I’ve been thinking of a new series to post and occasionally when I have spare writing time, or, if I have the dreaded writer’s block, I turn to my favourite writing book by Natalie Goldberg, “Old Friend from Far Away.” This is a wonderful compilation of writing teachings, as well a great book of writing prompts given to stimulate our creativity. The prompts in this series relate to ” I am thinking of, I am remembering, etc. I think you get the drift.
These are exercises to get our creative juices flowing and prompt us to write about the first thing that comes to our mind in a five or ten minute writing allowance time. The idea is to keep the pen flowing, without stopping to second-guess your thoughts. We start out writing about something in particular, and we then let the thought carry on to wherever it may lead.
Some of you may remember I wrote a post about a year ago based on these writing prompts, titled The Pink Basket. If you’d like to read it, here is the link https://dgkayewriter.wordpress.com/pink-basket/
I have a few pages of these writings that are waiting to be shared. It’s interesting to find that whatever happens to be hanging out around our subconscious at the time of writing, becomes a story.
Todays post is about, I am Thinking about a Suitcase
As I took stock of the state of my luggage, in preparation for my next vacation, I realized the ravaged condition of the zipper and the frayed corners of my suitcase from the numerous whippings it had taken through the careless attitudes of luggage handlers at numerous airports I had traveled through.
I remember the many trips now, my mother took without me as a child, and how I’d cry myself to sleep in her absence. She was barely ever home, as her life was an eternal mission to seek fun and adventure, and attention from others.
I had yet to realize these things about my mother, being that I was only about seven at the time. I had yet to grow resentful of her absence in my life, physically and emotionally. All that mattered to me at that age was that my mother was once again going away, and I wouldn’t have my mommy.
I wasn’t yet aware that I had never really had my mommy, but the implication that I had a mother still remained in my existence. And in case I may have needed her to kiss something better if I was to get hurt, or on the off-chance that she may have stayed home just one odd evening to perhaps watch a movie with me, I knew my hope would have to carry on much longer, until she returned once again, and hopefully would spend some time with me.
©D.G. Kaye May 2015
DGKayewriter.com 
Interesting stuff. This is like a color of paint that could be used to add onto a character in a story, a building block, or a piece unto itself. Nicely done.
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Hi Dan. Nice to see you here. It’s quite a colour Dan. It’s nonfiction I write, and is certainly a part of the sequel I’m writing to my first book, Conflicted Hearts. 🙂
P.S. Thanks for the ‘gifted’ book you sent me. I’ll be sure to review when I get it read. 🙂
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Hi Deb, I feel your childhood pain.. I really do
and yes those suitcases take a hammering at airports don’t they just.. But the worst ever treatment of cases was when we went to Southern Spain via the land using the Bullet Train through France into Spain the handlers there literally threw the cases off the train. We were pre-warned by our travel organiser to not pack breakables.. So pleased we took their advice. 🙂
Sorry I have been absent a while.. Just making most of the good weather and chilling away from the PC…
Many thanks for your wonderful visits to Dreamwalker’s 🙂
Hugs my friend..
Sue xxx
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It’s always a treat to have you visit here Sue. No need to explain about life’s busyness and the timeouts we all need sometimes, even though I must learn this myself. 🙂
And I’ve learned long ago if anything is breakable before packing, to wrap it in towels and/or dirty clothes upon returning from a trip because of the lack of concern from being handled.
So nice to hear from you again Sue, no doubts, I’ll be visiting you soon. xo ❤
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Suitcases are filled with nostalgia – and anticipation, and thus a great writing prompt. I laugh when I see the suitcases we once used, the plaid or checked kind with metal clasps that flipped open.
Now I jazz up my “carbon copy” black suitcase with a purple/orange ribbon, so it stands out from the others on the conveyer belt.
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Yes, ‘baggage’ is always good material Marian. And I remember those old suitcases, especially the plaid ones. I too use I.D. tags that are brightly coloured for finding my backs at a glance. 🙂
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The quote caught my eye because…talk of synchronicity, I just finished (today) the book by Neil’s wife. She talks about him a lot.
Sad ruminations and not to defend her – we are so complicated it is impossible to judge or defend from a distance – but she had her own demons. Meaning, she didn’t gallivant away from the home to be away from you. She was running to – or running from – things she was still chasing (or fleeing) from childhood (probably).
Xx
D.
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Diana, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. You are so right!
I shared this exercise here about writing prompts and what can be deeply buried in our subconscious when we focus for a few moments on an article and write about the first things that come to mind. This was from my POV here, but ultimately yes, my mother absolutely had her demons which possessed her to be who she was.
I wrote my first book about living with the guilt she instilled in me, as I also searched for understanding as to what it was that made her become who she was.
I am actually going a lot deeper into that situation in the sequel I am writing to that book, the aftermath, a bigger understanding, after she passed away last year.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. ❤
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I appreciate your expansive understanding, Deb, and the gracious way you received my thoughts. You knew I was in no way dismissing the dark parts of the legacy she left you. Talk about baggage. You understandably have your share. It is wonderful how you’ve been seeking to get on top of it, not stay under.
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Thanks again D. I knew exactly what you meant. And I think you have a good understanding of what I’m also about 🙂 I’m all about rising above, but also always wanting to know the ‘whys’ about people and circumstances, not just running from them. 🙂
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Funny thing about suitcases. My dad has probably had the same suitcase for over 40 years, maybe longer. I remember being a kid and seeing it come off the luggage carousel in Mexico when we vacationed there. I was ten years old. It was already an old suitcase at that time!
My wife bought us a new set for Christmas last year (18 months ago).
For her, it said “We’ll go on exciting vacations!”
For my saddened 4 year old daughter, it said “Mommy’s going away on business again.”
The dog hid under the bed because when we travel, he goes to grandma’s.
Me, I was wondering where the charcoal smoker grill I asked for was.
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LOL Dan. You just cracked me up again! You’re hilarious. And yes, it is so refreshing to hear funny suitcase stories. Thanks for visiting and sharing that story. 🙂
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I’ve just had to part with my favourite suitcase… I bought it when I left the US to return here, that was in 2004. After our vacation last year the handle that I pull it by snapped off, leaving rough metal edges. I was really saddened by it. I had quite convinced myself that this suitcase was going to last me forever… Dear me… that did get the pen rolling. 😀
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Lol, thanks for sharing Kev! Nothing is made to last anymore, don’t you know that? That suitcase may have lasted you years, but wait for the new ones, I go through new bags every two years! I don’t know if it’s Canada or the U.S. handlers that kill my bags. Zippers torn off, corners smashed and dented. It really is inconsiderate. 🙂
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Maybe people should start suing for damages to their luggage… that should quickly rectify the problem. 🙂
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Yes, we’re so used to just taking crap without protest! 🙂
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Right on the head! 🙂
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Beautiful bittersweet piece of writing! Made me feel grateful for my deceased mother who used all her energy trying to be a loving mother of five. Since she was depressed (undiagnosed) all her life, she had no energy left to enjoy the sweetness of life.
Thank you!
Do you know a/b my debut novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador”? A young American woman goes to war-torn El Salvador: http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
My husband made a video for my novel. He wrote the song too:
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Thanks so much Sherrie for visiting and sharing. Your video and music are beautiful. I shall be checking out the book. 🙂 And often back in the past generation, depression wasn’t so easily detected or recognized.
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Ah… Those suitcases and what they signify in a life. I have a beat-up suitcase, good quality, but some of the zippers are stiff no matter how much I put soap on them. It’s been through many a trip and has Mansfield printed on the outside–something I suggested when I helped pick out Vic’s new luggage. He was a little spacey at times, so it would help him find it at the airport. Now I use that suitcase and haven’t had the heart to retire or toss it. Thank you for your memories, Debby, both sad and inspiring.
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Thanks for your sharing Elaine. It’s interesting to here some of the memories that this post has brought up from many here. So great to be able to connect with readers on so many levels. 🙂
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