ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW
I refer to a small book written in 1986—most of you out there were babies—by Robert Fulghum. His offering hit the big time, #1 Best Seller in that decade, and it is the simplest book you’ve ever seen. The full title is All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Hoping that Mr. Fulghman—in case he reads Jenny’s blog every day—will allow me to quote him, here is his list of important things to learn.
1. Share everything
2. Play fair
3. Don’t hit people
4. Put things back where you found them
5. Clean up your own mess
6. Don’t take things that aren’t yours
7. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody
8. Wash your hands before you eat
9. Flush
10. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you
11. Live a balanced life—learn, think, draw, paint, sing, dance, play, and work
12. Take a nap every afternoon
13. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, stick together
14. Wonder
15. Everything dies. So do we.
16. Remember the biggest word from the Dick-and-Jane books-LOOK
Of all these suggestions, which one hits closest to home?
Me? I can get through #6-easy-peasy. But there’s #7. This is a stickler. I don’t go around hurting people intentionally, and I do believe I’m kind enough that I rarely do. But if I inadvertently hurt someone’s feelings, would I know it? And what would I do about it? On to #8-#16. Those aren’t too difficult. Especially “take a nap every afternoon.” That one’s a snap.
Back to #7.
As I pondered this, I concluded that we always hurt the one we love, the one who is closest to our heart—our spouse or SO, our best friend, someone who thought she was your friend but you didn’t treat her that way, your child, your sister, your next door neighbor.
Why do I mention this? Romance stories. Now, you knew I’d get around to romance novels, eventually, didn’t you? Isn’t this our common tie on this blog? What is the formula for a good love story? The H/H meet; they fall in love; they hurt one another in some way (you cannot guarantee smooth sailing in a romance), the H/H reconcile and apologize. And they lived HEA.Ta-da!
My computer is jam-packed with manuscripts. Fortunately, three have found success. As I sit here and think of all this writing I’ve done, in every case and every plot, someone gets hurt. My job as the author is to reconcile the pair. Now. The next time you’re stuck with writer’s block, remember #7. While you’re at it, remember #10, 11, 12, and 14. Those should help you along your journey. You are, after all, a writer.
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All My Hopes and Dreams-a Western Historical Romance set in 1880 Texas. By Celia Yeary
Excerpt: hurt feelings
“Consuelo, where is my Mrs. Romero? I told her to clean up, but I can’t find her.”
I refer to a small book written in 1986—most of you out there were babies—by Robert Fulghum. His offering hit the big time, #1 Best Seller in that decade, and it is the simplest book you’ve ever seen. The full title is All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Hoping that Mr. Fulghman—in case he reads Jenny’s blog every day—will allow me to quote him, here is his list of important things to learn.
1. Share everything
2. Play fair
3. Don’t hit people
4. Put things back where you found them
5. Clean up your own mess
6. Don’t take things that aren’t yours
7. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody
8. Wash your hands before you eat
9. Flush
10. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you
11. Live a balanced life—learn, think, draw, paint, sing, dance, play, and work
12. Take a nap every afternoon
13. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, stick together
14. Wonder
15. Everything dies. So do we.
16. Remember the biggest word from the Dick-and-Jane books-LOOK
Of all these suggestions, which one hits closest to home?
Me? I can get through #6-easy-peasy. But there’s #7. This is a stickler. I don’t go around hurting people intentionally, and I do believe I’m kind enough that I rarely do. But if I inadvertently hurt someone’s feelings, would I know it? And what would I do about it? On to #8-#16. Those aren’t too difficult. Especially “take a nap every afternoon.” That one’s a snap.
Back to #7.
As I pondered this, I concluded that we always hurt the one we love, the one who is closest to our heart—our spouse or SO, our best friend, someone who thought she was your friend but you didn’t treat her that way, your child, your sister, your next door neighbor.
Why do I mention this? Romance stories. Now, you knew I’d get around to romance novels, eventually, didn’t you? Isn’t this our common tie on this blog? What is the formula for a good love story? The H/H meet; they fall in love; they hurt one another in some way (you cannot guarantee smooth sailing in a romance), the H/H reconcile and apologize. And they lived HEA.Ta-da!
My computer is jam-packed with manuscripts. Fortunately, three have found success. As I sit here and think of all this writing I’ve done, in every case and every plot, someone gets hurt. My job as the author is to reconcile the pair. Now. The next time you’re stuck with writer’s block, remember #7. While you’re at it, remember #10, 11, 12, and 14. Those should help you along your journey. You are, after all, a writer.
***********
All My Hopes and Dreams-a Western Historical Romance set in 1880 Texas. By Celia Yeary
Excerpt: hurt feelings
“Consuelo, where is my Mrs. Romero? I told her to clean up, but I can’t find her.”
“Why, she is over to her little house, sir. You know, where her belongings are. She said she would go draw water from the well and bathe. Her clothes are there.”
The situation finally dawned on him. “Damn!” he said, and stalked out the door and across the open expanse to the third little house from the end.
When he walked in, she was nowhere to be found. He looked in the lean-to on the back. The round galvanized tub there had about two inches of water in it. He saw her approaching the back door, carrying a bucket of well water with both hands. She was struggling.
“Hell, Cynthia. What do you think you’re doing?”
She stared at him for only a moment; then she tossed the bucket as far as she could, which was only a very short distance, and water splashed out and onto her boots. She glared at him. Her blood obviously boiling as she yelled. “What do you think? I’m drawing water for my bath. And it’s…da…darn hard! And look at what you made me do. You made me drop my bucket. You…you sorry excuse for a husband.”
Before his very eyes, she dropped to the ground and bent double with her head in the dirt. She began to sob uncontrollably and pounded the ground with one fist. “I hate you!”
“Whoa, whoa,” he said very gently, as he hunkered down in front of her. He reached for her and pulled her up as he stood. “Up you go, now.” His arms encircled her and he pushed her head to his shoulder. “Shhh, now sweetheart. I’m sorry, so sorry. Shhh, don’t cry now. I’ll make it all better. Now come with me.”
She looked so tired, so spent. How could he have allowed so much to go wrong in such a little time? She was right. He wasn’t doing his part.
“I’m sorry, too, Ricardo,” she whispered. “I just don’t know what to do. I don’t know where I belong anymore.”
“I’ll show you. First, you’re coming home, to the house, your real home. Not this little cabin. You won’t live here anymore. Come on now.”
************************************************************************************
Thank you, friends, for stopping by Jenny's blog today. Please leave a reply.
Celia Yeary
www.celiayeary.com
www.thewildrosepress.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thebookspa
http://twrpcactusrose.blogspot.com
ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS-a Texas Historical
Available in eBook: The Wild Rose Press
Available in print: Amazon.com, B&N
www.celiayeary.com
www.thewildrosepress.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thebookspa
http://twrpcactusrose.blogspot.com
ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS-a Texas Historical
Available in eBook: The Wild Rose Press
Available in print: Amazon.com, B&N
Posts
12 comments:
My favorite is number two: Play fair. Have a great day, Celia and Jenny!
Hey Celia!
Wonderful, emotionally packed excerpt---well done, you :) You know, I always loved that book. And, I've found it to be seriously true :) My favorite piece of advice though is that warm cookies and milk are good for you. Thanks for a delightful excerpt and also bringing back a really good 80's memory :)
How lovely, Celia. I've always loved that list and it does govern many of the things I do. Keeping it simple helps keep it real for me.
Nice excerpt from All my Hopes and Dreams!
Okay, who's gonna hold my hand. No wait, is it time for warm cookies yet? Oh? It's naptime? Good deal...
Hi Celia. I like the one about taking a nap every day. I wish.
Great excerpt.
Hello Celia!
I'd never heard of this book, but I loved that list! I like "wonder", because you can interpret it in different ways. The nap thing would be nice, too, mind you, after cookies and milk...
Lovely excerpt, too. I think you and have a thing for those Latino types!
Lots of love,
Francesca
Great tie in to writing, Celia. I never would have thought about linking the two together.
Liana--Yes, most of these are drilled into us, aren't they? My favorite saying when I was a kid was --"You don't play fair." My sense of justice was strong at an early age. Celia
Ellen--bless your heart.Yep, any kind of comfort food would have worked there. thanks for dropping by--Celia
Maggie--The arm cookes and naptime coming right up--for me, anyway. It's dark here, and it's early afternoon--been stormy and rainy all day. Love it. thanks for your comment. Celia
Linda--I'm a confimed nap taker. and I've never felt guilty about it. I can barely get through a day without a little nap. Celia
No, sweetie--you're too young to have heard of this book. It's chock full of wisdom, all told in simple everyday stories. He writes about a box of Cheer detergent, and makes you think it's the most wondrful story, and a message for life in it. And, oh, yes, those Latin lovers--Celia
Emma--nor would I, but I had nothing in my head, and I opened a bedside drawer looking for something, and that little book was stuck back in a corner. It just jumped out at me. It's a good thing, too, or you would have seen a blog of nursery rhymes--that's all I could think of. You know, "Georgie Porgie, Puddin' and Pie, Kiss the girls, and make them cry." Thanks--Celia
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