Category: Living my Life

It’s not over until . . .

The young adults born between 1980 and 2000 are sometimes called Gen-xers, sometimes Millennials. They are already making their mark in the world. According to the latest census, they out number Boomers by several million.

As generations before have initiated the over-use of the word “like” and “go” and “you know” (expressions that are still around) perhaps the Millennials are responsible for the over-use of “so.” You know, as in “I’m so not going to do that.” Or they go, “I’m looking so forward to that.” Or they are all like, “That is so over.”

The last comment is appropriate, because with this group has also come the electronic age and changes in the way we all live. Just recently, AARP the magazine printed a list of trends that, as the next generation matures, will be so over.

1. Driving – Gen-xers drive about 25% less that their counterparts did 8 years ago. Many who live in cities don’t even own cars. They use public transportation and rent a car for road trips.

2. Using a land line.  Most sleep with their cell phones at their side. When they move away from their parents’ home, they tend to continue to rely on the cell and never invest in a land line. This is a trend I have seen in all demographics. Why pay for two telephones?

3. Eating a drumstick. Quoting AARP, “KFC fears that Generation McNugget doesn’t understand old-school chicken with bones. The fix: buckets of boneless chicken.”

4. Buying a house. Only 18 percent of the 18-34 age group say owning their own home is majorly important to them.

5.  Keeping your salary secret. Millennials ignore the office taboo — or social taboo — of discussing salary. This was considered ill-mannered (still a word) when I was growing up. People thought if you talked about salary you were either bragging or complaining.

6. Taking care of the planet. Sadly many, many millennials do not make any personal effort to help the environment.

Despite the attention given the importance of saving for retirement or a rainy day, most of the younger generation are either not convinced or simply can’t. Median net worth of Americans under 35 is now $3662. That the value of a high-mileage used car.

So, I’ll say to our future leaders and decision makers, “Have fun.”  Just remember, there will always be a new operating system, an upgrade, a later model.  One day your favorite app will go the way of 8-track tapes. A gadget that made your life enjoyable will be so over.

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Wonderful Writers’ Weekend

“You become a writer by writing. If you write, you are a writer. This is true of no other profession in the world.” So said Susan Kaye Quinn at White County Creative Writers Conference in Searcy, AR yesterday.

I so concur. In fact, just a few hours earlier, I had said to the group, “Don’t you dare say you’re not a writer just because you haven’t been published.”

Of the crowd gathered in the Heritage Center at Harding University, several were there for the first time, some write family stories that will never see publication, and at least one came “to see if he could be a writer.” The others were more seasoned writers, there to learn more about what they love to do, to see old friends and be supportive of the newcomers.  A highlight for all the writers is the contest awards luncheon.  One first-timer, who had not even entered a contest, commented, “That was so exciting!”

A couple of years ago, we decided to add a Writing 101 component to the conference to benefit the newer writers and to refresh everyone on the basics of the writing craft.

This time it was my turn, so I spoke on “How to Improve Your Short Story … going from B- to A+”. Some of the items I covered were:

1. The benefits of belonging to a critique group.

2. Read your prose and poetry aloud to check for errors.

3. Show something of the character of the time and place of your story.

4. Be aware of being too wordy when you are telling or showing the reader something about your characters. (Kidding! I just used 18 words when 3 would do.)

5. Don’t explain your jokes (as I just did).

6. Don’t over do . . . anything . . . ever.

Susan Quinn, author of several teen and young adult novels, is an excellent speaker who shared with us words of encouragement and support as well as writing and story-telling tips. Her afternoon presentation included information about indy publishing and the e-book market. For more about Susan and her exciting (and clean) books go to www.susankayequinn.com.

Tommy Hancock, our third speaker, has a vast amount of knowledge about a re-surfacing genre, pulp fiction. If you don’t think this genre is returning to the markets, just look at the list of super heroes in movies and books today. Many are knock-offs of the pulp heroes of the early Twentieth Century dime novels. Even those of us who will never read or write in this genre were captivated with his presentation.  For more about his pulp publications visit prose-press.com

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There’s No Business Like . . .

A few years ago I answered a Facebook survey about acting and one of the questions was, “Have you ever had a role written especially for you?” I answered “No”, of course, thinking that was something that would never happen to me in my community theater career.  But, as life has a way of bringing surprises, it has happened.

My friend, Rhonda Roberts, member of my critique group and a regular contributor to Highlights for Children magazine, won Second Place Award in the Center on the Square one-act play contest last May. The award brought with it an invitation to have her play, No, Not Really, be a part of the theater’s Dessert Double Feature, a production of two one-act plays with a dessert bar.

It was then that Rhonda told me, “All the time I was writing this, I was thinking of you … how you would say a particular line.” Then she asked me to play the part of Alice, an aging mom who is showing signs of confusion and instability. When confronted, Alice tries to cover her mistakes by changing the subject, making a smart quip, or telling a long story.

This play is funny, but with some poignant moments. I love this role because it gives me room to stretch.  I’m afraid that as I have aged I have been type-cast as a feisty old lady.  I have loved the roles that gave me an opportunity to be more (The Dining Room, Lost in Yonkers, The Women).

Rhonda did a great job on this script bringing out the feelings on both sides of the issue. She is playing the part of Alice’s daughter, Katelyn.  Acting opposite a good friend can either cement or destroy a relationship. As to how that is working out, in the words of my character, Alice, “Everything is just fine, thank you very much.”

Three more performances next weekend, July 26, 27, 28. For ticket information visit the theater website www.centeronthesquare.org

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Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Three Critiques – Some good, some not so much

The primary forms of entertainment for me are theater, reading, watching movies.  And this was a week for all three.

Friday night I saw Honk, the Center on the Square KidStage (sponsored by Land O Frost) summer production. This is a musical adaptation of the story of the Ugly Duckling.  After a month of theater workshop, the kids (grades K-12) were able to show their stuff in a professional-looking performance.  KidStage Kids were the actors and singers and with help they worked on lighting, staging, make-up and costumes.  The result was fantastic. The energy fairly radiated from the stage and if there was a fumble or missed cue, I never saw it.  Five stars for this great show by a bunch of talented young folks.

Land O Frost KidStage is an ongoing program at Center on the Square with classes twice a week during the school year as well as the summer workshop. For more information about KidStage go to www.centeronthesquare.com.

I finished reading John Grisham’s The Summons. I don’t read a lot of Grisham, but found this novel at Goodwill. It looked brand new and it’s shorter than most of his books so I took a shot.  I’ve seen most of his movies and usually enjoy them. While I did finish reading the book, which says something, I’ll have to rate The Summons “meh.”

My latest Netflix movie was Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley.  I was expecting a lightweight chick-flick and was pleasantly surprised by a movie that was both amusing and poignant. Steve Carell is so much better an actor than he gets a chance to be in Office Space. And Kiera Knightley always hold up her end of the deal. I recommend this movie. IMDb.com gives it a score of 6.7 (out of 10). I might rate it a little higher … but that works for me.

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Moving Over

Very soon I will move into my 15th office space since I became “gainfully employed” a little over 50 years ago. (This doesn’t count the dining table that has always served as an office at home .)

Over the years, these work spaces have ranged from reception areas as noisy as DFW Airport (where whoever needed a pen felt free to borrow mine), to cubes and windowless cubby holes, attics and, occasionally, comfortable accommodations, a window with a view and a door that closed to afford a bit of privacy.  I have spent the bulk of my working career with not-for-profit agencies and never worked for one that spent donated funds on posh offices.  We made do with the space available.

Wilbur D. Mills Education Service Cooperative, where I work, has built a new Professional Development Center with a conference room large enough to hold 150 participants. This can also be divided into three smaller rooms. Thus the majority of the space in our new PDC will be used for just that: professional development (often through Distance Learning) for teachers and administrators in the Central Arkansas schools we serve.

The distance learning lab allows us to present, via closed circuit, workshops and conferences originating at the Arkansas Department of Education, AETN Public Television and other locations across the state.

Educators in Arkansas are required to have 60 hours of professional development each year to maintain their teaching credentials. The Education Cooperatives help provide that. We also maintain a data base for keeping PD transcripts up to date.

The Co-ops offer a lot of other services – HIPPY, Early Childhood testing, Career Technology, and Special Education services to name a few.

In our new building, there are also offices for the content area specialists I support: Literacy, Math, Science and Gifted/Talented.  My office space is light and airy with  floor-to ceiling windows. I have a panoramic view of beautiful downtown Beebe … well, Illinois Street anyway.  No longer will I have to ask if it’s raining. I will be the first to know.

So, one day next week, I will leave behind my desk that once belonged to the president of Citizen’s Bank, I will say “see ya later” to my friends who have been my office mates for the last few years, and roll my chair and computer across the parking lot to my new home away from home.

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