The last thirty-one years I’ve mostly spent playing Duck, Duck Goose, tying up shoes and playing house. Such is the nurturing life of a kindergarten teacher. During that time to keep my sanity I read books written by The Bronte Sisters, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens,Agatha Christie and Maeve Binchy to name a few. Generally classic historical romance, light mystery and cozy modern Irish romance books line my bookshelves. Music wise, I listened to Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Jeff Healey, James Taylor, Elvis and the Beatles. Generally classical, gospel, bluesy jazz with a dash of rock this music played in the background while I read myself to sleep.
These books and CD’s (and tapes) are now sitting there just gathering dust. Old friends like these deserve better. Now is the time to go through all of these things and see if they are still representative of who I am. I’m no psychologist but I think the material mentioned is a sample of the kind of individual who came home from a long busy day with Dr. Seuss on the brain and just wanted to retreat into literature and music that was soothing, comfortable, healing and predictable. Later on tonight and for the next couple of nights….. I intend to take everything out and sort through my little time capsule of memories and only keep my favourite old friends. Then I’ll be ready to collect a few new ones for this phase of life. I’ve already been looking for them but it seems I’ve gotten a little picky in choosing these friends. I’m in research mode at the moment and I’ll so if you, dear reader have any suggestions for me, please let me know.
At this point in my reinvention of self my goal is to just write something worthy. With inspiration from books I might have overlooked before as they were too dark or provocative and music that was outside my comfort zone I expect to have an interesting new phase. Like a big girl, I might even take the news of the world a lot more seriously and overcome my habit of denial of all things too gritty, frightening and out of control.
Initially when I thought I would like to pursue a writing interest I thought I’d be writing little children’s stories (dare I say, cats)…. and I still might do that. However my muse has different plans for me at the moment. Muses are like that. Like a bolt out of the blue they just shake you up….like a heist.
An Embarrassment of Freedom 
good for you…ever read The Crock of Gold – James Stephens, or The The Royal Game by Stefan Zweig…google them and see if ur interested…and at the risk of being presumptuous thanx for the (heist) tip of the hat. continue…
Hi Professore Cur, alright, Tony……. and continuing with my homework…read about Molly Ivins (she sounds absolutely wonderful and I’ll have to find out more, she will be sadly missed..love her smart humour) , read up on Berthold B. too…quite the guy..humming the song here about the shark’s teeth…might use it in my drama/music private class on Tuesday… a sure bet that my coach is nuthin ‘like you but I’ll get some inspiration ( I hope), googled The Gold Crock …think I will really like it….and The Royal Game stories really sound intense….interesting coincidence…I watched some videos about Frank Zappa last night…great talent and unusual ideas…so far I think an A for effort…heavy course load though.
Liz Why don’t you try writing a murder mystery of a kindergarten teacher who discovers a murder in a little town while walking her pooch. You could call it “what the dog ate” or something like that. You have a dog, you know what they smell, roll in, eat and do etc. and you live in a little town with many personalities. I bet you’d be great at this…kath
Great idea! Lots of nasty out there! Funny idea..it just might work. Thanks for reading Kathy!