The Matinee

by Cindy Amelung

I recently had the opportunity to take in a movie I had wanted to see. Even better, I was able to go to the movie theatre for a weekday matinee; much smaller crowds, more available seating – all the things that appeal to me.

I bought the ticket with my debit card, found my seat and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. When I got home I even remembered to dig out my ticket stub so I could record my purchase in the old checkbook before it slipped my mind. I was still smiling as I pulled out the ticket stub – the movie had been just as enjoyable as I hoped it would and I had had such a good time. I checked the cost on the stub and started to write it into the register; then I looked at the stub again. I shook my head and looked again. No. That can’t be right. No. I refuse to believe what I am seeing. A SENIOR ticket?!! SENIOR ticket?! I took off my glasses, cleaned them, put them back on and looked at the ticket stub again.

No, my eyes really did see the printing correctly – it really was a senior ticket I had been sold. And I thought the young man who had waited on me had been so nice and polite. He had smiled and told me to enjoy my movie. The horns on his head must have popped out after I walked away. Only a demon would do such...[read more]

Healing for the Heart…
A Guide for Survival in the World of the Widow

by Nancy
Hughes

On a hot August afternoon, with no warning, I was instantly and unceremoniously initiated into the club known as “Widowhood.” No one asked me if I wanted to join. No one asked my permission to place my membership with this club. No one explained what would happen once I became a member. The clubhouse door was opened and I was thrown into a world unlike any other I had ever experienced. No explanation. No instructions. No encouragement.

I joined the widow ranks early and unexpectedly. Before that time I had felt a great deal of sympathy toward women who had lost their spouses. I just never truly understood how my life would totally change and absolutely could NOT have predicted how other people would respond to me…without my husband.

My heart tells me that there has to be something positive that comes from being a member of this club. Is anything to be gained from sharing my experience with others? I believe there is. I believe there is help, hope and healing for members AND non-members as we journey on this unfamiliar path in our lives. Here are just a few of the lessons that can be learned by... [read more]

The Moonrock Miracle

by Peg
Finley

Have you ever felt like you were out in an open field in total darkness, defenseless? That you were in a place where all the lights from the civilized world had long been shut down for the night? A place where the night sky is black, with not a star in sight, not even a sliver of a moon to give you a glimpse of what lies ahead of you?

Now imagine that place is a place inside of you. Then, you have an idea of what my frame of mind was. There was nothing that would turn on a light of hope inside of me...or was there?  I'd soon learn that sometimes the smallest thing can be the trigger that leads us out of the darkness of despair. On this day, I'd have a life-altering lesson.

With so many stressors in my life...chronic pain at unbearable levels on some days,  financial woes that I believed to be overwhelming and advancing age that had left me struggling with depression for months, I did all the things the experts suggested. I took daily walks, even on my most painful days. I read self-help books. I journaled. I meditated. And most of all, I prayed. Almost hourly...it seemed on some days. "God, where are you?" I cried.

After I heard that someone...[read more]

Stuck In the Middle

Writing is always more fun when you get to the meat and the potatoes of your story – the middle – the good stuff between the bread!  Last month we talked about creating a hook in your lead that will keep the reader intrigued. The middle is about motivation. Once the reader is hooked on the story, you will need to set a pace that the reader enjoys and will keep for paragraphs or pages.

If you read all of the Writer’s Coach Columns, you will remember that I am a big fan of outlining. When we work on the middle of an essay or story – an outline will have a dramatic effect on the quality of your writing. Organize the information well by writing your working outline first.

The middle is where you balance the meal. Think about adding the protein, the vegetables, the flavorings and the range of nutrients that a meal needs. It is a balance between enough detail in a portion size that promotes..[read more]