For Laura Grace Cameron, on her birthday

lovely tribute, aidan... easy reading.

Thanks ollady- I instinctively value your opinion-even though I don't know you at all - maybe because you just seem to project intelligence. I wanted to let you know how much I'm enjoying your presence over on the games. It's a nicer, more interesting place with you there. I hope you'll stick around.

aidan,

What a lovely, lovely tribute to coming of age, overcoming fears, acceptance and rejoicing in love, not lost at all. I'm sure your grandmother Laura would be very happy.

Lady J - thank you. I always value your opinion too - and for the same reason :wink: . I was so afraid of being like my grandmother for such a long time - that I never got beyond the fact of her mental illlness to know anything about who she really was. When I was able to let go of the fear and learn about her - I was inspired-and saddened at how much potential was usurped by her illness. Anyway, she died when I was l2 and I never had any connection with her but fear - although my mother loved her dearly and showed me that - always. I just wanted to say the things I never got a chance to. She would have been l06 yesterday...

aidan,

You are so kind. And you do have a wonderful way with words that makes reading what you write so enjoyable, even your reflections of a part of your past that were probably very scary for you growing up. With knowledge comes understanding and with understanding comes acceptance. Not everyone is as capable of that as you were. And big kudos to your own mother for being able to show you a side of your grandmother you may have never known otherwise. And that you are now sharing with your own children goes to show how thick blood really is and how important it can be knowing your roots. Everyone gets a gift on Grandma Laura's birthday this way.

I wish there was an emoticon to express how what you said makes me feel - there's not - but there is a saying I've always tried to remember as I go about life so I don't expect too much out of people. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "It is a luxury to be understood". I feel understood - and that is no small thing. Thank you Lady J.

A good ((((HUG)))) perhaps? You know what is kind of spooky? For many, many years I have followed the motto. "Learn to accept instead of expect" And here you speak of the exact thing, not expecting too much out of people.

I have always found greater joys in acceptance and greater disappointments in expectations.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was so wise in that statement. It IS a luxury to be understood. I feel that from you too, aidan and it makes me smile from deep inside. You're a great friend to have.

Thanks Lady J. Where do you hang out on here? I've kind of stuck myself over in the trivia section. Maybe we could hang out on the questions game and talk some time.

Even the flintsone heart of spendius has wavered.
But he has banged his head against the wall and when he woke up it was written across the sky-"It's the future stupid!"

It is a wonderful piece of writing aid.You should read more class stuff and try to perfect your obvious talent.There's a book in you but you need discipline and the right form.As long as you don't lose the heart-speak in the process.Writing is nothing without the heartspeak.

Thanks Buddy - you know your opinion means a lot to me too.

I too was touched and in awe of the straightforward and hauntingly beautiful way that this story unfolded. It is, indeed, a nice tribute to your grandmother and I am sure a freeing of the spirt for you.

Thank you.

I will now visit the writing area of this forum more often.

Thank you, aiden, for a beautiful tribute.

Heartspeak was the perfect way to put it, spendious. I heard aidens heart, loud and clear.

Our mothers did not know
the sharpness of the arrows thrown,
flown through our sense of who
into our deepest soul.
The sweetest tone of poison,
music on the breeze,
you are not you
you're someone else
you're Grandma Jeff
or Aunt Louise.
Oh, we said, my mistake
and think, at nine, to take a nap
or go be home at Uncle Ed's.
What things these mothers
put in our heads.

Joe(loved it)Nation

Aww.. you guys are gonna make me blush...

Squinney - Thank you. I appreciate your kind words.

Joe - exactly - although when I learned the rest of the story - I was proud to be like her. There you go - I'm feeling understood again. Thanks.

I wish I had the time to explain what it takes to have a reasonable expectation of being understood.
Our societies are not in the business of rendering people into that happy state.Once you raise the idea of "unique individuality" you have millions of people with unique personas and the chance of understanding the ones you happen across is correspondingly small.
One only has to study patterns of dress over the last 100 years to see this.And similar changes have been wrought in every area of life.

I often quote Dylan because the man is so wise so I will once again-

"Nobody has to guess
That Baby can't be blessed
Till she sees finally that she's just like all the rest"

CAN'T BE BLESSED eh?

That is from Just Like A Woman.

And now to be like all the rest horrifies most people.Not me,of course.

"And the only sound that's left
After the ambulences go
Is Cinderella sweeping up
On Desolation Row."

I'm hardened to seeing that 20 times a day now.I was once in a large shopping mall and I saw a woman in a uniform with TOILET CLEANER written on the back of her tunic in bright lettering.It knocked me sideways.Who organised such humiliation?Fat cat feminists in media did that and how many of them are there?5000 max.I haven't been near a shopping mall since.The small shops carry everything I need.At least dignity hasn't been entirely washed out in those.

Wanna be different eh?Embrace defeat then.

Sometimes, Spendius, the labels they try to stick on us, don't stick. What's Dylan's label? That's what I mean. You can put Toilet Cleaner on my back, but that doesn't change me. You could put Toilet Cleaner on Dylan's back, some have tried, they'll stone when you're trying to be so good, but the label doesn't stick.

Sometimes labels do stick, that's why I like this piece by aidan so much. She picks her way through, waiting for the little bombs in her head to go off just like her they did in her grandmother's head. When they don't, when the stuck label becomes unstuck, the relief is palpable and she can love her grandmother and embrace her own life. She's written a novel in a 150 words or less.

People, some people, most people, try to box everyone else into some kind of category. It's comforting to most to know who's what. You're right about being different although I don't think defeat is the right word, adversity maybe or suffering or challenges or just plain heartache. Being different is the loneliest number that you'll ever do, but you can't, you -the really different-, can't do any other. All attempts at normal die a frenzied death leaving you with nothing but your alien soul.

It's a happy soul once you've got that figured out.

Joe(who's there?)Nation

Joe:-

I think the label would have had a bad effect on any children she might have had if they had seen it.
It was so unneccesary.Some twit's power play.

I was using the word "normal" in a general or historical sense.I didn't mean like the "norm" round here.So I think we probably agree.My body comes from the distant past and there were no newspapers or television in 99.9% at least of that.I try to keep my mind on a similar track.I read the signals from my body first.

Dylan has no labels to me.He's a guy first and last.
Other people label him.So what?It's their loss not his.

Regards.

Nothing important...