The Ketchup Incident

You have enough time. I have to remind myself of this often. I constantly fight the lie of the world that says there is not enough time.

Because there is.

When I was Hannah's age, 13, I started a quote book. One quote that I penned decades ago has been pricking at my mind and tonight I flipped through the yellow-edged pages just to find this:

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time to change the world. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Gandhi, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci and Jesus Christ.” --- Shannon L. Adler

These words have been rattling around inside my mind, bumping into that quote about enough hours in the day:

"Live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ." --- Paul, Philippians 1:27

What is a life worthy?

It's the ketchup incident. 

Sam asked me, "Mom, did you hear about the ketchup incident?"

"No. What's the ketchup incident?" I asked, pausing as I chopped the onion to start dinner.

"You've gotta hear this. Today I was opening one of those ketchup packets, you know the kind that say, 'tear here then squeeze'?"

I nod, a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.

"Well, I had to get ketchup for my hamburger, which I had to eat because you forgot to pack my lunch because Dad went to work early, but that's okay because it turns out I like school hamburgers. That's not the ketchup incident, but that's an aside to the story. Teachers don't like asides, but I think sometimes they make the best part of stories. But not this story. This story is good on its own."

"So, the ketchup incident," I redirect him.

"Yeah. I tore the corner off at 'tear here then squeeze' and I was squeezin', but nothing was coming out. It was stuck. So I squeezed harder and just like that, the whole back of the packet burst open and ketchup came flying past my ear and hit my friend -- splat -- right in his face!"

Sam's eyes were wide as he retold the story. "We were both laughing, because it's not like anyone can ever plan for a ketchup packet to burst open on the wrong end. Except some of it went past his face and hit the grouchiest teacher in the school."

Sam snickered.

"What happened?" I asked.

"We tried not to laugh, but I still got 5 minutes on the wall at recess. It's not a big deal, though. I know there are some people who just don't understand ketchup incidents."

I laughed at his story and the sincerity in which he told it. Sam returned to building Lego creations. I went back to building dinner. His words hung in the air. Some people just don't understand ketchup incidents.

Finally I asked, "What do you mean some people don't understand ketchup incidents?"

He snapped another brick into place. "Oh, you know, Mom. Sometimes people forget how rare it is for a ketchup packet to burst from the back. And what are the chances it whizzes past my ear, but hits my friend? And he thought it was funny! It's not everyday that happens."

"So ketchup incidents are the things that don't happen every day?"

"You got it. I like those stories."

"But not everyone does."

"No kidding. That's why I ended up on the wall, but all I did was replayed the ketchup incident in my brain movie."

He snickered again as he searched for a Lego piece.

He's right. It's the ketchup incidents that make life worthy. It's about the things we chose to pay attention to, the stories we deem important enough to replay in our brain movies and tell again and again. It's about accepting life as it's given and to recognize that even if there are some bumps (like spending time on the wall), it is still worth it to accept the ketchup incidents as they happen.


Helen Keller put her hand under a stream of water.
As a young boy, Gandhi was so shy he ran home from school so he wouldn't have to talk to anyone.
Michelangelo didn't want anything to do with painting the Sistine Chapel.

Mother Teresa questioned her faith at times.
Leonardo da Vinci had a reputation for not finishing the things he started.
Jesus turned water into wine.

Small stories that may seem insignificant. But they are not. They offer proof of perseverance, evidence of transformation. People who had enough time.

Here's to living a life filled with recognizing it is the the ketchup incidents that make a life worthy. And to remembering we do, in fact, have enough time.

Sustenance

From Merriam-Webster Online

Sometimes life stops you. You think you can do it all, get more done, be everything to everyone. It doesn't matter if there are too many tasks on your list. It doesn't matter if you have a flat tire. It doesn't matter if your kids have fits because this idea of a forever family is overwhelming. It doesn't matter that you are squeezing doctor appointments into an already jam-packed schedule. It doesn't matter if you are bruised. It doesn't matter if your husband has an increased schedule at work, so tag-team parenting is in its 9th round. It doesn't matter if your head starts pounding. It doesn't matter if your stomach churns.

Well, maybe it does. And maybe that list, although using the pronoun you, doesn't really apply to you, but it does to me. And eventually I realize I can't do it all.

And that's okay. 

So even though I stay home and try not to think about how much I'm not doing, I'm somehow getting the needed sustenance. It is straight from the Lord.

It was about mid-morning that I realized this is part answered prayer and part preparation for my next writing project. I never thought a rough day could be the work of a writer, collecting fodder for a writing project. But it is. I'm writing it in my notebook even though my stomach still stings and my task list is still long.

The project I've been planning and am ready to begin writing toward a daily word count until the draft is down, isn't fiction and it isn't a professional book. I'm not sure what it is or what it's about. Maybe a little bit on faith. Maybe a little bit on adoption. Maybe a book you might pick up when you need a little inspiration.

I do know the message, though.

Life is for celebration, not survival.

 Before Tuesday I was a little afraid to say it aloud. I wondered if maybe it was rose-colored and I am inadequate to write a book with this kind of message. Maybe I haven't lived long enough to say, even through the rough patches, life is meant to be celebrated. Compared to most, I know I haven't even really had rough patches. I've been shifting through this message, wondering if it is a universal truth, or only something for my little bubble of the world.

It is not a coincidence that Tuesday happened. I was hesitant to put the words on the page, but I needed to test my hypothesis. When life is hard, is celebration possible?

Sure, it was only a day, but it was also a lifetime -- remembering the hard patches, remembering my reactions are choices, remembering the way it feels in the thick of a fallen world. I was attacked on all fronts -- professional, personal, mind, health, and faith. My world fell, just for a moment, and I was reminded I can still have joy when my identity is in Christ.

Today is a new day. Although I'm still feeling the residual effects, I'm empowered. I'm empowered to live celebration and I'm ready to commit to putting words on the page. I'm not afraid of this project any more.

I have you to thank. Those who left a comment or  sent a text or dropped an email or wrote a message on FB. Thank you. There are all kinds of ways to collect for a writing project. Once again, I'm reminded the writing process can't be contained in a tidy lock-step plan. And writing is never a solitary act.

Reading Like a Writer

These are three books I'm hoping to dig into a little more. If you click on the titles, it will take you to Heinemann's website and sample chapters from all of the books.

• Falling in Love with Close Reading: Lessons for Analyzing Texts and Life 
• Notice & Note: Strategies for Close Reading
• Text & Lessons for Content Area Reading

Since Deb and I have been asked to encourage and support middle schoolers in annotating text and showing their thinking while reading content area material, I've changed my reading patterns a little. I'm especially looking forward to reading Chris Lehman and Kate Roberts book, Falling in Love with Close Reading that just came out a few days ago. I love being a constant learner and continually learning and growing. This is a very good journey to walk.

As a writer, it is important to know what kinds of books already exist when you thinking about a new writing project. Although not necessarily focused on close reading, Deb and I are tinkering with ideas that float around this topic and most definitely are thinking about annotating text. Also, by reading widely about a topic I am able to determine if it is something I want to spend time writing about or if my energy will wane and there is a better place to spend my writing time.

At the same time, I am reading widely about faith, happiness, and healing. Sometimes it is easy to feel like I have nothing to add to the book shelves. Then I remember one more story, one more perspective, one more angle is always a very good way to make the world a better place. 

This week, I'm reading like a writer. I'm determined not to let the Writing Monsters convince me that I shouldn't be writing.

purple sandpiper

Purple Sandpiper
Source: Wikipedia
(Click on the image.)

As Deb and I were walking out to the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse today we noticed two men with binoculars. Curious about their conversation, I asked, "Do you mind if I ask what you are watching?"

"Birds," they responded.

"I have some friends who are birdwatchers too. It's a great hobby."

They both smiled and nodded in agreement. They walked a few paces with us and then began telling more of their story They shared how they began bird watching. Then one said, "Three weeks ago we were here and saw some purple sandpipers, right here along the breakwater. We were so close to them. It's a rare treat. They usually don't come this far south."

Their wives, who were farther down the breakwater, joined the conversation as we neared. "Those sandpipers are here again."

"Really?" both men perched their binoculars and focused their attention in the direction of the purple sandpipers.

Deb and I searched for them too. One of the wives pointed them out to me. "See the three? Down there in the rocks?"

I stretched and angled and saw them hopping along the black rocks. "They are rare?"

"Oh, yes," the woman said. "This is special to get to see them." The enthusiasm of the bird watchers was contagious. We were compelled to watch for a little longer.

I was struck by how we could have completely walked by this rare treat. Without having someone, an expert, point it out to me, I wouldn't have even known I was near something special. If they weren't looking the purple sandpipers could have been almost invisible.

I think this happens too often with the readers and writers in our classrooms. We miss the rare treats of deep thinking or compelling writing because we aren't looking. We see the misspellings. We see the conventional errors. We get hung up on text complexity. And we miss the remarkable work that is happening each day in our classrooms. This wee let's be on the look out for rare treats. Let's look past the annoyances and instead find solid reading and writing work.

Join us at Two Writing Teachers
for the March Slice of Life Challenge.

unexpected inspiration

I have some new characters tumbling around in my mind. (This may be the last thing I need right now with the end of the school year, trying to finish Celebrating Writers (Christi had her baby!), and finalizing my keynote.) Still, I have some characters tumbling around and I should be thankful. One of the characters is a teenage girl. She loves to read, and her favorite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. (This might be ironic for those who know me and my feelings regarding the "cannon" in high school English.)

Naturally I cracked open the book to reread it. (Well, technically I clicked it open on my Kindle app.) I've found myself highlighting passages (like this one) about Mr. Darcy that are revealing insights into the second character tumbling in my mind -- a guy who has moved in with the girl character's family to complete his senior year.

I've always been intrigued by books that follow another story from classic literature or mythology. I'm a little bit giddy to see the very organic nature of the story development. It's not forced or fake. I'm simply following the character. I even ordered a copy of the book in order to read it outside this summer. The character who is pushing on the edges of my mind loves reading outside around the farm. I want to read Pride and Prejudice outside on a quilt under a tree on a breezy summer day. The Kindle version just isn't going to do the trick for this kind of "research."

For now, I'm going to leave this character and her book right here. I need to focus my attention on professional writing --- the book and keynote and articles. When I make progress on one of those projects, I'll be rewarded with time to spend with my nose in a book or scribbling in my writer's notebook.

{discover.play.build.} research a place

My friend Tam is writing a story about a rodent who wants to visit Paris. I've been enamored by Tam's work on this project. (And I've even found myself liking the rodent, Neville, who is quite charming and likable, once one gets over the fact that he is, in fact, a rodent.) Recently what has me most intrigued by Tam's story is she has never been to Paris. Yet this is the setting of her story, and it's working out quite well for her.

What place have you've never visited, but
find intriguing?

I think maybe I've taken the advice, write what you know, too literally when it comes to setting. There are many things we can write that we don't know, but can imagine. As I was flipping through POP UP LONDON by Jennie Maizels and paper engineering by Richard Ferguson (Candlewick Press, 2012), I found myself imagining story possibilities. What if...How about...I wonder...tumbled around my mind. It was then I realized I can write a story set in a place I've never been. (Click here to see more of my thoughts about this book.)

If you've never been to Cyn's
website or followed her on Twitter
You are missing out BIG TIME!
Click the links and be ready to be
engulfed in her online spaces.

The collecting and research process will be much different to develop a setting for a story if I've never actually visited the place. But it's not impossible. Writers do it all the time. (I quickly thought of Cynthia Leitich Smith (make sure to click the link to go to her website and follow her on Twitter) and her book DIABOLICAL. She wrote scenes taking place in hell and I'm sure she's never visited there. In the notes on the back of the book she notes her research into literature to gain an understanding of the setting. To read more about this check out my post about DIABOLICAL on Two Writing Teachers.)

So all of this is inspiring today's {Discover. Play. Build.} Challenge. I can't wait to hear what you discover and document.

{Discover.Play.Build.}

Consider a place you've never visited, but find intriguing. You may want to use the list you created last week. The place can been real or fictitious (or maybe you'll want to do this twice, one for each). Spend some time learning some things about this place. Record the things you find most interesting.

Here is a page from my notebook about food in London.

This is the photo I'm printing and taping into my notebook.

How about you? What are you discovering through your play?

blending research

Something that has been stirring inside of me for awhile now is the way research is an integral part of a writers life. It doesn't matter the genre you are writing; research is critical. As teachers it is easy to put "research" in its own box; devoting time to it in a unit of study, but not truly tapping the power of it as a writer.

I realized this when I first embarked on writing fiction. I was surprised to find myself consistently using my research skills to complete my draft. I've been dabbling with this in classrooms. As often as possible, I beg ask teachers to let me bring research into their current unit of study.

I'm on a quest to break down the walls surrounding research in classrooms.

After Sam and I finished reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, we faced the acknowledgments. Line after line filed his research that impacted his fictional story. He directed us to websites to learn more, he shared museums he studied, he listed actual films that influenced his choices as a writer. Research impacted his story.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by
Brian Selznick (Scholastic)

Research impacts narrative. Research impacts persuasion. And I'm thinking these are reciprocal relationships. Story impacts research choices. Opinions impact narrative. I'm playing with these ideas, studying how this plays out for myself as a writer, for professional writers, and for our youngest writers. I'm thinking about what this means when filtered through Common Core Standards.

Yes, this is the beginning of a new professional project. Where it will lead, I'm not sure. It is prickling my mind, making me ask questions, and tugging on Mission Story.

(discover.play.build.) images

Kristina McBride shared in her presentation that she often turns to iStockPhoto for inspiration. A few nights ago I played a little with the site. It has a nice search feature and tons images. Here are eight images that have helped me gain a clearer understanding of the story beginning to swirl in my mind.

Photos from iStockphoto intended to help me
get to know the story.

It's fascinating to me the way a story world can be built. I've noticed I take a lot of time allowing the characters and setting to take root in my mind. I like to have a strong understanding of the characters before I begin drafting. However, there are things that are only revealed through the act of writing, leaving a delicate balance between getting to know characters and the story world and settling in to draft the story.

How do I know when it's time to begin drafting? I'm not sure, exactly. I suppose my fingers start itching to type and the characters' voices start getting louder. I move from lists and sketches and collections in my notebook to writing scenes and the scenes start filling several pages. It is then I know it is time to start drafting.

Currently I'm playing with this new story world. I'm discovering the things I need to know in order to draft well. I'm also revising the ending to my first YA story and preparing the query letter, which I intend to have prepared to go after the holiday. I don't want to start a new draft and fully immerse myself in a new world until I've finished revising the ending on the story I want to query with. After that, it'll be nice to have my focus and energy on something besides waiting for a query response.

(Link Love Notes: You can download a comp with a watermark for free to use as inspiration, however, if you are going to use the image for publication purposes then you'll need to purchase it using credits on iStockPhoto. I've spent the last hour searching for instruction about citing these images and have come to the understanding that if I'm using the image in a final product then I must purchase it and give credit. This is not intended as a final product, simply a way to jump start creative juices and get a stronger understanding of my characters, their lives, and the setting of a novel.)

{discover.play.build.} childhood toys

A gift from my parents when I was eight.

My family has been reading The Velveteen Rabitt: Or How Toys Become Real the past couple of days. I'd forgotten how much I love this story. In fact, in high school I memorized several lengthy passages for a leadership conference. Here is one of my favorites (Read it aloud if possible -- it's better that way!):

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse, "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
     "Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
     "Sometimes said the Skin Horse for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
     "Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
     "It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."


{discover.play.build.}
Write about a special childhood toy. It can be a toy from your past; a toy your child, grandchild, or dear one loved; or it can be a toy your fictional character loved. What makes this toy special and how did it make you feel? What does the toy look like? Take a picture and add it to your notebook. Find it on the Internet and print a copy for your notebook. Write a description.

As I thought about my character's favorite childhood toy, I was surprised at the things I learned about my character. That's the thing about these kinds of entries -- I'm never disappointed by the insight I gain when I take the time to consider the details about my life, someone's life I love, or a character's life.