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The Nose Knows: The Sense of Smell “Takes You Back”
Your five senses know a lot about your life. They know what you like to taste. They know what you like to see. They know what you like to hear. They know what you like to touch. And, they know what you like to smell. Studies have shown that perhaps more than any other sense, it’s your sense of smell that can bring you back to a particular place and time or person most poignantly, whether you were younger or older—that sense of smell can take you there in a moment. Bam! You are quickly reminded of an aspect of your life. That’s why when we teach writing courses, we…
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Don’t Let Family Stories Die: Wednesday Wisdom
* * * I like to reminisce with people I don’t know. ~ Steven Wright. Did the aforementioned quote make you giggle just a little? That quirky quote comes from comedian Steven Wright. He used to make me laugh until I cried. Statements like, “I was walking my dog around the apartment…on the ledge,” and “I’m writing a book; I’ve got the page numbers done,” using his dead-pan voice and stoic glare could get my father and me going. We found the guy hilarious. See what I did? I just reminisced about something. Good Lordy. That actually was a deliberate transition; putting all the silliness aside, my friend Maribeth suggested…
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I Totally Missed It
You’re supposed to remember the dates of big anniversaries. I didn’t. I totally missed it. Monday marked the one-year anniversary of the publication of my novel. It wasn’t even a blip on my radar; I am wrapped up in other things and didn’t take a moment to reflect on the last year. Anniversaries are for remembering. For reflecting on what has happened since you embarked on whatever it was: marriage, children, jobs, schools, a project come to fruition, etc. I’m still the same old person I used to be (and I do mean old). I go about my daily routines in the same way I always did. I take care…