For the Fun of It...

In at attempt to re-motivate myself to write more, I pulled out the "novel" I started writing when I was in middle school, I think. It was a LONG time ago. The writing is...well, not good. But, just because it makes me laugh that I took these characters SO seriously, I thought I would post the first page for you here. (the date was 1994 in the book and I distinctly remember writing in "the future." You know you'll love it!

***
Chapter One
Have you ever been through something so terrible, so awful that you wish it were a horrid nightmare? That you'd wake up and everything would be normal? That's how I feel right now. For me, the past four years have been just that - a nightmare that never ended and just seemed to be getting worse - until now.

Now the world will know the truth.

Today is May 16, 1994, exactly four years after my sister, Lakety, was buried. Every year, I've come to this graveyard and thought about my sister's unfair death. She was only 16 when a single gunshot stopped her heart forever.

Through the tears swelling in my eyes, I can just make out the inscription on the tombstone. Lakety Marie Wilkins, March 9, 1974 - May 16, 1990, Love is a Time Honored Tradition.

My name is Ty Wilkins and I an now a senior at Welshire College in Vermont. I still remember my senior year of high school, a year I'd like to erase from my mind and pretend never happened.

***

Don't you love it? Some notes - I was obsessed with Lakety as the main character's name. Why? No idea. Every story I wrote during this time period had a female character named Lakety. Surprisingly, this even carried through to my first creative writing class in college.

I have no idea if there is a Welshire College or if it is in Vermont. I was too young to think about checking that kind of stuff out - and we definitely didn't have Internet at the time!

This story was typed using Lotus Word and printed on our dot matrix printer at home.

The book has a timeline, character sketches and all that stuff you're supposed to do when you write.

I never finished writing it, but I still know the story by heart and think, honestly, it's not that bad. I am still tempted to re-write it and finish it.

Grammar was not my strong suite at this point in my life.

Posting even the first part of this was hard for me. I really need to re-grow my writing backbone!

My mom has the above quote on her fridge. It spoke volumes to her at one point, and lately I've been thinking a lot more about it.

What would I do if I knew I couldn't fail?
I would write & publish.
I would act.
I would go back to school and get that Library Science degree.
I would learn to dance.
I would finally lose the weight I want to lose.

And then I stopped to think about it again. Why was it so easy for me to come up with a list of things I would do if I knew I couldn't fail? And why does failure stop those dreams in their tracks? It's mostly a rejection issue for me.

I would write & publish....But what if I'm rejected at some point (as are all writers).
I would act...But that means auditions and travel and not getting 'the' role.
I would go back to school...But that's expensive...And what if I don't like it?...Or they don't like me?
I would learn to dance...But what if I look ridiculous?
I would lose weight...But what if I can't get to the size I think i should be?...What if I'm just supposed to be heavy?

And, sadly, I realize that I have let the "but what if" statements control my dreams for too long. Maybe I need a magnet that says

What are you willing to try, even if you might fail?

As Seen on TV

This post contains nothing of substance. You have been warned.

I've decided that if I had a lot of money (which I don't), I would be an infomercial maker's dream client. I get sucked into them so easily and they are soooo good at convincing me that I really need their product. Here are some of my current obsessions!

The Snuggie
Honestly, what is there not to like about a blanket...with sleeves?!?!? After trying to Facebook and blog from my couch, with only my normal fleece blanket and exposed arms, I can only imagine the joy the Snuggie must bring to those who are lucky enough to have them in their possession.

Now, I've heard that it is a poor imitation of the Slanket, but considering you get not one, but two snuggies for 19.95 (plus shipping and handling)and two book lites, I would believe the snuggie is a better deal! The Slanket is something like 44.95...for one. With no extras. What's up with that?

The Grabit
This one is more Tim's thing than mine, seeing as it's a tool and all. And, really, I don't need one. That being said, I know there is at least one screw in our porch (holding the flag bracket that is bent) that is stripped and we have no idea how to get it out. So, maybe the Grabit will be our miracle tool that will make life better!

The Shamwow!
Really. What can I say about the Shamwow! that hasn't already been said in the commercial. It's great, it's wonderful, it has super-powers beyond that of normal cleaning towels...and it comes in yellow and PINK! Plus, I've recently discovered that just saying "shamwow" is enough to get a few laughs...and add pizazz to any stifling old business email!

The Moo Mixer Supreme
Confession time. I love, love, love chocolate milk. I hate, hate, hate how long it takes to get the powder to dissolve into the milk sometimes (and that has nothing to do with the powder expiring in August of 2008, I'm sure). I mean, honestly, the Moo Mixes Supreme would help me achieve new heights of laziness and non-productivity in the kitchen. Now, if there was just some way to get it to actually drink the chocolate milk for me, too...

So, fess up, what's your favorite As Seen On TV product?

blog name

uh....i just changed the name of my blog to "stepping toward tomorrow." please adjust any links accordingly!

New Blog Layout

I would love to win a free blog re-design from Designer Blogs by Erin so I put a link to her website on my sidebar and here it is again! I will let you know if I win!

Here's to 2009

I stopped making new year's resolutions a long time ago. I never kept them, and the list of things I knew I should do hanging over my head was a little too much for me at the beginning of the year. This year, instead of resolutions, I'm just looking for ways to improve my life and challenge myself to doing something good for myself and the world.

So, without further adieu, here are things I would like to do/change in 2009.

I want to invest more in people.
I have a lot of friends, but I am looking to invest more deeply in those friendships. I want to enjoy time with my friends, and become a deeper part of their life. I want to share their joys and successes and I want to weep with their fears, frustrations and hurts. I want to share myself with people and for them to feel free to share their lives with me.

I want to invest in my marriage to keep it healthy and strong. I want to take more weekends away and I want to enjoy our time together. Life together is a precious commodity, and I want to enjoy those moments and file those memories away.

I want to continue being healthy.
During the last part of 2009, I took control of my health and started getting serious about Jazzercise. I hit my goal of 50 classes by doing most of them between the end of October and the end of December. My friend Jenna and I completed our goal of 36 classes to earn a Jazzercise tote. The 'prizes' are good, but for the most part, it is just about me feeling better about myself. I have more energy and I can feel my body changing. While I am sad that the number on the scale is not changing as quickly as I would like, I am positive I will continue seeing changes in 2009. We have a pictorial directory this year and I want to lose weight before it happens. Between diet and continued exercise (hopefully four times a week), I feel like I can reach my goal.

I want to submit more writing for contests and publications.
And, by more writing, I should just say writing. 2008 was consumed with a lot of stuff, but not much of it involved me putting the pen to the paper, either by hand or by computer. So, I need to do more of that. I would like to submit one short story, article or poem to something every month. Even if nothing comes of it, the discipline of writing and submitting is a healthy exercise. In addition to writing small things, I want to continue working on my dream - to become a published author someday. I realize that I will never be an author without actually writing, so 2009 is the year for me!

I want to be open to whatever comes my way.
I have no idea what 2009 holds, but I know that it will be a year full of memories, experiences and new adventures. I want to love more, to live more and the experience more. I know that God will lead my in strange and unusual ways, but I am excited to see what will happen.