Weekly ish Wisdom from Karen
ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR Edition
This week specific characteristics leapt out at me. Bravery. Boldness. Ambition. Um, spinning too many plates at the same time. Which of course, I could add to the ambition tag. Perfect.
Do you catch glimpses of names and then they keep popping up so you click on them and find a natural storyteller? It happens to me all the time! The first writer is a perfect example of this serendipity. His name is Lawson Wallace.
First, I read Upstairs at the Homeless Shelter. I knew I’d started a few chapters into the story, but I had to read it. Then I went off to track down the first story. The Year After I had the Stroke shows us how easily slipping into homelessness can happen.
I was in my fifties, and I had never lived on my own. After uncle Richard died, I had no one to go to for advice or help. For the first time in my life, I had to make decisions without input from the family. Family with more life experiences and common sense.
Lawson’s next chapter takes us into what happened after finding shelter. A lot of caring and kindness. I Was At My Lowest and Then Things Got Better. Lawson, if this is a book, I’d love to see it in ILLUMINATION Book Chapters! Sign up here.
The days of taking the long walks to the library took their toll. When I was thrown out, I only had a fur-lined denim jacket. It was after Thanksgiving. A man from the Baptist church across the street walked through the waiting area.
Geetanjali Thakur recklessly quit her high-paying job with no backup plan. I won’t tell you more about her story, so if you desperately want to find out what happened, you’ll have to read it!
Gutsy. Ballsy. Stupid. Impractical. Bold. Daring.Ungrateful. Dense. All these myriad compliments are meant for the same person — yes, yours truly.
I never thought there might be a name for the ties I have with all the people in my life. Most of my family and friends reciprocate, leaving me with time for my passions and ambition. That doesn’t mean I don’t love these wonderful people who star occasionally rather than feature full-time. I do.
Kudos to Zikry Zhiwei for wisdom beyond his years. It took me to my forties and being single to realise being alone was perfect for me.
There was a meme that I saw some time ago that in life, you can only choose two out of three things: money, social life, and having a family. Ironically, I’m now that living meme.
Donna Sheehy writes about a moment in her day when she was spinning so many dishes it was not surprising one faltered and fell. An enjoyable fun piece from this new to the platform lady. Luckily the fall entertained rather than spoiled anything too much!
I was frazzled and stretched thin. The timer on the dryer buzzed while the timer on the oven tinged (repeatedly). And here was my little shadow with her voice still in my ear. I know I said, “yes” to her but I wasn’t sure of the details that I was agreeing to — something about her nails and me replying: “Take it outside to the deck.”
Thank you for reading. I hope you found a few new writers to read over on ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR.
Here are all my editorial bulletins for your delight. A quick way to discover new and upcoming writers on ILLUMINATION, ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR, and Technology Hits. ILLUMINATION Book Chapters Extravaganza Editorial Bulletin.