Posted in Fiction, Flash Fiction

The Veteran and Christmas Spirit

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

 

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The old guy sitting in the diner was a Vietnam vet. He didn’t know what to do. His last buddy, also his roommate, died today. That meant his home was gone too.

He had been there for hours. The manager had noticed him. She walked over and asked if he needed anything.

“A place to stay. My friends are gone.”

She got him to tell his story. She saw their Christmas tree and asked him if he would like to stay in their back room.

“I’m a good cook,” he exclaimed, as his whole face lit up with a smile.

 

100 words

#amblogging #amwriting #writing #flashfiction #fiction

This post is in response to Friday Fictioneers

Photo credit to Roger Bultot

Posted in Flash Fiction

Gone

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

 

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They always looked smoky for a reason. There was always a haze that hung over and around them. The Great Smoky Mountains. As the man and the woman looked at from the ruins of what used to be their home, the haze now was real smoke. The remnants of the terrible fire that had swept their beautiful mountains a few days before and claimed their home.

The town below devastated. Their dog and pet pig gone. All their treasures gone. Thousands of acres of timber and wild animals gone. Everything they loved but each other.

“What now?” he asked, his face crumbling, as he looked at her.

She sighed as she looked with love at his aging face.

“Are you game for rebuilding and helping out here?” she asked. “We need to help put this place back together again.”

His face broke into a smile.

145 words

 

A tribute to the people, animals, and The Great Smoky Mountain National Park after the East Tennessee Fires. The cause – arson.

#amblogging #amwriting #writing #flashfiction #fiction

Photo Credit to Joy Pixley

Post for FFfAW Challenge.

Thanks, Priceless Joy!

Posted in Creative Nonfiction Essays, environment, Politics, Travel

Flint Michigan Water Crisis: Don’t Forget About Flint

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

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A lot of press was given to the Native American Standing Rock Pipeline Resistance, which has now been resolved. Some press has been given to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, but we don’t seem to know quite as much about it. The Standing Rock protest was being held to try to protect their water supply. The Flint, Michigan water supply has already been severely contaminated.

The Flint, Michigan water supply was contaminated beginning in April, 2014. Flint switched its water supply from Lake Huron and the Detroit River to the Flint River. The Flint River was treated improperly and the pipes in it leached lead into the river which made its way into the drinking water. Between 6,000 and 12,000 children have been exposed to lead in their water. An outbreak of Legionnaire’s Disease in the area is most likely the result of the contamination of the water supply. Ten deaths resulted.

By June of 2015, Virginia Tech tested Flint’s water and found that it had almost three times the amount of lead in it that water had that the Environmental Protection Agency classified as hazardous waste. Children were getting sick with rashes and mysterious illnesses. Lead has a particularly bad effect on the nervous system.

The President declared a state of emergency in Flint in January 2016. Criminal charges have been filed against some officials who were involved this situation. Some were involved in what amounted to a cover-up.

At this time, the Flint water supplied has been switched back to the Detroit supply though it takes a long time for the lines to be clear of lead.

Not enough attention has been paid to Flint and the children of Flint. What is going to be done about those 6,000-12,000 children who have been exposed to very high levels of  lead? Since lead is a neurotoxin, it causes behaviorial delays, lowered IQ, and developmental problems. These issues can’t be reversed. The proper diet can decrease the absorption of lead so parents are being given information regarding mitigating the circumstances somewhat. Of course, switching water supplies back to the old one is also necessary and has already happened.

Unfortunately, the crisis in Flint is still ongoing and has not had the positive ending that the Standing Rock crisis was able to accomplish.#amwriting #amblogging #writing #Flint

 

Posted in Politics, Writing

Protecting Ourselves in Today’s Uncertain World

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

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In writing posts for Elizabeth’s Creativity Challenges (number 29), I’ve focused mostly on factual information. When you are writing about the word “protect,” as I am for this post, I would normally focus on the factual information on what we as a nation could do to protect ourselves from the uncertainly and distress in the world. I could also focus on what we as individuals could focus on to protect ourselves. I find myself in a different place as a writer than I’ve ever been and I think, at least according to some of us, we find ourselves in a different place as a nation.

I have to pose a question. How do we protect ourselves from our ultimate protector? Not just the protector of the United States but the protector and the most powerful man in the free world? No one more than me hopes that myself and my contemporaries turn out to be wrong about President-elect Donald Trump. I hope that he is our protector and our leader as he is going to swear to be on January 20, 2017.

I don’t believe we are wrong. At best, I don’t believe Mr. Trump knows what he is getting into. I don’t believe he has enough political or diplomatic knowledge of the workings of the world to understand what it means to be President of the United States. He sees it as a power grab. A power grab from “the other side” however he defines the other side. Since he is now a Republican, I assume he defines the other side as Democrats. He, himself, was a registered Democrat not long ago. Men who become leaders because they seek power and without the understanding of the ramifications of that power are dangerous when they command armies.

At worst, Mr. Trump does know what he is getting into and is doing things like waging Twitter wars, appointing inappropriate people to his Cabinet that have conflicts of interest, focusing on issues that are irrelevant like his feud with the New York Times, because he considers these things more important than, for example, taking his foreign policy briefings every day. This begs the question of why the President-elect does not want to know what’s going on in the world? Is he really that arrogant? Or is there a darker reason?

Another issue. Mr. Trump alienates the media on purpose. Why? He doesn’t want to be held accountable by the media. The media is an unofficial source of checks and balances. Perhaps more or less corrupt than our three branches of government. Even though we are skeptical of Congress, there are some good people there that are honest and who would try to help.

Is the protection between us, as citizens of the U.S. or the free world, suddenly just gone? What a horrifying thought and there is nothing we can do as individuals to protect ourselves on a global scale from that.

Can we protect ourselves on a personal level? That is a good question. We don’t know how Donald Trump is going to govern yet and we won’t know for sure until after January 20, 2017. We can’t plan for what we don’t know. What we can do is protect our state of mind. We can try to stay positive at least about ourselves. We can’t spend 24/7 thinking about the state of the world or we will be useless and unable to help ourselves or anyone else. We have to get on with life. Work, socialize with like-minded people, see friends and family. Don’t spend too much time living inside your own head. Instead of just getting your news from sound bites on cable news, buy a newspaper. Read that newspaper. Form your own opinions. Keep yourself physically healthy. You will feel better if you eat the right food. Drink water. Get exercise to relieve stress.

My opinion? We may need our strength. Individually and collectively. Just as important. We don’t know yet. #amwriting #amblogging #writing

 

The Challenge here is to use your creative talent to bring light into the current distress in the world around you, in whatever form that talent takes. The word today is “protect.”

Posted in Creative Nonfiction Essays, Writing

O Holy Night – A Personal Note

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

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I just heard my favorite Christmas song, O Holy Night. It makes me think about the true meaning of Christmas, minus all the commercialization. It also makes me think about my dad. That’s why I marked this blog post as a personal note. It’s very personal. All the beautiful, spiritual Christmas songs remind me of my dad. He was a beautiful, spiritual person who loved Christmas and made me love Christmas.

So why am I writing this blog post? My family and friends wonder why I can’t enjoy Christmas anymore. Maybe this personal note will help them understand. I haven’t been able to enjoy Christmas since my dad died many decades ago. I’m sure many think I should be able to get past that by now and get back to enjoying Christmas. How I wish that were true. You see, my dad was Christmas to me. He taught me the Christmas story, much more than Sunday School or church ever did. He got up with me in the middle of the night to admire the tree he decorated with me. We looked for the star in the sky together. He always smiled and was jolly with me. He taught me to smile and laugh and have fun and, of course, enjoy Christmas.

Then, he died. At Christmas. He was younger than I am now when he passed away. He knew he was going to die even though he had only been ill for six weeks. He had been in the hospital for a few days and when we got back to the family home after he passed away, he had left presents for all of us. They weren’t there when we took him to the hospital only a few days before. Don’t ask me to explain that. We buried him on Christmas Eve when it was 19 degrees below zero and the snow was one and one half foot deep. I’ll never forget when they played Taps, as he was a veteran, and the men who were freezing and who were his friends and were determined to serve as pallbearers anyway.

His brother, my Uncle Billy, was here for the funeral. He came from Detroit and, given the weather, it was not an easy trip. He came for me. He stayed in a local motel and he took me back there after the funeral and got me drunk. He knew what I needed. To get drunk and cry. I wish it had been a permanent solution.

For a few Christmas’s after that, I tried. I really did. My mother was still alive and I tried for her, but I realized that she was not a “Christmas person” and it was not necessary. I quit trying and haven’t since. Every year, I tell myself I’m going to try. I never do.

I acknowledge Christmas in my own way but always very privately. I listen to the spiritual Christmas songs like O Holy Night and I always play piano at Christmas but only those songs. I take a wreath to the cemetery. I celebrate the birth of Christ. I also celebrate and grieve the death of my dad. He was a man who lived life to the fullest. I’m very much like him and have often been criticized for that, probably because I’m female. But, that was another lesson my dad taught me. Not to care what others thought and said and to live my life to the fullest.

Another legacy my dad left that not many people know about is that he was a writer. He didn’t try to make his living as a writer as he had his family to support and that would have been almost impossible then. I have some of his writings that I cherish. I also cherish that he gave me his gift, at least a part of it. He was better than me.

In four more days, my dad will have been gone 33 years. It feels like yesterday, just like it does every Christmas. I will go to the cemetery, play my songs, and remember how he used to sing Ava Maria in an operatic voice. I will hope that Christmas is over soon.

#amblogging #amwriting #writing #Christmas

Posted in romance, Uncategorized, Writing

On Relationships – Haiku Interpretation

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

Haiku #2 – On Relationships
the sun will set slow
people go home for shelter
sun will rise again

Interpretation:

Some relationships die. Even good relationships sometimes die. Many die slowly, like the sun setting slowly. After a relationship dies, many people need time to grieve, to adjust, to deal with what is usually sadness. They retreat. Some retreat from social life for a time. Some retreat from life for awhile. They go to whatever they call home and seek shelter because home represents a reprieve from pain. Even though, at first, the people in a relationship that has died may not realize it, they will move past the pain. It may take a long time, or not so long, but they will start to feel better and feel lighter, and they will look around and it will seem like the sun has come up, like it has risen again.

#amwriting #amblogging #writing #relationships #haiku

Welcome to    Incredible Blogging Marathon Challenge          #04

Given to you are five haiku’s. Pick any one and write your interpretation to it. You can build a story and make the haiku part of it. You can continue the haiku and make another poem out of it. Let the creativity wander and hunt it down the way you want.

Posted in Uncategorized, Writing

Randomness

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

Living in the country is peaceful but sometimes it’s boring. I hate inkjet printers and prefer laser printers as long as they have a color function and hold at least ten reams of paper. Never wade out in the Gulf of Mexico at night to fish because you will risk your limbs. My favorite cat is a purebred Maine Coon cat and I had one for many years whose name was Abby, a good New England name. I can’t remember if there is a jail in the county I live in because I am so seldom downtown and I don’t usually have time to read the local newspaper. I feel like what I am writing here is ridiculous but it is supposed to be disconnected and ridiculously funny in order to complete this challenge. My favorite country in Europe is Portugal because the people like Americans, the castles are awesome, and I love the fields of cork trees and grapevines. Most people don’t know that I had a German Shepherd mix dog at one time that tried to kill the UPS man who inexplicably laughs about it now. My favorite restaurant in the nearest big city is named after a type of grain. My favorite rock and roll band recorded a song called “Wild Horses” and horses are my favorite animal but not wild ones.

This Post is written for the International Blogging Marathon Challenge #3. The challenge has 10 tasks and this is the third one. Randomness Challenge!

 

Posted in The Economy, Uncategorized, weekendcoffeeshare

#weekendcoffeeshare 12/17/2016

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

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“Hello, Jenn! It’s great to see you for the #weekendcoffeeshare this week! How have you been?” I ask as Jenn comes through my side door.

“Good,” Jenn replies. “But the weather has been too cold for me. Looks like you have the hot beverages ready for everyone!”

“I think I do, Jenn,” I said. “I decided to serve just regular stuff today. A breakfast blend coffee, English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast Tea, and Hot Chocolate. I will also make lattes for anyone who wants one. I hope everyone enjoys it. Here they come now.”

After everyone got settled in the writing studio, the first topic was the strange weather we’ve been having. If we were having coffee, I would tell everyone about the weather here where I live. After a very warm early and mid fall, it suddenly turned bitterly cold with Artic air dropping down into the Ohio Valley and resulting in very cold temperatures until today. Today, it is 60 degrees! We’re supposed to go back into the deep freeze after today.

If we were having coffee, I would tell everyone about how much I’ve been writing during the last week. I’ve been participating in some writing challenges that I thought would challenge my writing skills. In my opinion, that is the reason to participate in writing challenges and prompts. They help you kick your writing up a notch because you really have to think and research along with the writing. You can also get some feedback from other writers participating in the same prompt or challenge which is invaluable. It seems to have been busy this past week, here on WordPress, with prompts and some new challenges. Has anyone else noticed that? Also, what do you think of the look of the new WordPress Reader?

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that, even though I am working on a novel, I find great value in continuing to blog. You make great contacts, improve your writing skills, and get an opportunity to read other writers’ works. I have, in fact, done more blogging this week than writing on the novel. That has to change in the week to come. Is anyone else working on a novel? What has been your experience?

If we were having coffee, I would ask you if you are finished with your Christmas shopping? I am not and only have one more gift to buy but it is an important one. I have thought the trend toward online shopping might cut down on the traffic in the city around the malls and shopping centers. I was wrong! Have you noticed any improvement in the traffic where you live?

Last week, I talked a little about a fellow blogger’s list of gifts for writers (Chuck Wendig). I am buying at least two products he recommends. I received my Brother Laser Printer this week but I have not yet had time to hook it up and use it. I’ll keep you advised how well it performs, particularly the WiFi. I will let you know.

I am about to buy another product Chuck recommends. I use an iPad a lot for my writing. Not exclusively. I work on a laptop when writing my novel but for blogging and other things I use a BIG iPad. As we all know, an iPad’s keyboard is not very useful if you are going to type much! Right now, I use a cheap external keyboard with my iPad, but it has to be charged often and it is pretty flimsy. Chuck recommends what looks to be an awesome external keyboard for the iPad. You can see it if you go to this site for an awesome external keyboard. Folks, this thing is on sale until 12/20. I am BUYING IT. I’ve decided to order it today. Yes, it is way expensive. I think it will make me way more productive. I will report back!

Now a personal note. I hope all of you are having a happy holiday season. I don’t do much for Christmas except I do enjoy buying gifts for friends. Christmas is a hard holiday for me for a myriad of personal reasons. The next #weekendcoffeeshare will be on Christmas Eve and we’ll talk about all things Christmas and other holidays associated with this time of year. Keep on shopping and writing and I hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday season! #amwriting #amblogging #writing #chuckwendig #WordPress

*This post in response to parttimemonsterblog.com

Thanks, Diana!

 

Posted in Uncategorized

The Last Nighttime Space Shuttle Launch

Posted on by R.M. Carlson


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This is a photo of the last nighttime space shuttle launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 2010. If you look closely, you can see the trail as it rises above the tree and that ball of fire IS the space shuttle.

We were staying in Ft. Myers on this night and knew that it was a historic night in the U.S. space program. So, at around midnight, we got in the car and headed across the Florida peninsula toward Cape Canaveral, hoping we could see the launch. The traffic was terrible and we couldn’t get up close to the launchpad. There was a small town very close by and everyone was lining the roads there with their cars and camera equipment. We were lucky to get a spot right by the fence.

You can’t really tell in this picture, but we could actually see the shuttle go up as it was almost dawn and then it disappeared into a ball of fire. I just didn’t have the right kind of slow-moving film because it was a last minute decision to go watch the launch. It was certainly a once in a lifetime experience.

 

 

#amblogging  #amwriting #writing #IBMC

This Post is written for the International Blogging Marathon Challenge #2.  The challenge has 10 tasks and this is the second one.

IBMC #2: For this challenge, you will pick up a photograph and describe the memories associated with it. You are welcome to do it on any kind of photograph. It could also be your thoughts on any random photograph. Your post will contain a photograph and a description to it. Add appropriate references if necessary. The length of the description can be wisely decided.