Notes From an Amateur Writer #34
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
This Blog series is an exercise in creative writing. Sometimes expressed in short story forms, sometimes as a journal, or just my thoughts written down. This is my attempt to help coalesce my writing ideas and knowledge into usable form. It is a nursery of sorts for the stories that are on their way, or yet to be written.
Wearing My Happy Pants
I was reminiscing on past events earlier today. Like yesterday's post. I know, I suck at this reminiscing thing. Baby steps – I'll try dwelling on the beginning of the week in a day or two. Actually, let's skip the baby steps. I was actually thinking about memories from my childhood as I eased my way into the day. If I still have an audience – fear not, they were good memories.
I think I must have put on my happy pants this morning. I thought I'd thrown those out, but apparently not. They are a little garish, which probably explains the looks I was getting today. I just thought people were being super nice to me. But maybe it was my happy pants.
I said hello to strangers today. They said hello to me in return. I wondered if I was still dreaming. My dreams have been getting lucid lately. Except they were dark. There were demons in them. But not here, not today. Not while I am wearing my happy pants. Turns out happy pants keep demons at bay. Who would have thunk it?
I even handed back change to the women at the cafe when she gave me too much. "Thank you happy pants," I said. She just smiled. Maybe she was thinking she needed a pair of them as well. I bet that's what she was thinking.
With a Little Help From My Friends
Which brings me to reminiscing about my post from yesterday. I know it was a little self indulgent, so my apologies for that, but my appreciation for bearing with me. I try to make these emotions lead somewhere constructive. To give as well as take.
I was struck by the awesomeness of my friends here at Steemit. People's comments actually did cheer me up. I wasn't feeling down so much as physically exhausted from the endless coughing. I was hoping to write my way out of it. And in a way I succeeded. But a large part of that success is due to my audience. To those wonderful people who interact with me.
Let's Find the Hidden Treasure
I was reading Stephen King's On Writing and enjoying the anecdotes about his childhood, and how writing became a core part of his life. Perhaps this fuelled my reminiscing. It got me to thinking about a couple of movies I saw as a child. Movies about friends. Movies I thoroughly enjoyed, for different reasons. One was Stand By Me, which was actually written by Stephen King, and the other one was Goonies (which wasn't).
I would have been a similar age to the boys in Stand By Me when I saw it, and although the full details are sketchy now I remember the movie resonated with me deeply.
It was Stand By Me that gave me a deep terror of leeches. About twenty years ago I was doing some photography in a rain forest area in the mountains outside Melbourne, and I needed to walk through thick scrub to get to an ideal location to take a shot of a creek. The photo turned out well, and I proceeded to include it in a folio of work for a photography course I was doing at the time. However, as I made my way back out of the damp, wild fernery I noticed a leech on my leg. I was wearing jeans, but that did not stop my reaction. I didn't know if leeches had some sort of super power and could materialise through denim or not. I just remembered, subconsciously at least, that scene out of Stand By Me, and I stopped seeing a leech, and saw instead a mini-Cthulhu. I went into full blown chop-suey mode, like my life depended on it. Maybe it did. I will never know now.
Long story short, that leech ended up back in its native environment, and I proceeded to pat down my legs dozens of time, including on the drive home, just in case. Maybe it was still there, in stealth mode.
So a beautiful film about friendship taught me about leeches. And about fear. And how to combine the two of them for an awesome effect. Thanks friends.
The second film was Goonies. This film taught me that childhood could be fun. That having friends could be fun. And that you get to go on treasure hunts when you have friends. And find pirate ships in hidden caves. What could be cooler than that? It hasn't happened yet, but I am ready when you are.
And lastly I read @jedau's post earlier today on gratitude and that helped put a lot of these thoughts together. They were swimming around like gold fish inside my head (probably not much else up there some days) and I just needed to get them down on paper. The memories, not the gold fish. That would be animal cruelty, and I thoroughly object. It's cruel enough that they were stuck in my head in the first place.
So thank you friends, and thank you happy pants.
All images used with permission, and sourced from Unsplash.com.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you liked it then please like, comment, and follow
@naquoya
Short Fiction:
Bang Bang You're Dead
I Have No Name and I Must Scream
The Last Book Store
The Judge
The Man In The Mirror
The End of the World [Part 1] [Part 2]
The Locked Room
The Gods of Love and War [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]
Blasphemous
Jonathan and the Dance of the Leaves
Songlines - Short stories inspired by songs.
When the Levee Breaks
Crossroads
Heart's a Mess
It's So Easy
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Thank you for taking the time to read this, and share it also. I appreciate it.
I thought for sure this was inspired by The Beatles haha! But, you can never go wrong with Stand by Me and The Goonies. I was going to say that I wrote a similar article about gratitude recently, but then saw that this was inspired by it! Haha! Thanks for the shoutout, man! It's always great when your friends have your back :D
Partly the Beatles, via Joe Cocker, via 80s films, via @jedau, etc. The spaghetti monster that is my thought processes.
Side-by-side with The Beatles? Oh, my word. That would be the dream.
Dream big my friend :)
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Any movies about young boys always made me long to have boys of my own. To me it seems there is a magical place where only boys of about 10-12 years reside, and I can see it in their eyes. It makes me nostalgic for something I don't know.
The CS Lewis Narnia series dominated my childhood. You find the pirate ships and treasure caves and I'm there!
I'm scared of my happy pants. I try to stuff them in the back of my cupboard, preferably under something heavy, as they make me manic.
I think it is a magical time in a boys life. He is growing out of childhood, and hasn't yet be smacked over the head by adult reality. Have I handled your feelings of nostalgia yet :)
That age was a time of many adventures, even for me. Especially back then, with bmx bikes, and lax parenting. Never did find the pirate ship, but if I hear word I will let you know. It will be a boys own adventure, but you're invited - special guest.
As for the happy pants. They can be scary. That's why I though I'd thrown them. But they overcame me. The force is strong with them. At least I got one half interesting post out of them. Now its time to burn them, before the happiness turns too manic. Then my next post will be about my melancholic straight jacket.
Stay out of the smoke...when you burn those pants. You will be in dire straits. Off she goes laughing her head off about her own bad pun. Fatally contaminated.
I've been slacking off. The pun master has been replaced.
PS - I don't think there is a cure.
The importance of friendships cannot be overstated. I haven't seen the Goonies though, I'll try to watch it when i can.
Goonies was a fun tale of childhood discoveries. A lot of those sort fell flat, but I think this one had a certain charm to it.
And yes, friendship is a vital part of life. Usually taken for granted, like so many positives.
Wonderful writing as usual. I started on Steemit writing some childhood memories and your post reminds me that I should get back into it!
Thank you. Yes, you should, it can be great way to write and explore writing, or your memories. You write them, I'll read them. Always up for that :)
Our childhood friendships whether they are maintained or just memories are such an important part of our lives. So much of what we are as adults was forged in our childhoods and growing up with these friends. It's always good to have friends where they're old or new and it's good to know you have happy pants to wear.
Friends in their own way are important. A community of sorts. I felt that especially yesterday. Thought I'd say thanks. I wont blame the happy pants for that. But everything else, well...
Yeek, I read this at the time and was surprised to see I hadn't voted on it, then as I re read it I realised that I had saw the link to @jedau at the bottom and moved onto that and got distracted!
Anyway, I am all for finding pirate ships in hidden caves!
Haha yes @jedau is a constant source of distraction :)
I am gathering a crew. You think of a pirate name for yourself and I'll give you a holler when we are ready.
Oh that will take some deliberation. It has to be just perfect!
Aye, that it does.
Goonies and Stand by me.... 80s gold :-)
They are classics, aren't they?
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