We have been gathering items for the, "No, really, I promise this is the last yard sale we will ever do" yard sale. Our home has been in the process of downsizing and simplifying for a few years now but when expenses outweigh income you get creative.
This time we dug deep, even going into the attic. While we did clear out some retro clothing, aka "someday that's going to fit again" and old holiday decor, we found the boxes of memories and sidetracked ourselves a bit.
There were boxes of the usual mementos like photos, cards, letters, baby toys, Hot Wheels, the sealed model for the Dukes of Hazzard's General Lee, etc. but the memorabilia I treasure most was finding my old creative writing collection.
What a variety of essays in that treasure trove! I had some writings from elementary school about jack-o-lanterns melting off the fence posts as they rotted and little mice carrying 20 books home from the library. I suppose it's safe to say I had a wild imagination!
Eventually, I moved on to high school and college assignments that included a story about a single raindrop on the window or stories of friendships. There were two I remember being so proud of. One was about the free market and one was about smoking that I titled "Should Americans Have the Right to Kill?" Apparently, I've been a bit adamant in my opinions through time.
It did leave me curious. When did we stop living in the light and creative mindset and become so serious? I am grateful to have these documents, as they are long before the days of computers when it's so easy to save things, but the value I found was in the childhood stories I wrote and I hope they will inspire me to find that inner child again.
What about you? Do you remember your inner child?
Lois, what a great find. Fun and inspiring. You've got a book in you, my dear. I want to be the first one to read it.
ReplyDeleteBarb Swerdlik.
You'll be one of the first to know if I ever write it Barb.
ReplyDelete