Ramona Forever and Ugly Princesses

I moved 8 years ago and would you believe, I still have moving boxes that have yet to be opened! I’ve been going through some of this s*** stuff and I’m now realizing how much of a pack rat I am. When did this happen? I used to be much more orderly and loved the feel of a nice, crisp, neat, organized living space. So I ask again, what happened? Oh yeah, kids, a husband and a monumental move to France, that’s what happened. And my house, it’s now a Feng Shui nightmare.

Anyway, I was feeling particularly bummed today wondering why I’m so exhausted all the time, why my right shoulder hurts when typing at the computer, and wondering why, for the love of God, am I now trying to become a writer during a time in my life when I have NO time. And then, I found this postcard from Beverly Cleary stuffed in a dusty cardboard moving box. I was nine when I wrote her and reading her reply brought back a rush of memories and emotions that I had all but forgotten. That’s when I realized creative writing has always been my primary instrument for emotional expression. And along with B. Cleary’s card, I also found my first attempt at writing fiction. It was a short story entitled The Quest, written when I was about eleven. Reading over that story (which was printed on a dot matrix printer mind you) about knights, witches and ugly princesses, made me chuckle. And you know what, it wasn’t half bad! So thank you Beverly Cleary for your kind words, they mean just as much to me now as they did over 20 years ago, and thank you The Quest, for helping me let go of some self-doubt issues I’ve been hanging onto lately. I’m not now trying to become a writer because I’ve always been, to some extent, a writer.

If you have the chance, go back and dig out some of your earliest writing projects. Not to read with a critical eye, but rather with the eyes of a young writer during a time in your life when everything seemed possible. I'd love to hear about it. And if nothing else, I’m sure it’ll put a smile on your face. (: