it’s the friday after thanksgiving, which means TURKEY SANDWICHES (and no one makes them better than my dad). i love turkey sandwiches and i love being surrounded by my family and i love this poem.
i can only share one of those three things, so here you go:
in the midst of all the writing i’ve been doing this month, i’ve also done a fair amount of reading, correction: listening.
i was first introduced to audiobooks by my parents during long drives to visit this relative or that one. i was re-introduced to them when i started making my own long drives to/from boston. it’s an odd thing, these audiobooks, because i tend to look for different things in an audiobook than i normally do for one i’m going to read.
it’s my ears vs. my eyes.
usually, my ears like fast paced action packed novels because they deliver tension and intrigue and it’s helpful in keeping this driver alert. my eyes on the other hand also like that type of book, but they can handle slower paced things, more lyrical, more sensual, more fantastical.
and then there’s maggie stiefvater and THE SCORPIO RACES (which has quickly become one of my favorite all time books ever). it’s a pure delight in both forms.
and so when her newest book THE RAVEN BOYS came out this fall, i was eager to dive into it. it’s the start of a planned four book series and as such the depth of the book is intense and the pace is rather slow, as is worthy of a book setting up a new world and all the characters involved.
i had a hard time getting into it.
until adriana said she was listening to and loving the audiobook. i decided to give it a try and for whatever reason, it clicked. “reading” the book in this audible medium changed my perspective. the pace isn’t slow, it’s creepy and winding and lingering and just right. the depth of the book felt like uncharted scuba diving territory instead of drowning.
the narrator’s voice makes the characters come alive, feel closer, and fill your head.
i’m in heaven.
it’s also given me time to get my “reading” in at different points (aka walking around town) than normal because this month isn’t normal and i don’t have much free time but i also can’t do without reading for an entire month. this way, i’m having my cake and eating it too.
and so with maggie’s words filling my ears and rolling around in my head, it’s made my own words and stories smarter, better, more exotic. thank you, maggie for your wonderful imagination. thank you, adriana for suggesting the audiobook. thank you, will patton, the amazing narrator of THE RAVEN BOYS.
have you ever read a book and not liked it, but then gone to another medium (movie or audiobook) and liked it? or vice versa? if you like a book, do you like it in all forms or are your tastes more specific? how are you today? (i’m just trying to poke you all into commenting. say anything! say nothing other than hi. or good luck or whatever floats your boat. we’re all aiming for high word counts this month. ha.)
i’m talking to strangers?! what?! why?! here, read this.
i gave my address and name to the first poll worker (pw#1). he directed me to the second, as that guy (pw #2) had the list containing all residents of my street who were registered to vote. once i was cleared, he directed me to the curtained cubicles where i’d go to fill in my ballot. i filled in the bubbles carefully, so each one counted. then i headed to the next set of tables.
pw #3: oh, we’ve got a surprise for you.
me: okay…?
pw #3: just a minute. first, what’s your address, honey?
me: *gives address*
pw #3: oh, she’ll take care of you. *points to adjacent poll worker*
pw #4: what’s your name?
me: *spells it for her*
pw #4: *searches for name*
pw #3: that’s a beautiful necklace.
me: oh, thank you!
another voter finished and walked over to the table where pw #3 marked her off the list.
me: *wonders what’s taking so long* *notices pw #4 is looking under the wrong street address* *points out mistake*
meanwhile, pw #3 cleared the other voter and she went to the machine (right next to me) to turn in her ballot. as her ballot was sucked into the machine, pw #5 declared: you’re the 1000th voter!
me: *thinks to self: aww, man. that was supposed to be MY surprise.*
pw#3 finally found my name and i stepped over to the machine to submit my ballot.
me: does it matter what way?
pw #5: nope. just stick it in.
me: *giggles to self*
pw #5: you’re the 1001st voter. you were too slow to be 1000.
me: oh, but, *refrains from pointing out pw#4’s slow movements* yes, well, 1001 is still cool. do i get a sticker?
pw #5: we ran out of those three voters ago. sorry.
no, 1000st voter award. no “i voted” sticker, but i still left the place grinning. for me, there was (and always is) something so grand about the physical act of voting. i felt equal, powerful, important.
i took my 1001 and left grateful to have the opportunity to exercise my constitutional right to “boat” (as my niece baby mac calls it).
i love this commercial. (yeah, words i didn’t think i’d ever utter.) i don’t think it’s the fact it’s about the olympics, but rather about the rough and tumble beginnings we all make (made) as kids (adults) at the start of our dreams.
what i take away from this is that it’s important to keep in mind that whenever we start something new, whether it’s a book, a building project, a painting, running or whatever you’re interested in, we are all beginners. no matter how old you are.
and that’s okay.
this card arrived in the mail the other day.
my birthday is in january.
baby mac’s name was on the return address, so i figured she must have something to do with this, not to mention the “call me for an explanation” note sister J wrote on the back of the envelope…
i called.
me: sooooo, i got an interesting letter today.
sister J: oh my gosh. that was all baby mac. we were cleaning up some of the last remaining boxes [from the move] and she found a stack of hallmark cards. she saw that one and said, ‘send to abby?'”
me: *wonders why fuzzy golf cards and belated birthdays make baby mac think of me*
sister J: and then she wanted to get out the dot markers to decorate it. i let her do her thing and tried to stay out of it. i was very surprised when she refused to use her favorite purple marker. i asked her why and she said “abby no like purple.”
me: i have nothing against purple.
sister J: well, she knows sister E likes purple and i suppose only one person at a time can like a color, so in her head, you hate purple.
me: fair enough.
(side note: a few days after i got this card, sister J and baby mac were talking about colors again. when asked what my favorite color was, baby mac thought and thought and then said, “swedish fish!” well played, baby mac, well played. or should i say, well trained, aunt abby, well trained.)
sister J: did i even write anything in the card?
me: yes, you wrote her name and i love you. it’s super sweet.
sister J: and the best part was that she was SO EXCITED to take the letter to the mailbox. checking the mailbox and carrying in the mail is one of her favorite parts of the day, so she couldn’t wait to put something in it for a change.
her love of the mailbox was certainly infused in that card, as it made my checking of my mailbox the most exciting part of that day. i only wish i could be there to see her face when she finds the bright blue card i mailed to her.
in the meantime, i’m going to cherish this tangible element of the randomness of a kid’s brain.
UPDATED TO ADD:
Abigail Mumford 