Fighting Off The Creep

The creep is self-doubtThere’s a creep trying to get in. I’ve shut the doors. I’ve locked the windows. But still the creep is trying.

Stories

“You used to think you could do anything?”

“Huh. What do you mean?”

My aunt went on, “When you were little you used to think you could do anything your older brothers could do.”

I laughed.

My aunt must have had a reason for telling me this. Yet, I don’t recall.  All I remember is we were on Brookmont Road which is just a couple of blocks from my childhood home. She was driving us somewhere.

But I believed I could do anything she says. Little me running after my older brothers. I wouldn’t be left behind. My mother tells a similar story.

“You wanted homework.”

“Why?”

“You said your older brothers got homework and so you wanted homework.”

“How old was I?”

“Kindergarten.”

I laughed.

I believed I could do anything.

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Why Can’t I Spell Receive?

RecieveSomething is amok. I can’t think of any other way to describe it. I can’t spell receive.

Yes, I know the ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’ rule. Any person who makes it past third grade knows the rule. Not only do I know that rule, but I’m actually a good speller. Really.

Or at least I was. I’d like to blame spell check. Striving to be a good speller these days is almost as useful as learning Latin. It’s true. Think about it – spelling properly is passé when texting or on Twitter. Who has time for all those letters?  And even if you do actually care about spelling properly – you dinosaur you – there’s always the red squiggly line to indicate when you made an error. G-d bless computers. So, really maybe spelling is over rated.

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Bringing Harry Potter to Life

Harry Potter book“A book is waiting to be read. When you open that book, you give it life. Let it live. It wants to live,” I often advised my students. Yes, I know books are inanimate, lifeless.  They are simply words on pages (or Kindles or Nooks or other e-readers, but that’s not the point) bound together. Lifeless.

But books don’t have to be lifeless.  They can lead you anywhere and to anything. Books can take us on journeys, teach us lessons, foster our imaginations, help us to appreciate others, and so much more.

Yes, books serve as our travel agents to anywhere and can leave us laughing, crying or both along the way.

But for a book to live, it needs to be opened.

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Have You Hugged a Writer Today?

Cort Ruddy

Cort Ruddy, writer, needs a hug.

Well, have you? This writer is waiting for that hug.

Actually, Cort Ruddy of ruddybits.com suggested the hugging. However, I like the advice as well. No surprise since I’m a huge fan of Cort’s writing. And I think you’ll like it to.

A little background: Cort is a writer, husband and father of four, living in upstate New York. When not busy working from home as a Public Relations consultant, he can be found driving kids to various activities, teaching at Syracuse University, and, of course, writing yet-to-be published books and for his blog, ruddybits.com.
 
Here’s Cort.

Have You Hugged a Writer Today?

Being a writer can really suck. Yet it’s also one of the most soul-cleansing, cathartic and gratifying things a person can do.

I’m a writer, and I love it. But sometimes I hate it.

I think I need to explain.

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