Julie Unplugged

Leave Room to Imagine Again

It is time for the Five Minute Friday Flash Mob of writers. Every Thursday night until Midnight Eastern time a group of incredible women gather, waiting for our prompt for the week. We never know what our prompt will be, but we catch up, nibble on nutella, laugh and sometimes cry and then we write write write!

Thank you for being here for Five Minute Friday!

Now: my words on

Imagine.

It has been a while since I have given myself the luxury of imagining anything beyond the day-to-day, moment-to-moment. Yesterday I sent a text to a friend that read, “I don’t know why I attempt to plan anything.”

That’s just what I’ve come to expect.

I feel sort of sad when I read that – and I wonder what would happen if I changed my approach. If I allowed myself to imagine again.

I wouldn’t need to cross the experiences that vacuumed up the imagine-factor from my life, I suppose I need to look at integrating them more, into my daily life instead of sort of putting them in separate boxes, out of the way out of fear they might pollute more than the “imagine” but the everything else as I tread water, not daring to let the apple cart get knocked down should one of them recur.

The melanoma.

That unspeakable situation only a few know about.

The death of my friend.

The death of my brother.

Being left. Again. And Again. And Again.

Marlena’s stillbirth.

Infertility.

The death of…. You see, I’ve started to accept the reason I have grieved so much and so well is because I have loved so much and so well. If I wasn’t a very loving Julie, I wouldn’t have had so much hurt. I was just reading about this tonight: about visiting sorrow and anguish.

These topics in Five-Minute-Friday always seem to tap on my heart, exactly where it is meant to be tapped.

Maybe one plan I will stay open to right now is to imagine again.

For me, for my children, for my community, my business, my grandbaby-to-be, the world….

(That was a very fast five minutes!)

 # # # # #

 A quick look at the guidelines from  Lisa Jo Baker who is also our ringleader!

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

Oh and Ahem, if you would take pity and turn off comment verification, it would make leaving some love on your post that much easier for folks!

Follow me on Twitter: @juliejordanscot 

Be sure to "Like" WritingCampwithJJS on Facebook (THANK YOU!)

Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield.

After April 3, 2007: Everything Changed & Everything is Finally Beginning Again

It is time for the Five Minute Friday Flash Mob of writers. Every Thursday night until Midnight Eastern time a group of incredible women gather, waiting for our prompt for the week. We never know what our prompt will be, but we catch up, nibble on nutella, laugh and sometimes cry and then we write write write!

Thank you for being here for Five Minute Friday!

Now: my words on

AFTER

I realized tonight yesterday was the six year anniversary of my brother John’s death.

Six years have passed since that time when it felt as if my life inverted itself and the version of me at my best disappeared for a while.

After John died, my Mom got cancer, my best friend in the world who I depended on for support disappeared, I lost my domain name and in effect, much of my business oh, and yes – my perfect brilliant son was diagnosed with autism and because of being in such a blinding whirlwind force of loss and loss and fear of more loss. I couldn’t. Do. It. Anymore.

Last week it felt like I was finally recovering. Six years after.

No, not last week. Yesterday. Last week I felt it building. Yesterday I had a very scary conversation from a completely unemotional space. I didn’t cry, I didn’t back peddle, I didn’t question my wisdom.

For whatever reason it is during Five Minute Fridays that I let go of whatever false pretenses I may kick up and am completely totally nakedly embarrassedly me.

Here’s what happened yesterday: I finally had an a-ha about freedom and what my life would be like on a moment-by-moment basis if I released myself from certain friendships. I have been so much more hermit-y lately, partially because I can feel the creative momentum building, the momentum of the sort I haven’t felt since before John died.

Yesterday, I started lifting the most important building bricks back to my old-new life where all that after stuff is still true, but the after me just continues to grow, continues to get stronger, continues to feel empowered enough to say “This is what is so” and is willing and able to live with the consequences.

 # # # # #

 A quick look at the guidelines from the gypsy mama - Lisa Jo Baker who is also our ringleader!

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

Oh and Ahem, if you would take pity and turn off comment verification, it would make leaving some love on your post that much easier for folks!

Follow me on Twitter: @juliejordanscot 

Be sure to "Like" WritingCampwithJJS on Facebook (THANK YOU!)

Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield.

Remember Love Most of All

Taken at Zion National Park last Summer. May they remember....

It is time for the Five Minute Friday Flash Mob of writers. Every Thursday night until Midnight Eastern time a group of incredible women gather, waiting for our prompt for the week. We never know what our prompt will be, but we catch up, nibble on nutella, laugh and sometimes cry and then we write write write!

Thank you for being here for Five Minute Friday!

Now: my words on REMEMBER...

I am nothing if not a fierce mother.

I get complimented on my motherhood yet it is something I am most petrified of failing at, especially since after my first daughter was stillborn one of the popular books to read had the title, When Pregnancy Fails.  I felt like such a failure as a woman, even though the cord accident was a fluke.

Ever since I was pregnant with Katherine, my second daughter, I would pray she (and my others) would remember the good times, the positive memories, the traditions we created together. I longed for them to remember the laughter and the stories.

In our storytelling family, my children know the people I grew up with almost as well as I do.

I have told the story of my first day of first grade so many times that when there was a young women in a mini-dress with dark hair and a big smile, my then five-year-old Emma gasped and said, “Mommy! Look! It’s Miss Foley!”

She did look like her, actually, only Miss Foley would have been in her late 50’s and the long ago young Miss Foley had become Mrs. Downing a long time in the past.

I hope Katherine remembers how much I pulled for her, how much I am glad and said of the advice of mine she took. I hope she knows how much she is loved, not just because she is “the good one” and always does what is expected, but just because she is.

I hope Emma remembers how many times I got up after I fell. I hope she remembers how many times I helped her up after she fell. I hope she remembers how many compliments she received from so many people.

I hope Samuel remembers the many times I went to bat for him, advocating, being an activist, talking to teachers and doctors and more teachers to be sure he got exactly what he needed educationally as well as socially.

I hope they each remember the last words I say to them each day as they leave me to go to school, “I love you!”

I remember my voice, ringing out to their hearts – even or especially when they know they don’t have to reply to still receive my love. I remember….

 

A quick look at the guidelines from the gypsy mama - Lisa Jo Baker who is also our ringleader!

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

Oh and Ahem, if you would take pity and turn off comment verification, it would make leaving some love on your post that much easier for folks!

Follow me on Twitter: @juliejordanscot 

Be sure to "Like" WritingCampwithJJS on Facebook (THANK YOU!)

Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. 

Did you enjoy this essay? Receive emails directly to your inbox for Free from Julie Jordan Scott via the Daily Passion Activator. One inspirational essay and poem (almost) every week day. Subscribe here now -

Subscribe to DailyPassionActivator

Powered by us.groups.yahoo.com  © 2012 by Julie Jordan

You Are Beloved #FiveMinuteFriday - February 15, 2013

Many people know that between the hours of Thursday and Friday, I join with a lovely group of women to free write for just five minutes. We get a topic from the lovely LisaJoBaker and write write write and then, without editing... post, post, post. Then we go back to FiveMinuteFriday headquarters and link up and spread the comment-love.

Not only is it a lot of fun, I have met tremendous women and had lots of awarenesses and a-ha's.

This week, we're writing about..... BELOVED

Join Five Minute Friday at Lisa Jo Baker.com

 

This is one of those “don’t you dare take it likely” words.

It is a word I don’t know if I have ever been called before, unless I called someone beloved and they called me beloved back.

I write it as a hello, sometimes.

Beloved. You are love.

I imagine my five minute Friday friends writing these crystal clear meditations on “beloved” or an insta-devotional on beloved. I can’t hopscotch around my feelings of occasional inferiority. I am not so good at tying things up in a box with a big red or purple or pink and blue polka dot bow.

What I am, though, is always sincere. Always open hearted. Always ready to love more, to give more, to serve more, to look into the eyes of complete strangers and call them beloved in prayer.

It happened today in Wal-mart, actually. I was buying some stickers to use with my lovely envelope art I wanted to use with my new pen pals. I saw the cashier and thought some pretty ugly thoughts about her. One of them started with “poor creature” which is so far from beloved shame washed over me for thinking such a thought.

I bowed my head and prayed for myself and I prayed for her.

When I looked up, I saw her differently.

I loved her.

I spoke to her gently. I commended her for working so hard and being so patient with all these customers who showed up in her line early in the morning. I wished her a happy Valentine’s Day. I held her eyes with mine and I smiled, hoping she felt the love I humbly offered.

Beloved. You are love.

Thank you for reading -

The guidelines for Five Minute Friday -

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

 Follow me on Twitter: @juliejordanscot 

Be sure to "Like" WritingCampwithJJS on Facebook (THANK YOU!)

© 2012 by Julie Jordan Scott

Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She leads Writing Camp with JJS & this Summer will be traveling throughout the US to bring this unique, fun filled creative experience to the people wherever she finds the passion & the interest.

Did you enjoyed this essay? Receive emails directly to your inbox for Free from Julie Jordan Scott via the Daily Passion Activator. One inspirational essay and poem (almost) every week day. Subscribe here now -

Subscribe to DailyPassionActivator

Powered by us.groups.yahoo.com

#FiveMinuteFriday: Afraid

It’s #FiveMinuteFriday free write time! <—click to tweet this! 

Where a flash mob of folks spend five minutes all writing on the same topic and then share ‘em at LisaJoBaker.com.

Words from my five minutes on....

AFRAID

Afraid. Lisa Jo wants me to write about afraid.

I’ll go with what’s up right now, as in over the last few hours when I had this huge breakthrough all because of a conversation I had with a friend earlier in the week. We were talking about some difficulties her sister was having about dealing with the deep, deep stuff that may have happened before she had language, so attempting to sort through it all was especially challenging.

“Hmmm,” I said, “That does sound like a challenging situation. I’ll keep her in prayer.”

God with His sense of humor may have translated what I said slightly wrong.

You see, I am also planning to be in this story telling event in about eight weeks. I am a champion story teller for those of you who don’t know me well. This event has a theme, so it isn’t like I can trot out a well worn, “Oh, I know I’ll win on this one” story. Nope. I am compelled to go deeper.

Last Sunday at our meeting to share the topic and other fun facts I told the organizer, “You know, I am stumped on this theme. I need to do some stream of consciousness writing or something because for the life of me I can’t come up with that one, defining moment when I suddenly knew I was no longer a child.” There was a big part of me that thought I was still waiting for it to happen.

After all, who else has the creative life that I have, theplayful, child-like way I have of looking at the world?

The shock when my friend said, “When I first met you I thought you were faking it but no, you really are this way. You are sincerely this way. I couldn’t believe it at first.

Well, this a-ha that I had knocked me so far off my feet I drove my daughter home from her appointment crying silently all the way, praying I didn’t upset her but unable to hold back. I am a lifelong student of not letting my emotions show for fear of upsetting other people around me. One of my reasons for crying is because I feel charged to tell this story, the one I am so afraid to tell.

I am praying with my arms and heart wide open for God to speak to me, to tell me if I am to tell this story, how to tell it with courage and how to tell it so that it won’t be hurtful to my loved ones. I told a story like that in October and am getting it published with a pseudonym but people were so amazed at my braveness they tell each other about my story using my real name.

I said stuff I don’t think my children need to know, but that I felt needed to be spoken. The pseudonym felt safe then.

I am so afraid of telling the story, but even more afraid if I don’t tell the story.

TIMER sings! I’m done with my Friday Five!

The guidelines for Five Minute Friday - from LisaJo who started it all.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

 Follow me on Twitter: @juliejordanscot 

Be sure to "Like" WritingCampwithJJS on Facebook (THANK YOU!)

© 2013 by Julie Jordan Scott

Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She leads Writing Camp with JJS & this Summer will be traveling throughout the US to bring this unique, fun filled creative experience to the people wherever she finds the passion & the interest.

Did you enjoyed this essay? Receive emails directly to your inbox for Free from Julie Jordan Scott via the Daily Passion Activator. One inspirational essay and poem (almost) every week day. Subscribe here now -

Subscribe to DailyPassionActivator

Powered by us.groups.yahoo.com

#FiveMinuteFriday..... On....Cherished.....

 Each Thursday night (or as many as I can!) I hang out on line with a group of glorious people not only waiting for a writing prompt at midnight - but also building a community of deep caring for one another.

We are truly  a flash mob of folks spend five minutes all writing on the same topic and then share ‘em at LisaJoBaker.com.

Words from my five minutes on....Cherished…

Breathing in the word - cherished - and the feeling - cherished.

I sometimes feel like the grande dame amidst younger mothers. I have a birthday in a couple weeks. I bet I am as old as some of your Mama's who are reading this.

One thing I say whenever I meet a new mom is "Cherish every moment."

I don't only say it, I believe it.

It may sound cliche but I have learned over the years how important it is to stay mindful amidst the every day at every stage of your children's lives. I've noticed Mommy bloggers when children are little bitties and when elementary school hits... it seems to get quieter and by junior high, a lot of those voices get quieter and quieter.

I have found that the practice of cherishing and showing that you cherish your child through your actions toward her will change both of your lives.

And then, when you're not looking, they will reflect that cherished feeling back to you.

My youngest is almost a young man now, eleven years old. Last night he got new shoes and his feet are bigger than mine. He is so proud to almost be as tall as me, but he has a shyness about it, too.

Another first last night was recording his first ever CD. He was so proud this morning to play it for me. Samuel loves Christmas music, so every song is a Christmas song except for Rick Astley. Yes, he loves to "Rick Roll" people. Ask a teen or two to tell you what that means.

He had many favorites on the CD, even a 2008 recording of "Carol of the Bells" from my daughter's high school choir he found on YouTube.

When we got to his school, we hadn't played the final song. He said, "Song number thirteen is James Taylor singing 'Walking in a Winter Wonderland.'"

My heart swelled. My children know there birth stories. Samuel was born to James Taylor, so when we would hear this song, we would sometimes bring up this fact. He was slightly disappointed to learn he was born to a Greatest Hits collection, not a Christmas Collection.

The grand finale song on his CD? A cherished song from son to Mommy in rememberance of one of the most cherished memories we share. He doesn't remember much, but I tell him the story.

I can't think of another human whose cherishing would make me feel more humble today.

The timer dings (a few moments ago, I simply had to finish!) 

Want to play along?

 Set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

 

 Follow me on Twitter: @juliejordanscot  

Be sure to "Like" WritingCampwithJJS on Facebook (THANK YOU!)

© 2012 by Julie Jordan Scott

Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She leads Writing Camp with JJS & this Summer will be traveling throughout the US to bring this unique, fun filled creative experience to the people wherever she finds the passion & the interest.

Did you enjoyed this essay? Receive emails directly to your inbox for Free from Julie Jordan Scott via the Daily Passion Activator. One inspirational essay and poem (almost) every week day. Subscribe here now -

Subscribe to DailyPassionActivator

Powered by us.groups.yahoo.com

The Final Five Minute Friday of 2012: Wonder... Which Direction to Go?

It’s #FiveMinuteFriday free write time! <—click to tweet this! 

We are a flash mob of folks spend five minutes all writing on the same topic and then share ‘em at LisaJoBaker.com.

Words from my five minutes on....

WONDER

Wonder.

I have absolutely no idea what direction to go.

And that makes me want to cry because it mirrors much of my life lately. I want to be in a space of wonder like I have been in the past, but it seems like since I have been dealing with the melanoma I have lost the capacity for wonder.

I’m trying so hard to be a good mother, a good friend, a contributor to my community, but somehow every day I feel like my wound is growing deeper, both physically and metaphorically.

I wish I could look at my scar/wound with wonder, but fear sits on top of my ear, gazing down at my wound as it isn’t healing correctly so says my doctor. The spot where the melanoma lived the deepest in my face has had some “stitch malfunction” a very medical term and now there is an amoeba looking spot on my wound that changes almost daily.

I was told three weeks ago we would wait for six to eight weeks and then look again, if there isn’t improvement, more surgery will be needed.

More surgery.

I could so easily spout trite stuff here. Part of me feels really guilty for not being able to leap into the bible verses like I used to, you know Romans 8:28 and all that, but I wonder how on earth I am supposed to see the good in this right now?

I hear about cancer survivors who are so enrapt with life afterwards, but perhaps it is because I still feel like I am in limbo that I just can’t manage it anymore. I just can’t do it.

I want to be in a space of wonder, it is Christmas time. I need to be able to “perform” as if wonder is surrounding  me or even nod to wonder. I think I pull it off in front of the kids most of the time, but just now I’ve been sitting here typing away sobbing with my face as still as possible and the salt just stuck to my eyeballs because I don’t want my daughter, who is having her own personal tough time, to know how bad I am feeling.

I’m a few minutes over, but I suppose one moment of wonder in the past week was when I was feeling so alone and God reached out and put his arm around me and reminded me he is my heavenly father all the time. He partners with me on my projects, he shines the flashlight when I can’t see.

He will show me the way back to wonder.

TIMER sang four minutes ago. I needed to wipe my eyes and blow my nose.

Once again, I’m done with my Friday Five ~ I'll look forward to seeing all you beloveds in 2013.

The guidelines for Five Minute Friday -

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

 Follow me on Twitter: @juliejordanscot 

Be sure to "Like" WritingCampwithJJS on Facebook (THANK YOU!)

© 2012 by Julie Jordan Scott

Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She leads Writing Camp with JJS & this Summer will be traveling throughout the US to bring this unique, fun filled creative experience to the people wherever she finds the passion & the interest.

Did you enjoyed this essay? Receive emails directly to your inbox for Free from Julie Jordan Scott via the Daily Passion Activator. One inspirational essay and poem (almost) every week day. Subscribe here now -

Subscribe to DailyPassionActivator

Powered by us.groups.yahoo.com

Five Minute Friday: Stay. Stay? Stay! Stay.....

It’s #FiveMinuteFriday free write time! <—click to tweet this! 

Where a flash mob of folks spend five minutes all writing on the same topic and then share ‘em at LisaJoBaker.com.

Words from my five minutes on....

STAY:

Stay.

My eyes fill with tears. Stay. I have been struggling for the last roughly thirty hours. Do I stay or do I go? Do I forgive and build again or do I say, “Enough is enough, you have proven repeatedly you will hurt me over and over and over again. This has been my pattern and if I don’t stop it now, with you, I am afraid I will never be able to stop it. What sort of a model is this for my daughters?”

I think about forgiveness, all those number sevens. I think about turning the other cheek but I think, I don’t have more than two cheeks unless you start counting my butt and I really don’t want to be slapped on my ass any more than absolutely necessary.

Stay.

I had said to myself after this five minute write was over, I would take my sleep helper and lull myself to sleep alongside my children. Send a quick “Goodnight” text and be done with it.

Stay.

How much compassion do I carry?

Does this mean I lay out the carpet of compassion and “let’s be clear about our expectations and not waffle once we are absolutely certain of causes and effects.”

I told him, “I can’t keep getting up and then getting knocked down again. I just can’t do it.”

Stay.

What is God wanting me to “get” from all this?

Last night there were torrents of awful words pouring through my thoughts. I couldn’t say the worst of them because they were too risky to speak. I stayed silent. Stay. Silent?

Stay compassionate?

Stay forgiving?

Stay loving?

“Become a role model for my children in what exact way, God? Would you help me out here, please?”

Stay.

TIMER sings! I’m done with my Friday Five!

The guidelines for Five Minute Friday -

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

 Follow me on Twitter: @juliejordanscot 

Be sure to "Like" WritingCampwithJJS on Facebook (THANK YOU!)

© 2012 by Julie Jordan Scott

Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She leads Writing Camp with JJS & this Summer will be traveling throughout the US to bring this unique, fun filled creative experience to the people wherever she finds the passion & the interest.

Did you enjoyed this essay? Receive emails directly to your inbox for Free from Julie Jordan Scott via the Daily Passion Activator. One inspirational essay and poem (almost) every week day. Subscribe here now -

Subscribe to DailyPassionActivator

Powered by us.groups.yahoo.com

#FiveMinuteFriday: Roots ~ of the Trees I Have Loved

It’s #FiveMinuteFriday free write time! <—click to tweet this! 

Where a flash mob of folks spend five minutes all writing on the same topic and then share ‘em at LisaJoBaker.com.

Words from my five minutes on....ROOTS

I have had a fascination with tree roots since I walked to school in first grade along Hawthorne Avenue happily on my own without friends or siblings or Mom. I have always loved to think about how trees have an entire life, unseen, underground until some of them go a little bit wild and make their underground worlds known.

There is a tree in downtown Bakersfield’s residential district: a big Oak tree – and it has an incredibly vivid underground life. It pokes up through the earth and makes the sidewalk resemble a roller coaster. It was last June, I believe, when a baby palm tree growing between its root and the gutter that I noticed it.

Quite a few trees do this: show us their wildness amidst residential areas. They say “You silly humans, you can not contain our underground spaces.”

I was blessed when I was in college to live directly across from the rehearsal halls for the Conservatory of Music. It felt so collegiate to hear the nearly constant blowing on horns, pounding on piano keys and strings being perfectly massaged. The only thing between my third floor window and the practice rooms was a row of stately Eucalyptus trees.

I didn’t know these trees in New Jersey when I was younger, but since becoming a Californian, I knew their playfulness underground wreaked havoc with above ground structures like streets, sidewalks, anything that got in its way: perhaps pipes and the like, too, I don’t know. I was so sad when I returned to University of the Pacific years later and saw they had removed these fragrant, stately and more than a bit mischievous trees.

My favorite roots, though, belong to the largest living organisms on the planet that call home a space a couple hours from my home: the giant Sequoia. They are rare trees with one of the primary reasons being this: they are required to live in groves because their root systems are not very deep. They need other Sequoia trees in order to survive. They need other Sequoias who are willing to work with them to grow tall and stately and each one works with the other in order to do it.

(Note: the photo below in my signature is me writing on a Sequoia root. Yes, the root is as high as my chest.)

Sequoias are one of God’s great metaphors to the humans who walk so far below their heights: cooperate and grow healthy. Live closely and help one another, love one another with your roots becoming interdependent. Be a community.

Roots.

TIMER sings! I’m done with my Friday Five!

The guidelines for Five Minute Friday -

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

 Follow me on Twitter: @juliejordanscot 

Be sure to "Like" WritingCampwithJJS on Facebook (THANK YOU!)

© 2012 by Julie Jordan Scott

Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She leads Writing Camp with JJS & this Summer will be traveling throughout the US to bring this unique, fun filled creative experience to the people wherever she finds the passion & the interest.

Did you enjoyed this essay? Receive emails directly to your inbox for Free from Julie Jordan Scott via the Daily Passion Activator. One inspirational essay and poem (almost) every week day. Subscribe here now -

Subscribe to DailyPassionActivator

Powered by us.groups.yahoo.com

#FiveMinuteFriday - Voice

It’s #FiveMinuteFriday free write time! <—click to tweet this! 

Where a flash mob of folks spend five minutes all writing on the same topic and then share ‘em at LisaJoBaker.com.

Words from my five minutes on....VOICE

Interesting, isn’t it, how sometimes writing prompts are the absolute perfect topic for you to write, even though you might have not necessarily felt like writing about that so early on a Friday morning. Try as I might, I feel a certain love and attachment to these other women writers so I must write authentically and truly today.

May my words be a blessing.

Last night was a big one for me: my first performance since my surgery five weeks ago. I still wore a band aid over my “getting better every day” wound. My hair was artfully arranged my face thanks to my hair stylist, Jolie, so if you didn’t know the band-aid was there, you might have missed the scar completely.

I was aware of it, tangentially, but I was more aware that I was about to perform a story I had never told anyone until rehearsal the night before.

It wasn’t a pretty story and was one that was open to interpretation which I learned when I stood outside talking to an audience member. The topic was sexual abuse. The “protagonist” of the story was me.

Like most modern storytelling, we were to tell a story of our own lives in homage to Sandra Cisneros book, The House on Mango Street.  We were given license to write on one of the many themes in the book and were requested to write one funny vignette and one serious vignette.

When I heard we were to write a serious one, I thought, “I know just what to write!”

Well, I wasn’t quite that chipper.

I also had the “out” because when we started we were each going to perform only one of the two pieces and I figured my humor would win out over pathos but… we ended up performing both of our stories. Once I put my story onto the page, it was destined to be spoken.

I was destined to give the story voice.

I oftentimes say one of my missions is to give voice to the voiceless. I speak well on my feet and am told repeatedly my voice is pleasant to hear. I am one who sticks up for the underdog and goes out of my way to make sure people understand.

I decided there must be someone who would be drawn to the theater last night because they really needed to hear my story. It isn’t my business who that is or even worry about “getting them there” my job was to just show up and tell my story as best as I could tell it.

The response?

Overwhelmingly supportive.

(I went a fraction over the 5 minutes, but each word felt so important. Please forgive me, Lisa Jo! and all!)

 Five minutes: (more than!) Over....

The guidelines for Five Minute Friday -

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

 

Follow me on Twitter: @juliejordanscot 

Be sure to "Like" WritingCampwithJJS on Facebook (THANK YOU!)

© 2012 by Julie Jordan Scott

Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She leads Writing Camp with JJS & this Summer will be traveling throughout the US to bring this unique, fun filled creative experience to the people wherever she finds the passion & the interest.

Did you enjoyed this essay? Receive emails directly to your inbox for Free from Julie Jordan Scott via the Daily Passion Activator. One inspirational essay and poem (almost) every week day. Subscribe here now -

Subscribe to DailyPassionActivator

Powered by us.groups.yahoo.com