Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers March Slice a Day Challenge! I’m slicing every day this month. Thanks for stopping by.
Trust me
I’m a writer who can’t be trusted to sit in a doctor’s office after my second covid shot I watch like a writer I listen like a writer I take note.
An elderly woman parks her walker next to the vinyl chair The nurse reaches to help her The woman says, “I’m fine. I just have this for-“ “Security?” the nurse guesses and the woman agrees “Security.”
A nurse grabs a syringe from the counter “I like this one better now,” she says Another nurse agrees and they laugh “Well we get used to what we have, I guess.” and they turn around to help the next in line
Voices from each side of the room filter in “Hi my name is. . . I’m one of the nurses here.” “I’m going to give you your second shot…” “How did your first shot go?” “You might have a little more of a reaction this time…” “It’s normal. Chills, body aches – that’s your immune system responding…”” “Do you have an arm preference?”
A man in his eighties works to pull up his blue and black flannel shirt sleeve as he is ushered to a chair to wait his 15 minutes “Can I wait in the waiting room with my wife?” he asks They agree, remind him to wait 15 minutes before leaving “He’s going to wait with his wife,” the nurse explains to someone at the door And it makes me feel sad to watch him still struggling with this flannel shirt sleeve, walking to sit with his wife
The two nurses are talking again “This time is better” one says, “my back isn’t killing me this time” “I didn’t think I could make it through the last super Saturday. All that bending.” “I thought I might have to try it sitting down.” “That kid behind us was sitting down” “Well, I can’t kneel. I’m not going on my knees.” “No. Not my knees.”
My 15 minutes are up and I walk out I see the man in his blue flannel shirt walk to his car with his wife I wonder if his wife is already vaccinated, or will be soon What was that he said about why his wife came with him? And it’s not until later do I realize there’s no way they waited their 15 minutes and I hope he’s okay
Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers March Slice a Day Challenge! I’m slicing every day this month. Thanks for stopping by.
Am I the kind of person who thinks it’s okay to keep a ziplock bag of chocolate chips on the counter in an unused pot? No. No. No. I assure you, I am not.
I think it started with a bag of mini chocolate chips my daughter liked to add to her yogurt with granola and fruit Then the kids started throwing chocolate chips in their hot chocolate this winter, which was cute. I noticed the chips started staying out on the counter only recently, and the ziplock bag in a pot thing? That started just last week.
Am I the kind of person who had some of those chocolate chips, with a dollop of peanut butter on a spoon? Yes. Yes… I did that just this afternoon.
Am I the kind of person who thinks those chocolate chips would look prettier in a big mason jar? I mean, if they are going to be on the counter . . .
Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers March Slice a Day Challenge! I’m slicing every day this month. Thanks for stopping by.
March 8th
March 8th.
sunny,
spring is in the air
for now.
Kids are out on wheeled things
"spring break" is two days off later this week
Kids and I really wish we were going somewhere.
Anywhere
really.
Any. Where.
Before that,
March 8th - 2020
we drove to Georgia
mountains and hikes and family time and laughter and fireplaces and wine.
Our last pre-pandemic normalcy.
We knew something was happening -
but not really.
We clorox-wiped the vacation house, we didn't go to crowded places…
but it felt normal.
happy.
We even brought the dog!
Our Georgia trip felt like family in a cabin,
but not a cabin-fevered family.
Before that,
March 8th was Finnegan Foxy Feinberg's birthday.
Always during spring break,
He’s always at the "Pet Resort" for his birthday.
Our spring breaks were never fancy,
but they were breaks.
Before that,
March 8th marked the anniversary of my father-in-law's death.
A day to remember him,
gone now for over 20 years.
A character
we wish he had seen our wedding,
We wish he had met his grandchildren.
Every March 8th I will remember him and feel lucky that I got to know him.
Before that,
March 8th was just a normal day.
I'm sure spring was in the air sometimes,
other times there were blizzards.
I'm sure life looked normal - headed on a vector I didn't notice
just living life.
Now I wonder.
What will March 8th look like next year?
March 8th 2022
March 8th 2023
March 8th
March 8th
What will the March 8ths of the future have in store for us?
Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers March Slice a Day Challenge! I’m slicing every day this month. Thanks for stopping by.
I don't believe in hate
she said hate is like this coffee cup
you keep staring at the coffee cup
saying "wow that's some terrible shit."
just put the coffee cup away
and since I don't believe in hate
that should be easy
she said to push away hate
with nuggets of gold
fill yourself with nuggets of joy that feel light and joyful
and there won't be any room for hate
and since I have a video series all about joy
that should be easy
I'm just wondering if maybe
I might be allowed to
smash the coffee cup
to
the
ground first
watch it
break into a million pieces
before I vacuum it away and look for those nuggets
Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers March Slice a Day Challenge! I’m slicing every day this month. Thanks for stopping by.
Look at me! Writing in the morning. In the morning!
My cat wakes me up now, along with my alarm. He pushes things one by one off my nightstand.
The sun wakes me up now, along with my cat. It’s a spring-is-coming sun. The snow seems to finally be melting. It might be green here again soon, instead of never.
My morning coffee-on-the-porch routine seems like it might return soon, instead of never.
Look at me! Writing in the morning.
My coffee is by the window and the sun is shining through. In the morning!
I wanted to take this picture in a more honest way so that you could see the Christmas lights that are still piled on my porch, waiting to be put away. And the strand that is still wrapped around a tree. But at least it’s an honest look at my messy desk.
Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers March Slice a Day Challenge! I’m slicing every day this month. Thanks for stopping by.
Time Travel
From my couch, I can stare at the picture of my grandma’s house.
I can pretend I’m back there on Borbeck.
Is this how time travel works?
Art by my Aunt Cynthia
How does memory work for you? Can you remember whole days? Close your eyes and remember entire conversations? How much continuous memory can you have at a time? Is it like time travel?
Or are you like me — do you remember things in slices? The toys under the dining room hutch. The big table with blue and white dishes. A column between the living room and dining room – perfect for leaning. Aunts and Uncles and cousins filling the living room with the glow of big Christmas Lights on the tree in the corner? M&Ms and ice cream served with pretzels. The way the sidewalk led down to the garden shed. The sound of the porch. The azaleas. The shelf in the corner with photo albums. The saltines in the canister on the kitchen counter – cookies were sometimes in the next canister over.
And oh – the chalkboard in the kitchen. I had to stand on the vinyl chairs underneath, but once I was up there…? Oh that chalkboard. It was meant for chores, I think. A leftover from the 10 children household. But to me it was a place to draw, to list important things, to play school.
I can’t travel back in time, but I can sit on the couch and stare at the picture of my grandma’s house.
On a Thought 