IWSG: Wednesday, August 2, 2023 ~ There Is No Taking It Back!

It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.






To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are Kate Larkinsdale, Diane Burton, Janet Alcorn, and Shannon Lawrence!

 

I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.

I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.

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Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.

Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.

Remember the question is optional.
This month's featured question is: 

Have you ever written something that afterwards you felt conflicted about? If so, did you let it stay how it was, take it out, or rewrite it?

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Happy August, Everyone! 

Wherever you are, whatever the season, I hope you are happy, safe, and well!

I'm writing this post on July 21st in Las Vegas.

We are flying to Halifax via Calgary on a red eye tomorrow.

I am not certain where we will be on August 2nd.

I could still be in Nova Scotia, I could be flying home,

or I could be in Colorado.

What I do know is I'm looking forward to being with my brother and three sisters

all together in one place for the first time since 2019.

And, of course, I can't wait to see my sister-in-law, my brothers-in law,

and many of our extended family members too.

It's a big group when we all get together.

The Last Time Together

Barb, Bertie, Roy, Me, and Donnie

Smith's Cove, Digby County, Nova Scotia, Canada

August 7, 2019

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

Oh, yes, I have written something many times that afterwards 

I felt conflicted about, starting when I was ten.

My father was teaching at an Indian Day School in Lansdowne House,

and he wrote vivid letters home documenting the shocking conditions 

which the Ojibwa and Cree endured in the North.

My writing, speaking, and outrage at how Indigenous people 

were treated in Lansdowne House in Northern Ontario

inspired me (and me, my classmates) to collect five huge boxes

of clothing for a fifth grade Red Cross project. 

Ten Years Old with My Red Cross Project a Couple of Months Away

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

Fifth Grade School Photo, Fall 1960

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

My Red Cross project, and thanks to me, my father's letter information,

were picked up by the Canadian Press across Canada,

raised questions in the Canadian Parliament, 

and nearly caused my father to be unceremoniously fired.

It literally happened as my mother and we five children were moving north to join Dad. 

The Red Cross in Halifax didn't know what to with the clothing,

but, because of the urgent situation in Northern Ontario,

they contacted the Commanding Air Officer of Maritime Command.

The Air Force sent the boxes via Ontario to Manitoba.

At that point the Canadian Press was reporting that the situation in Northern Ontario

was so dire that the Air Force was parachuting

emergency food supplies into northern communities.

Everyone was looking for the teacher

who was responsible for embarrassing the government.

The Department of Indian Affairs had narrowed it down to a teacher in Lansdowne House,

but all fingers were pointed at the Roman Catholic school teacher

because my father was ex-Air Force and knew better than to undercut his superiors.

The truth emerged that it was me who was behind everything.

My father managed to salvage his job and reputation,

and not too long after, he received a promotion.

I was ordered to keep quiet.  

Eventually the Air Force arrived in Lansdowne House

with the boxes of clothing and a photographer.

After some frantic talk by my father with the pilot, 

the plane left and the photographer left without an interview or photos.

The boxes of clothing were dropped off at another isolated northern community,

and I learned important lessons about politics, journalism, and life.

This is One of My Favorite Childhood Pictures.  It Always Makes Me Laugh.

I was 21 Months Old, and

In My Eyes and Expression I Can See the Passionate Idealist Already Forming!

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

December 25, 1951

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

This has been my pattern throughout life.

I write speeches, I write articles, I write papers, I sound off,

and there is no taking something back.

I've had to let my words stand, because I'm impulsive, passionate,  articulate,

and often fearless when I'm inspired about something.

The conflicted feeling comes too late ~ lol.

The hardest thing I ever wrote about was about being sexually molested 

by a train conductor when I was barely eleven years old.

Talk about conflicted!  

It was such a painful, personal event, and it impacted me for decades.

It took me a long time to write about it, and I did so finally in a blog post:

https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-lansdowne-letters-pervert-and.html

Again, once you put it out there, there is no taking it back.

But whatever I've written, I've written from my heart and from my personal truth.

Six Months After Being Molested

an Event That Changed Me Forever

Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada

December 24, 1961

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

I'm updating this post on August 1st and writing about a completely different topic: 

I had so much fun reading Pat Hatt's 

Skunked and the Witch's Curse three weeks ago.

As I shared last month, this book was inspired by Pat's twin nephews

who begged him to write an adventure story about them 

featuring a witch, a skunk, zombies, pirates, and more.

It was exactly what I anticipated. 

Pat's free-ranging imagination spun a unique and fun-filled adventure

sprinkled with some typical five-year old potty-humor.

Skunked and the Witch's Curse

And guess who I met in Nova Scotia!!! 

I was so excited:  Pat Hatt!!!

Pat and I

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 28, 2023

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

Yesterday this amazing man drove to Smith's Cove from the South Shore 

on his day off to meet Terry and me.

I didn't have access to a car, because the family cars were busy

here, there, and everywhere.

In fact, my sister Barb and her partner (with whom we're staying) 

were heading to Moncton, New Brunswick to pick up a rescue husky from Texas.

Josie doesn't know it yet, but she is one lucky dog.

She will have a wonderful, love-filled life with Barb and her Pat.

Poor Pat!  He got to meet Terry and me, as well as all my siblings,

spouses, partners, some of my nieces and nephews and their partners,

baby Jackson, assorted dogs and one cat.  Pat was such a good sport!

Pat's been my blogging bud since I started blogging and before I knew about the IWSG.

I already knew he was a great guy, but he's even greater in person!

Pat, Terry, and I

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 28, 2023

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

Enjoy IWSG Day.  Stay happy, healthy, and safe.

I will be flying on the 2nd and 3rd, but I will reply to any comments as soon as I can!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

  

Not So Funny

Every June my longtime blogging friend, Debra, at She Who Seeks,

celebrates Pride Month with a series of blog posts on everything LGBTQ+

with T R A N S L E S B I G A Y A P A L O O Z A.

Her posts over the years have been funny, entertaining, eyeopening, educational, 

and sometimes shocking because of the hatred of people

who despise and fear people who are different from them.

Not So Funny ~ A Hateful Image That Debra Shared

I'm as straight as straight can be, but over my lifetime I've been fortunate

to have have many family members, friends, and colleagues who are not.

They have taught me so much about relationships, love, compassion, and humanity.

My Nephew Blair and I

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

December 25, 2016

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

I remember a late night conversation I had with a good friend 

at the elementary school where we both had worked for years.

I went into the library to get a book I needed and saw the lamp on in his office.

He was working late too, so we took a break and started chatting.

At some point we started talking about the difficulties he experienced as a gay man,

especially those caused by people who considered homosexuality evil 

and thought my friend was choosing to be gay. 

These same people thought he could become a heterosexual if he wanted to.

I'll never forget sitting in the lamplight in his office and hearing him ask,

"How can I be evil, Louise?  God made me."  

His eyes spoke of the pain he was feeling, and after a pause he continued,

"He made me gay.  I've known I was gay since I was a little boy.  

I can't change who I am."

I only remember the gist of my answer which was that he wasn't evil

and that some narrow-minded, so-called "religious" people 

hate and fear people who are different from them. 

And that even though we live in a country which guarantees religious freedom,

some people believe they have the right to force their rigid beliefs on others.

My friend was a good, kind, and intelligent person who worked so well with children.

Our school was lucky to have him.

Our conversation was only one of many I had with friends over the decades.

But my friend's stayed with me because it was so poignant:

"How can I be evil, Louise?  God made me."

I have learned beyond a doubt that wherever people fall on the LGBTQ+ spectrum,

it is not a choice.  It's a fundamental part of who they are.

Research shows that sexual orientation is caused 

partly by biological factors before a person is born.

You can't turn a person gay.

Persuasion, therapy, or treatment won't change a person's sexual orientation.

I think about these things a lot, and I am discouraged by the rising tide of hate

in our country that is undercutting rights and protections for  LGBTQ+ people.

Sometimes it's hard to believe what is happening

or the scale with which it is happening, 

like it can't really be as bad as I think it is.

And then something hits me like a sledge hammer between my eyes.

A few days ago I was drinking coffee and having a biscotti after a hard workout 

with my trainer in the gym followed by a hard swim in the indoor pool.

I just wanted to relax and read the latest edition of Aurora's newspaper The Sentinel.

But my relaxation was brief.

The first thing I read was an editorial by editor Dave Perry: 

"Nothing says equality and free speech like weddings, websites and hate."  link 

His editorial was about the June 30th 6-3 Supreme Court decision 

that Colorado's law barring businesses from discriminating against anyone 

because of his or her race, gender, or sexual orientation

violates a business owner's right to free speech.

If you are creating something like a wedding photograph or a wedding cake,

you are an artist and what you create is an expression of artistry

and is, therefore, free speech.

You don't have to make a product in your business that goes against your beliefs,

like a wedding cake for a gay couple.

As such, your business can discriminate anyone whose beliefs are different from yours.

I get how wrong this is on a gut level.  

It's like the laws in six states, 

Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi and South Dakota,

that allow pharmacists to refuse to fill birth control or Plan B prescriptions

if they have a moral or religious objection - 

and those pharmacists aren't required to find another place 

for a customer to fill those prescriptions.

But what really set me off in the editorial was what Dave Perry reported about an email 

the Chairman of the Colorado Republican Party mass emailed to its supporters.

On June 29th Dave Williams sent a hate-meme with the subject line "Pride is evil."

It contained a graphic that showed 

how the word "demon" is at the center of "Pride Month." 

His GOP email went on to say,"Ultimately, these LGBTO+ reprobates

want to groom your children and sexually exploit them 

so they can normalize pedophilia."

Williams went on to say, "Enough is enough.  

The Colorado Republican Party will no longer be silent on this subject." 

The Mass Emailed Graphic

Sentinel

I will no longer be silent on hate and discrimination.

I am alarmed by the surge in hate against LGBTO+ people.

And I will volunteer and vote accordingly.

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

  My next post will be soon! 🤞

On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

 

IWSG: Wednesday, July 5, 2023 ~ Where Do Story Ideas Come From?

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.






To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are PJ Colando, Kim Lavejardi, Gwen Gardner, Pat Garcia, and, Natalie Aguirre !

 

I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.

I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.

Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.

Remember the question is optional.
This month's featured question is: 

99% of my story ideas come from dreams. Where do yours predominantly come from? 

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Happy July, Everyone! 

If you celebrate July 4th, I hope you had lots of fun!

We're enjoying the holiday at home because we feel like taking it easy.

Kids Watching the Fourth of July Parade

Breckenridge, Colorado, USA

July 4, 2018, 2023

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

Most of my story ideas come from day dreams,

meaning that when I'm doing mundane things like ironing or vacuuming,

ideas, scenes, emotions, and dialogue are running through my head.

I'll play things over and over until they feel right, especially dialogue.

Then I'll start writing them down.

Most of my writing is not fiction.  It's drawn from my life.

And again, I'm playing everything over and over in my mind.

I find I can draw more from my memories when part of me is occupied.

Cleaning the garage sets the mind free!

Something certainly put a big smile on my face this week.

The one and only Pat Hatt is back at it again,

adding new books to the over 100 books he has already published.

Two of Pat's Latest

Aurora, CO, USA

July 3, 2023

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

River and the Ms is a sweet adventure about two Westies, Murphy and Milo,

and their fearless companion, Meadow the cat. 

Their spoiled and easygoing lives are upended 

when this little black stray cat wanders in from the creek

intent on making herself permanently at home. 

As they scheme to get rid of River, unexpected trouble rumbles and flies in.

Are the threesome heroes or villains?

Will they rescue River or leave her to a tragic fate?

This well-illustrated tale is delightful, and it would have graced 

my second and third grade classroom library immediately.

River Meets Murphy, Meadow, and Milo

Pat's second book arrived yesterday, so I haven't had a chance to read it

beyond the first few pages.

It's setting up to be quite the adventure.

The inspiration behind this story is awesome.

If you know Pat, then you know he is a wonderful Uncle Pattie to his twin nephews.

They begged him to write an adventure story about them 

featuring a witch, a skunk, zombies, pirates, and Lord knows what else.

Skunked and the Witch's Curse

And, if you know Pat as a writer, you know he was up to the challenge.

I can already tell that his free-ranging imagination is spinning a unique and fun-filled adventure.

I know what I'm reading before I go to sleep tonight! 

Enjoy IWSG Day.  Stay happy, healthy, and safe.

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com