Sunday, November 9, 2008

But Mom, This Makes Me Look CooL...Really

In getting ready to write a regular column, I revisited some of my old blog entries that never saw daylight. Now I take my writing seriously and try very hard to make sure the things I put on the blog are at least moderately edited and above all things, worth reading. However, once posted or published or sent off into the email wonderland for consideration, I don’t go back to peruse them. Because I’d “Fire and forget” carpet bomb editors with columns, I never looked back to reread any of my stuff…until now.

Going back into the blog postings of the past year is like revisiting one’s high school yearbook. It’s awkward and irritating because I know when I was in that moment, that I believed with all my heart, leg warmers and unicorns were cool and Xanadu worth watching.

Twice.

My mother did counsel against the second viewing of Olivia Newton John’s musical with Gene Kelly, but I couldn’t get past the glow of the music. She also suggested the “I Brake for Unicorns” bumper sticker for the car might be a poor choice.

Currently on my laptop, I have a file with 200 plus unicorns.

They were once sparkling and beautiful and glorious magical things that popped off the page with their dazzling brilliance. Sure they needed minor trimming, but these were inventive thoughts that deserved to be circulated amongst a broad circle of people. Now, I’m looking at these ungainly unnatural creations of mine and many seem far more monstrous than first imagined. “Why didn’t someone stop me?” I wonder.

Looking at my junior yearbook drama club picture, I'm the one with a pink bathrobe sash tied around my forehead like a headband. Maybe the fact that no one wanted to stand next to me should have been a clue.

Yeah. I know. Mom tried to stop that one too.

Now, as I trim run-on sentences and find misspelled words I have to wonder...when I send these pieces off, am I sending real unicorns or bathrobe sashes that I thought people would mistake for headbands because they were pink?

Maybe, I should call my Mom.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ohhhh, Sherry- I tried sooo hard to forget the clown outfit with the multicolored socks. Something in this article triggered a Godspell relaspe. Texas Mom

I promise this time I laughed!

MightyMom said...

I saw a clip of Jon Bon Jovi in an interview on The View (of all places) on youtube. In his latest song there's a phrase "dug up this old photograph, look at all that hair we had" and so of course the 'wemen' pulled out a bunch of his pics from the 80's. and asked him if he was embarrased by them.

His response was great!

He said "No, not at all, those are my baby pictures. Most people's baby pics are private..ours are public. But it's just where we were in growing up."

I like rereading my stuff from when I started and thinking .... well that was a good point, but I'd write it differently now.

We all grow up...as writers and as people.

So enjoy those baby pictures and smile at the literary kid you were.

Sides, I was never brave enough to wear a headband. Got some leg warmers somewhere though!

Cathy Chapman said...

Cuz, Tell your mom that my favorite mug is one my mom gave me with a unicorn on it. There are, also, hearts all around it. Unicorns are wonderful. They have "Mom energy!" So, please, brake for unicorns.

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