The Wannabe’s Journal for December 2012
Our holiday brunch meeting was held at Mary Lou’s condo in
Centerville on December 21st and as you can see we had a good
audience in attendance, including an appearance by Santa. The food was wonderful, including the
Bailey’s and coffee, conversation about the holidays was very inspiring and the
weather outside was “frightful” as the lyric’s would say. The weather kept some people away but for a
few brave souls the outing was rewarding.
Just think you could have told Santa what you wanted three days earlier
than Christmas eve.
Our new story
exercise that tests your integrity
Mary Lou began our discussion with a moral question of sorts
in the form of a story which we were ask to complete in our own fashion. Here is how it went:
Mary Lou began with the setting and the beginning of the
story: The morning NPR segment dealt
with a situation that happened in Germany this past week. We believe it was in
Munich. A bus driver at the end of the
day found a plastic bag under one of the seats in the back of the bus. He remembered that an elderly lady had
carried it onto the bus. The bus driver
upon looking into the bag discovered that it was full of wrapped Euro’s…over
300 thousand dollars’ worth that is. The bus driver immediately called the police
and they indicated that they had a report that an older lady had reported the
money as being lost earlier that afternoon.
She had withdrawn all the money hastily from the bank earlier in the day
because of a disagreement over new bank fees.
The bus driver had gotten a reward from the woman when the money was
returned.
The exercise that we were each ask to complete as a story is
the following: You are the bus driver
and you just discover the money on your bus when you had returned to the garage
at the end of your shift. You are standing there on the bus with the bag of
money in your hand, now complete the rest of the story. Here is how we each
choose as an ending for the story.
DON H: Since I have a
military and banking background, as the bus driver I would take the bag of
bills to the bank to make sure they were legit and make sure they were not
counterfeit. I wouldn’t trust anyone.
Martha: The bus
driver would return the money to the rightful owner and the money would be used
to shelter a homeless daughter… the makings of a happy ending.
Martha M: The bus driver is torn between returning the money
and keeping it in order to do something good.
Faye: While the bus
driver is pondering what to do, the older lady is wondering her home confused
over the fact that she thinks she lost something. Going room to room wondering what it could
be. She remembers leaving the house but she thinks it was to go to the grocery.
Rosie: The bus driver
is angry. But so is the lady because she
did not get what she wanted from the bank. The bus driver sits and ponders what
to do next.
Bill: Assuming that
the money was from the sale of illegal drugs or some other crime, the bus
driver takes the money to a small charity home for young children and donates
the entire sum as an anonymous gift.
Don P. Upon a more
thorough search of the plastic bag he finds a deposit slip and discovers a
name. When he tries to contact the
individual he finds that she had died walking to her home from the bus stop
that day. So he takes the money and
spends it.
Don Q: It was late on Christmas Eve and so the bus driver
takes the money home and puts it under his bed in his bedroom for safe
keeping. The next morning the family is
gathered opening gifts in the living room and he tells his wife that he didn’t
have time to wrap her gift that it is in their bedroom. He remembers the plastic bag from the night
before a few moments later when he hears the screams of his wife coming from
the bedroom.
Mary Lou: The
situation reminds her of Shakespeare: “What tangled web we weave”. The bus driver takes the money home. Procrastinations set in and he starts to use
the money for small things like fixing the car, birthday gifts and a new
TV. The dream is shattered by a knock on
the door: Yes… it’s the police.
Next month we will test you with a new story to show your talents and demonstrate how devilish the right side of your brain truly is...Oh I can't wait.
Our Christmas and
Holiday Greeting’s
Imagine.....
If we could be the
inn-keepers
Who had to turn
Joseph away,
Yet, sought to find
for them a place
Among the animals
that day.
If we could be at the
manger
And sit by mother
Mary's side.
If we could stand by
Joseph tall
And sense the wonder
and his pride.
If we could see the
heavenly host
And hear their song
of joy proclaimed,
Then hasten with the
shepherds to find
The baby that God had
pre-named.
If we could travel
with the magi
And seek to find the
truth there-of,
We might offer Him
our treasures:
Our talent, our
thanks, and our love.
Then we might find
hope, peace, and joy
In that quiet birth
of beauty;
And that holy sight,
that holy night,
Will be alive for
those who see.
Faye
Duncan, 2012
May
happiness surround you
And
contentment latch your door.
May peace
and joy be yours today
For now
and evermore.
Merry
Christmas and love from
Merry Lou
*******************************************************************
Don P: Read a story about the Peacock’s and
Owl’s.
*******************************************************************
The Red Shoelaces
By Don Q
Christmas in Springboro is an event that is attended by
approximately 65, 000 people during the three days that it runs. The smell of popcorn, grilled pork chops,
cotton candy and homemade chicken soup keep people returning for the festive
event every year. There is a parade each
year on Saturday that last for about two hours that feature bands, Cub Scout
troops, fire trucks and emergency personnel driving bright shinny
ambulances. Everyone is anxious to see
Santa dressed in his red velvet suit that looks more like a long flowing robe,
along with Mrs. Claus riding in the back of a late model convertible. I guess Santa is resting his reindeer this
year. Once the parade has finished the crowds disperse in various directions to
attend concerts and dance recitals that are conducted in the many tents that
line the side streets of the blocked off center of town.
I was asked to appear as Santa at a local Café in Springboro
this year as a promotion for a new novel which dealt with children seeing Santa
and telling the man in the red suit what they wanted for Christmas. I thought
the idea would generate a lot of exposure for my book, while at the same time
generate some traffic for the Café owner and some revenue from selling
customers a picture of their child with Santa.
I began my role on Friday night just after dinner and then
continued on Saturday and Sunday. I saw
hundreds of small children as well as some adults who just wanted to act like a
child again for a moment or two. Saturday brought a long day with lots of
children coming to see Santa and posing for pictures. It was a long day. Sunday brought more of the same but not as
many people because there was no parade.
It wasn’t until late Sunday afternoon and it happened again. There had only been two previous times when
Santa was faced with a situation and a request that he didn’t have an elf
answer to solve almost all production and distribution type problems.
What I am talking about is the situation where Santa is
render speechless and vulnerable to say the right thing. In this case it involved a precious young boy
who looks somewhat disheveled in his appearance. Santa was standing on the front porch of the
small Cafe where he was appearing for young children who wanted to have their
picture taken with Santa. It had been a
busy afternoon and the temperature inside was a great deal more uncomfortable
than standing on the front porch, catching part of the cool breeze that sweep
South Main Street that Sunday afternoon.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the young man as he made his way
North. Since it was late in the afternoon most people had already gone home for
the day and vendors were starting to pack up for their trip home as well. The minute that the boy spotted Santa he
headed in my direction
.
“Hello young man, how are you today?” Santa asked. “What do you want from Santa this year?”
Santa asked and quickly pointed out that he would probably bring a pair of shoe
laces for him as well. “What is your
name and how old are you?”
“My name is Jeffrey and I am 10 years old. I want a Smashing UP toy which is two cars
that when slammed together, they break apart so
that they can be easily reassembled.”
“Ok I think my elf’s are busy making those right now and it
should not be a problem.” Santa said as if he had full control of the worldwide
production of this particular toy.
The young boy look a little dis-shelved with a bulky coat
and high top basketball shoes with frayed laces that were not tied. His round boyish face lit up as Santa asked
if there was anything else for Christmas.
Suddenly his gaze turned away when Santa asked if he was
going to leave cookies and milk or even a treat for the reindeer. Instead of looking up at Santa he stared off
into the distance in the direction of the stand across the street which made
popcorn by the bag. His concentration
lasted a few moments until he suddenly turned and informed me: “My mother is dead”.
Before I could speak he rushed up the steps, gave me a big
hug and began to softly weep. I looked
at the lady who was accompanying the young boy and she indicated that the
mother had passed away the previous September, just four months earlier. He was now living with his grandmother.
Trying to be a brave young man, Nathan turned and looked at her
and smiled. His rush to get to the top
of the steps had caused him to lose his shoe which was now lying in the middle
of the sidewalk. It was quickly retrieved while he brushed away the tears.
Santa hugged Nathan again and told him he was a brave young man and that his
Mother would be very proud of him.
Christmas is all
about dreams whether you are young or old.
This small child had reminded Santa of a lesson that we all need to
remember. We cannot judge people before we
get to know them. You cannot judge a
person by the way they dress or in this case by their red worn shoelaces.
Sometimes even a small children provides a special gift without knowing it…in
the form of worn red shoelaces and a hug that last a lifetime.
*********************************************************************************
Annie Leibovitz
Jud: Recommended that
everyone take in the Wexner Center for the Arts: Exhibitions - Annie Leibovitz. The exhibit will be in Columbus only through
the 30th of this month. Here
is a link to a web site which is provide more info. http://www.wexarts.org/ex/?eventid=6709
*********************************************************************************
Education
Welcome new and
returning Mad Anthony Writers!
Mad Anthony Writers
Conference offers a brilliant opportunity for you to learn from the experts,
network with a
community of kindred spirits, have your manuscripts reviewed, and give your
dreams of becoming a
published author a chance to come true.
Your attendance also
helps spread the joy of reading and writing throughout the larger community.
In its brief
existence, this non-profit conference has donated more than $35,000 to local
literacy
campaigns. Make plans
now to join us—but hurry! Participation is limited to the first 90 registrants
to maintain the
unique camaraderie of MAWC.
Register by Feb. 1, 2013 to get the Early Bird Special—all
three days for just $199!
When: Friday-Sunday, April 12-14, 2013
Where: Historic
Hamilton, Ohio, “The City of Sculpture”
10 minutes west of I-75 on Route 129 (exit 24) between
Cincinnati and Dayton
Overview:
DAY 1: Murder & Mayhem •
Keynote speaker, Sharon M. Draper
DAY 2: Write Like Mad workshops •
One-on-One Appointments
DAY 3: Master Classes
Get to it!: REGISTER before February 1, 2013 for Early Bird
discounts.
HOTEL accommodations are available at Hamilton’s Marriott
Courtyard Inn.
Mention ‘Mad Anthony’ to receive our special group discount!
Questions?: Check
our Frequently Asked Questions first. Still need answers?
Contact Victoria@WriteLikeMad.com for assistance.
******************************************************************************
The Next Wannabe’s Meeting:
When:
January 18th at 9 AM till 11:30 AM
Where:
at the LLI
lounge(2nd Floor) UD’s River Campus location on S. Patterson
BLVD.
Come join us in the New Year.
Disclaimer: Sorry for
any formatting and spelling errors you may find in this Journal entry. This is a labor of love of art not a rocket
science.
Happy New Year everyone.
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