That Question

“And you’re at least fifteen?”

Yup, that question that I’ve been asked at least three times now. That question that I dread… and a question you’d think they wouldn’t have to ask so much, with my date of birth right on the papers their holding.

And overly honest me can’t keep from clarifying

“Well, actually, I’m seventeen.”

The confusion comes across their faces for a moment. Yeah, I know what you’re about to say;

“If you have a driver’s license, you don’t need this moped permit.”

I state the fact quickly, smiling… or at least trying to,

“I don’t have a driver’s license.”

Another moment of confused silence.

“But you’ll be getting it soon-”

“Actually, I don’t want to get a driver’s license right now.”

Words and phrases like ‘not right now’ and ‘not yet’ are things I’ve learned to add onto my more shocking statements to help humans digest them a little better. It’s a lot easier to explain how a moped is more economically suited to my stage in life right now than to explain my reasons for not wanting to drive a car ever.

 

This dialog exchange is more or less what I’ve had to go through three or four times in the process of getting my moped license. But despite this and a few other road bumps, I’ve finally gotten it!

Yes, my moped only goes 30 miles an hour. And yes, I’ll be exposed to the weather. And yes, I most likely will not be able to ride it in the winter. But it is completely worth it!

Artwork by Terry Dodson

From My Sketchbook: Portrait 6

Here's the sixth one I've done! And yes, the postings are out of order. But does it really matter?

Nope.

A Late Mother's Day

May 13: Three Gifts Found in Your Mom

1. When she reminds me not to get upset over something Dad says

2. When she talks with others about my ranch eating habits and includes me in 

    the conversation as I walk by

3. When she tells me I don’t have a fever with such certainty that I believe her

This really should’ve been the prompt for Mother’s Day, oh well. Just because I feel like doing something different I’ll write this post in poetic format (that doesn’t mean it’ll rhyme, or sound good; it, most likely, will not, but it’s fun to write all the same!)

Of Mom

When Dad talks worry

And concern for my safety

As if I’m a little girl

Young and too hasty

She reminds me to breathe

To not get so angry.

And when I’m as stubborn

As an old mule

Mom speaks to my logic

And helps me break through.

When visitors are over

And she tells of my oddities,

Such as eating ranch on everything,

And she includes me in,

So I’m not a ghost

Walking by on the wind.

And when the fears come

Of sickness and fever

She feels my forehead

And declares that I’m fine

So strong, I believe her.

When fancies take flight

Leaving heart racing,

Fear filled thoughts,

My Mom is the logic;

The head to my heart.

Image Credit: Erica's Edge

The Power of Words

May 12: Three Gifts Held in the Hand Today

1. My pen

2. A basketball

3. Warm laundry fresh out of the dryer

A pen in the hand is a powerful thing. I click my gel pen open and excitedly think about all that can come from this simple black ink. With it, I can doodle a small creature into creation, or make the emotions inside bleed through black blood onto the page. As I read more of Flora and Ulysses, I contemplate the power behind words. The squirrel, the poetry writing, super-powered flying squirrel hears the word ‘home’ and thinks that it is a good word. He adds it to the list of words he wants to make into a poem. I pause and think about that; what if I made a list of words that I wanted to make into a poem? The word ‘home’ wraps around my soul like a warm blanket. To it, two other words float into my consciousness.

                Home                                    Love                                      …Good-bye

When I whisper the word ‘good-bye’ I listen to the sound of it. It sounds as if the word breaks in two, a very sad word. In the afternoon, quite fed up with emotions and poetical thinking, I run outside into the chilly wet air to shoot some hoops. With our new basketball hoop put up in our drive way, I can run out and make a few shots whenever I feel like I need a break from my mind. Before, I had to walk fifteen minutes down to the park, which seemed not worth the effort when all I wanted to do was shoot a couple hoops then head back home. The ball ricochets off the rim and hurtles back towards me at double the speed I had thrown it. The feeling of stopping the force of the ball with my two hands is satisfying; seeing it spin on the tip of my finger is also extremely satisfying. Swish! The ball slides through the net and I am thankful for the escape sports provide from emotions. Running back indoors, fingers numb, the dryer beeps as I come down the hallway. Quickly I stop in my laundry room and pull out the dried clothes. The warmth that washes over me from the open door, and the warm clothes hugged in my arms feels delicious.

A Catching Up Post

AAAGHHHH! I'm falling behind with my daily post that talks about three gifts found in each day on here! Okay, to catch up, here's just a quick overview of what I've found these last few days that I haven't been writing.

May 8: Three gifts in a closet

1. My blue glass butterfly necklace

2. My blue bike helmet

3. My green jacket

May 9: Three gifts found in the dark

1. Playing basketball at dusk

2. The smell of chocolate in the dark kitchen

3. Falling asleep while listening to Lucy trying to wake up the trees

May 10: a gift outside, inside, upside down

1. Dribbling the basketball while rain drops fall

2. The pink flowers on the table

3. Raindrops falling on me with no clouds above

May 11: Three gifts about your parents

I was so busy that I forgot to look for three gifts during the day… opps. Here's some that I've thought up just now;

1. Driving home with Mom after a baccalaureate service and watching the lightning in the sky

2. Dad sharing a piece of his Reese's peanut butter heart with me

3. Mom always being there when I need to talk