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I’m Lucky I Came Up For Air When I Did!
So there I was, keeping my head under the social media radar for the last few weeks, focusing solely on my manuscript, Souled, when what do I find waiting for me when I come up for air? My WANA sista, Angela Orlowski-Peart, awarded me the Lucky 7 Meme! Just the thing I needed to lighten up the mood around here.
I’ve always loved Angela’s blog because her topics are diverse, light-hearted, and always fascinating. I’m positive you’ll love the way her personality shines through each word she puts to page.
So here are the rules to the Lucky 7 Meme:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences, or paragraphs, and post them
as they’re written.
4. Tag 7 authors.
5. Let them know.
Simple enough. I decided to go with the seven-ish paragraphs. So, here is a look at part of my soon-to-be-released manuscript, Souled:
~ ~ ~
Silence yourself. Feel, rather than think.
I tried for a couple minutes. I really did. In fact, my focus was so intense that I think I’d developed a permanent crease between my brows. The battering kept up, pelting me with shots of emotion, but finally walls began building up around my mind, blocking out one emotion after another, until there was only one feeling left – elation. I dropped my hands to my sides and my eyes slowly opened, expectant. Then my gaze tore through the crowd like a predator sensing its prey. The source was close. Very close.
Ah, there it was behind me. At a cash register stood a boy, 12 years old maybe, his face dominated by a toothy smile. On the other side of the counter, a clerk slapped a receipt onto a brand new Xbox.
The boy’s scrawny arms wrapped around the box and pulled it off the counter. He sprinted, the box crowding his arms, and headed straight towards me, his mother trailing behind. I ignored the woman and instead focused on the boy.
My energy tapped into his and sucked it in like a vacuum. To me, it felt wondrous and exciting; he didn’t feel the same way. He looked as though he’d smacked into a wall. He froze, his eyes latched onto mine, his mouth dropped open, and for a moment his head cocked to one side as if he were reading something he didn’t quite understand.
I smiled.
The boy forced his eyes shut, for a minute covering them with his arm as if the darkness alone wasn’t enough. Then grabbing his mother’s sleeve, still struggling with the box, he ran in the opposite direction.
Ha! That was freakin’ awesome.
~ ~ ~
There you have it. Look for the release of Souled this spring!
Who’s next on the list to give us a sneak peak at their upcoming work of art? I hope you take a moment to check out their blogs as well!
1. Krystal Wade
6. Naomi Bulger
Random Acts Of Kindness – Like a Good Meal, It Fills Us Up
Photo: pollsb.com
A post by Amber West started the ball rolling, suggesting we go without that something extra for a week (such as Starbuck’s, eating out, movies, etc.) and instead putting that money towards a greater cause (such as St. Jude’s Hospital, Susan G. Komen For The Cure).
That was followed by another blog by Barbara McDowell about random kindness with giving our time and effort. It hit a soft spot in me and moved me to comment on her blog, sharing a story of something that happened to me earlier that evening. Or, should I say, to me and another person in my town.
A cashier at the local grocery store to be exact.
As this cashier was ringing up my purchases, I noticed that she looked like she was about to cry. I asked if she was all right and her response was a little mumbled, so I didn’t hear what she said. Of course, now the poor cashier was the center of attention as the others in line waited to see what happened, and rather than embarrass her, I just let it drop. After she scanned my Dark Chocolate Mounds candy bar, I picked it up and offered it to her, telling her that the chocolate would make her feel better. After a bit of hesitation, she agreed, but she still looked bummed out. So, after the groceries were stashed in the cart, I walked around to where she stood and pulled her into a hug – and she returned it whole-heartedly, like she really, really needed it.
And you know what? I needed it, too. Offering the only thing I had at that particular moment – human contact and love – to someone who obviously needed it, ironically filled me up, instead of depleting my energy. And I think we parted ways feeling pretty good.
It happens that way. The act of giving one’s self, time, energy, money – when given freely, it only grows. A kind word, a meaningful touch, or an encouraging smile, is sometimes all it takes to keep another person’s head above the muck just long enough for them to reach for a thread of hope.
I’ll never forget an incident many, many moons ago, when I was on the receiving end of such generosity.
When my boys were still very young, I was in a grocery store parking lot (what is it about grocery stores??), in a major downpour, trying to get the boys in their car seats before loading the groceries into the back of my car. I was making a quick rundown of everything I had bought, thinking to first grab the things that would be ruined by the rain. Before I had gotten through that list, a woman had approached and started loading my groceries into my car really, really fast, before pushing her own rain-soaked grocery cart towards her car several spaces down. I think I put one bag in my car to her five. Yeah, she was quick. When she was done, she had never looked back and never said a word.
I didn’t get a chance to thank her. I really wish I had.
It’s those little things we do for others – like holding doors open, picking up something that was dropped – that shows others that we are in tune with our surroundings, intently aware of them and what they might need at that moment. What a gift to give. It shows others that they are worthy of our time and effort. And who doesn’t love feeling worthy?
Photo: kenlauher.com
And that lady in the parking lot that helped me so many years ago?
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
How about you? Are you compelled to offer random acts of kindness? How often do you see kindness around you? Let’s keep the momentum going, and strive to keep paying it forward!
