If you know somethin' well, you can always paint it
but people would be better off buyin' chickens.
-Grandma Moses
I found my diary from 2002 the other day. I scarcely recognized the girl I read about in those pages. Brin from 2002 had this amazingly glitz life: reporting career in Dallas... dinner in high-rise restaurants... handsome boyfriend... fancy shoes... condo decorated by a professional... appointments for facials... concert tickets. Man. Brin from 2012 has an amazingly messy life: tutoring English and writing at a local college... dinner from a crockpot... ugh, men... rubber boots with caked-on manure... a little red house... appointments at the vet... and rodeo tickets. My, how time changes everything.
The other night, as I was feeding the chickens, I told them a little about my old life. Colonel Heaven, the keeper of the flock, stood quietly and listened. I was telling him about people, places and things I missed: the old boyfriend, the Granada, riding DART to get facials. And then I told him how ridiculous I felt, standing in the dirt telling a chicken about the good old days like some prattling old lady who stands alone in a pasture talking to hay bales. I laughed and he crowed.
A dear lady wrote me last weekend and asked why I haven't published anything yet. I told her it's because I have to revisit that old life to tell my story, and for now I'm only ready to tell the entire thing to a flock of feathers. (I'm sure the lady now thinks I'm crazy.) But maybe I could paint it- a dark and clashing collection of colors bleeding across many canvases. After all, If you know somethin' well, you can always paint it...
...but people would be better off buyin' chickens.
(Oh! And if you're on Pinterest, help me add to my 'Chicken Littles' board, would you? :)
5 comments:
Fascinating. Life can and does take us in many directions. I'm getting a chuckle out of your talking it over with a rooster. As for waiting to be ready to deal with those years before you work on a project to have published... Not sure that you can't zero in on just what you want to focus on. If you must deal with those early days, you can do it in a prequel. ;>
It's been a long time since I've been here..just found you again. I'm enjoying reading your posts again.
Roosters seem to be good listeners:)
Glad you're back to blogging again. Sometimes I share my stories and prayers with my garden...which probably qualifies me as crazy. Glad you're back and looking forward to reading more of your posts.
Jackie
Dear sweet Brin, a lesson I've learned, if you are allowed to age and don't use the time, we are only cheating ourselves! I hope you won't wait too long, I did!! Have I told you lately how happy I am your back!!! :)
Oh, no... you can't write it all until you ponder it! I've followed you for years (not in person, of course... I'm a grandmother and not a stalker) and your story has amazed me.
However, what I've discovered through the years is we are not ready to fully talk about or write about the hard seasons until we more fully realize how God has used that part of our journey to mold us today.
I write for a blog meant to encourage young mothers (as well as my own) and recently (on the Facebook page we writers use to communicate), we talked about the importance of being REAL and how that is the only way we can truly encourage others.
I love the way you do that on your blog. Oh, I talk to my cat.
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