O’Connor’s home. We thought it would be a good idea to drive all the way to Milledgeville to visit Andalusia.

Did I mention we’re writers?

So we did. Haul ourselves all the way to Andalusia. There was something special about walking around the grounds knowing that O’Connor might have gotten her inspiration from the same paths we walked. We took a tour of the house and saw where O’Connor wrote in the mornings, and sat in the afternoons.

We laughed outside as we studied the peacocks penned up in the back yard. They made a lot of noise, and we wondered what the allure was.

On the way out we picked up a couple of peacock feathers, a little souvenir of our afternoon.

Mine sits on my desk, a reminder to be bold and seek adventure. To write. To live. To laugh.

 

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Writing Prompt: What gets your adrenaline flowing?

This week’s writing prompt with my class is about adrenaline rushes. Are you a thrill seeker or are you always on the cusp of flight or fight?

This week write about an experience that got your adrenaline flowing. It could be something that you weren’t seeking — maybe you got into a car accident. Or maybe, you signed up for bungee jumping for a milestone birthday.

Write about an experience that got your adrenaline flowing:

When I was a little kid, I liked to climb things and jump. I climbed a lot of trees. I jumped out of a lot of trees. I also jumped off walls, rolled down hills, and had my share of dramatic falls from bicycles and skateboards.

By the time I was a teenager, I had channeled that crazy trait into some fun on the diving board at the local pool. I was on the swim team and spent a great deal of time at the community pool. The older kids had gone through lifeguard certification, so we had a little more access to the pool, especially during off hours. I got into the habit of doing tricks off the lifeguard stand into the diving well, not to mention learning how to do some of the easier dives that the diving team practiced. I even gathered up the courage to jump off the three-story platform — an amazingly frightening stunt on my part, but oh so exhilarating! I admit, though, I checked that off my list of crazy things to do, and have never felt a desire to repeat it.

If it had a diving board, I was game. And then one day doing a back flip off the 3-meter board I clipped the end of the board. I just grazed my forehead a little bit — it probably looked more frightening to my friends since I had very long black hair and it looked like I hit the board full on.

I didn’t even bleed. It was just a little kiss on the corner of the board — enough for me to feel the roughness of the board — but it set into motion a million what-ifs.

Sadly, I never dove again. At least, not trying to follow any kind of tricks. Of course, I continued to dive into the water, but my days of thrill-seeking on the meter boards was over.

Nevertheless, my desire for the adrenaline rushes have continued. Roller coasters, amusement rides that give me whip lash, climbing anything with stairs — it all still calls to me.

Proof? Here’s a sweaty picture of me with my favorite guy on our honeymoon. We had just climbed the pyramid at the Tulum ruins in Mexico, and today, still enjoying the joyful rush of 30 years together:

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Writing Prompt: Let’s talk about the weather

This week’s writing prompt with my class is about the weather. You know, that thing we so often use for small talk. But the weather seems to be at the forefront of every conversation this week. The northeast is getting pounded with snow once again, and locally, we’re under the threat of freezing rain, which is one of the worst things that can happen in the South, next to tornadoes. All in all, it stinks to be outside wherever you are. Unless, of course, you are in South Florida. Or some other warm climate.

So this week, write about the weather. Tell us what kind of weather you enjoy.

I love the rain. Even now, that the temperature is below freezing and I can hear the gritty sound of frozen rain hitting the windows, I like it.

There’s something about the overcast days, with the dark gray clouds and the chill in the air that speaks to me in a comforting way. Now, I do like sunny days. I enjoy the sunshine and cool breeze of spring, the heavy heat and burning sun of summer. I even like snow. Especially if I’m a tourist.

But rain. Rain. It soothes me. Inspires me. Calms me. Makes me want to take a nap.

When we lived in Miami, my husband and I used to sit on our back porch and watch the storms coming in off the Everglades. Those were the epic storms. They rose up gently with heavy black clouds. Everything about them was larger than life, monstrous. These storms moved slowly, so it seemed like they were constantly building energy, and they usually brought lots of thunder and lightning along with it. Those were the storms that lasted all day. It was perfect for porch-sitting, coffee-drinking, spending time with your lover deep in conversation storm-watching.

If the rain came from the east, from the ocean, they were different. These were usually sudden showers although every once in a while they’d bring some thunder and lightning, too. Mostly, though, these storms blew by quickly, the clouds spreading out and thinning until the sun came back out and dried up everything. Those were the rainstorms that came and went, leaving no evidence. They were fun, too. Great for running and playing in the rain, or just keeping an eye out for the end, after everything was refreshed.

These days the rain bring a more somber mood, and I’m ok with that. It chills me, and that just gives me the perfect excuse to make something hot to drink, maybe coffee, maybe tea. Maybe some rich hot chocolate. I’ll inevitably find my way to a cozy spot next to my husband and cuddle under a shared blanket to read a book or talk.

Plus, puddles. What’s not to love?
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