Thursday, February 28, 2013

Raising a Teenager is Like Nailing Jello to the Wall

I know it's a cliche saying, but what is it with kids today?  My 12-year-old daughter is not even a teen yet, and ... well, I'll let you read the conversation from about a month ago ...

Driving her home from school, she is chattering away on her cell phone.  Not an uncommon occurrence, in fact it's fairly typical.  The nice thing is she doesn't (yet) feel the need to hide what she is talking about.

"You want to walk down the hall with him, right?  Well then, run into him on the way to class, and then ask him a question that it will take him some time to answer.  Boom, you are walking to class with him."

This perks my interest.  Now I'm focused on what she is saying.

"No.  No, you absolutely do not hug him first.  You let HIM hug YOU first."

Just now I'm pulling into the driveway.  I hear, "Ok, I gotta go.  See ya later."

I park the car and just sit there for a moment, trying to figure out how to ask about this overheard conversation.  I decide to be casual, and refer to a movie we had seen together recently.

"Do you have any idea how much you sounded like Hitch just then?"  She laughs.  Then I ask the question I'm sort of dreading.  "How do you know so much about dating anyway?"

She shrugs.  "I know a lot of people who date.  And I watch a lot of romantic comedies."  She gets out of the car to head into the house, and I am left counting the days until I am doomed as a father.

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A few weeks later I hear her talking to the friend to whom she had given the advice.  I know they are talking about some guy.  After the friend leaves, she tells me it's the guy her friend is "going with".

"Well, is it the same guy you gave her the advice about?"

"Oh, of course it is."  She smiles and bends over her laptop to finish her homework.

When did she get so grown up?




Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog II Week 4: L. S. Broomfield

Better late than never, this week in the final installment of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog II, I'm very happy to be hosting L. S. Broomfield, who is sharing one of her favorite excerpts from her current work in progress ...



I’ve chosen this specific excerpt and this specific work in progress because it evokes a strong emotion in myself and hopefully to those who read it. It’s a topic that’s rarely broached in our daily lives but it is very real subject that plagued many people. The title Behind the Mask speaks for itself because no matter who we are, we all have things hidden.


“Are you listening to what I’m telling you Ella?” The soft voice of Dr. Peyton questioned.
Immediately her eyes shifted from the bookcase to him and then downcast to the file in his hands, a soft blush heated against her cheeks, “I-I-um, well, sorry. I didn’t quite hear what you said.”
“Must we do this each visit, Ella? You sit there and look around my office and pretend you’re listening when we both know you are not. Don’t you think we could try, just this once, you listening and even sharing what is bothering you?” He hoped.
Her lips scrunched together as she pursed them left to right. She shrugged, looking away and towards the window.
“What do you want me to say?” Suddenly, her chest felt tight, throat felt dry. “Do you want me to sit here and whine about all that was wrong in my life? I don’t want to be one of those people that seek pity and attention...I just want to be normal.” Her jaw clenched, eyes blinked rapidly though no tears pooled. She had mastered these emotions years ago and learned quickly that no one wanted to see a young girl cry. Tears made adults uncomfortable, especially the ones that wanted to fix everything or pretend everything was okay when everything was wrong.
In the corner of her eye, his leg crossed over the other and she froze for a second. Slowly, her breath blew from between her barely parted lips as the ice in her body began to thaw.
“I want you to tell me what’s in your heart. Be honest with me but do you know what I want more than anything to happen during these sessions? Do you?” Ella shrugged slowly, her eyes drifting back to him, “I want you to feel safe. I want you to be honest with you.”
“I don’t think I know how to be honest with myself anymore. I don’t know if I can be honest with you, either. I don’t even know why I’m here. I should go.”
She rose from the couch, the brown, stiff leather beneath her groaning in protest at the movement. Ella fully intended to leave, her fingers ghosting over the cool leather as she walked behind the couch and towards the door.
“Stop Ella.” Dr. Peyton dropped the file to the coffee table and leaned forward, “That’s good you’ve told me that. Please...stay. Just for a little while longer. No one is forcing you to be here. You are doing this on your own and that in itself is commendable.” He noticed she made no movement towards the door. They were making progress today. Slow baby steps he reminded himself. “Why do you believe you cannot be honest with yourself?”
Ella nibbled her lip, sucking the soft flesh between her teeth. Her voice grew quiet, soft. “I’ve lied for so long about so much that a lie feels better than the reality.” The feeling of tears burned hot in her nose. “No one, doc, wants to hear my honesty. Not even my mom.” She made her way back to the couch, sitting to the edge.
“Hiding something that hurts us can be far more detrimental than releasing a truth that will hurt. It isn’t healthy to squelch your pain.”
She remembered the look of disappointment in her mother’s eyes the day she found out her dirty secret. The stone cold words of her mother that forever taunted her. She promised herself that very day she would never tell her brother Jason; she just couldn’t bear to see disgust or tolerated pity in his eyes.


Find L.S Broomfield here:

Blog: http://www.lsbroomfield.blogspot.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/L.S.Broomfield

Twitter: @LBroomfield1977

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Available in Kindle format on Amazon.com or direct from XOXO Publishing in electronic format ... Evernight: Romance in a World of Darkness VOLUME 2 from Allison Cassatta ...







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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog II Week 3: Sherrie Henry

This week's guest is the most awesome Sherrie Henry, who is spending this week talking about her goals for 2013 ... please enjoy her musings ... 



Question for Week 3:
What is one of your goals for the 2013 writing year that you have and why is it important to you? Is this goal a new one or one you are carrying over from 2012 or a previous year?

My major writing goal for 2013 is to gain larger exposure and increase my fan base. I had never thought about becoming a professional writer before, but after the success of my first three short stories and the overwhelming feedback I’ve gotten from my first novel (hopefully to be published soon), I’m actually thinking I might have a talent that can, if not support me, at least help pay the bills while being extremely enjoyable to do.

I had never thought about becoming an author until encouraged by Allison Cassatta, who, unknown to me, showed one of my short stories to a publisher who wanted it. That was about eighteen months ago and since then I have found myself immersed in the writing world. Three short stories published, my first novella in the editing process, my first novel out for submission and yet another novella out for submission as well. My goal is to continue to write, cultivate my fan base, tell my stories that have for too long been trapped in my mind. Two thousand thirteen is going to be my year, my year to shine. This will be my first year I focus almost entirely on writing as time and the real world permit.

I know I have great stories within me; some are guilty pleasures, some come with a message, but all are (I hope) entertaining and page-turning. I would like to top myself; increasing the complexities of my stories, adding intricate sub-plots to the main storyline. I want to perfect my craft, become the author I know I can be. Maybe I have the next great American novel in me.



Follow Sherrie on Facebook at:  http://www.facebook.com/AuthorSherrieHenry

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