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acbauch123
16p
12 comments posted · 1 followers · following 0
11 years ago @ 30 Points of View - boys of summer · 0 replies · +1 points
and you're right--what did we know?
13 years ago @ 30 Points of View - On Getting Carded · 1 reply · +1 points
I love libraries, always have, and I thank you for sharing your love of them too. Some of my happiest childhood memories are from our tiny, local library, which shared a building with the volunteer fire department and town hall. I spent many wonderful hours curled up in a chair in the basement, reading Judy Blume, Roald Dahl, Encyclopedia Brown, Beverly Cleary, and anything else I could get my hands on.
Ah, thanks for bringing all of that back by writing this piece! :0)
~~acb
13 years ago @ 30 Points of View - Re: sunday night · 1 reply · +1 points
One of my favorite parts of this piece is: "When I walk through my house, I feel like I’m in a horror film. I keep the lights off, except for in the den. I like the excitement of every turn I take possibly being my last." It makes me think of a neurosis I used to have I referred to as "The Killer." I wasn't sure when or how, but I knew that The Killer was going to get me one day.
Love the stream of consciousness and lucidity of the thought processes in this piece. Indeed, a great way to kick off the month! :0)
~~acb
13 years ago @ 30 Points of View - 30 Pounds · 1 reply · +1 points
How blessed you and LeeLee are to be two parts of a dynamic writing pair! If your son doesn't turn out to be some kind of writing genius, I'll be floored. Although, perhaps w/ both of you being writers, he'll rebel and become like a corporate accountant or something. <shudder> The horror, but at least you know he could set you up in a sweet retirement home one day. :0)
Great characterization here--I have such a clear vision of who Jason is. Definitely something to strive for in my own writing.
~~acb
13 years ago @ 30 Points of View - of significance to no ... · 0 replies · +1 points
I think that you're right that history takes on a new significance when you don't know much about it. At least this has been the case for me. I have many friends who can trace their families back for generations, and they have little to no interest in this information--they're more focused on the here and now, and the future. Although I understand this, I can't help but be envious sometimes that they can situate themselves in this rich context of life.
But at the same time, my lack of knowledge has provided a lot of fodder for my writing! :0)
~~acb
13 years ago @ 30 Points of View - of significance to no ... · 0 replies · +1 points
It literally took me years to piece together all of this information from my family, and in all honesty, I'm still not positive it's completely accurate. My mother is a compulsive liar (and her memory has also been affected by drugs and alcohol), my grandmother always tells the stories to make herself look good, and my guardian, Sandy, chooses to not speak of the past, willfully forget the past, or she's incapable of remembering (due to a childhood accident and years of alcoholism). And since I don't know my biological father at all, there's a whole other side of the story I don't know, but hope to one day fill in the gaps.
It is a process of life excavation, to be certain.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and respond! :0)
~~acb
13 years ago @ 30 Points of View - of significance to no ... · 0 replies · +1 points
~~acb
13 years ago @ 30 Points of View - of significance to no ... · 0 replies · +1 points
Well, publishing the memoir depends on how soon I want to get disowned by my family.
In all seriousness, I've had this debate with myself many times, especially after I finished my MFA thesis, which was a complete initial draft of my memoir. For a number of years, I had the attitude of "If my family wasn't so psychotic, I wouldn't have all of these scandalous, negative things to write about them!" But as I get older, and God has brought much healing about in my relationships with my family, I realize that, for the most part, they did the best they could at the time.
I know there will come a time when it feels right to pursue that adventure. In the meantime, I am satisfied sharing my vignettes with the world.
~~acb
13 years ago @ 30 Points of View - of significance to no ... · 0 replies · +1 points
I agree with you that for the individual, and perhaps even for the family and community, personal history overrides the "book history" we learn in school. I know that I've learned a lot more about different eras, countries, and cultures from reading and hearing accounts of those who lived it than from anything I ever learned in school.
Such thoughtful and thought-provoking comments. Thank you! :0)
~~acb
13 years ago @ 30 Points of View - My Son, the Jihadist · 0 replies · +1 points
I just got around to reading this piece, and I wish I had before now. However, it has found me at a point in my life when I need it more, so perhaps there is a plan in that.
With Warm Regards,
Amanda
Opus