Postcards in the Air : INSPIRATIONS FOUND EVERYWHERE

by Martha Slavin

We all have good stories to tell. Some of us are natural raconteurs who delight people with their spoken tales. My Uncle Kermit was one of those who could get a whole room laughing at the antics in his stories. Some of us write down our stories. I returned to writing when our son was born and I wanted to document family history. I asked my numerous Heimdahl relatives to write one memory down. The collection became a wonderful document about generations of Heimdahls. For the other sides of our family, I collected photos and ephemera to put into photo albums.

I then listed events in my life to try to pick out memorable stories. I reached deep into my memories back to one moment when I was standing in my crib and my dad walked into the room to soothe me. While thinking about my past, I also realized some of the influences that led me to life-long interests or led me to try ideas and let them go. I've kept sketchbooks to remind me of places I've been and people I've met.

Last week I asked you to reflect on events that inspired you. I received some wonderful responses to that question.

Here are a few:

"In my house it was reading that influenced my future - even though I started as a drama major - English was a perfect fit for me. My parents both read and my mother was always discussing what she read with her friends - even if they didn't have a Book Club. Once when I had the measles and wasn't supposed to read, she read to me. I was a Louisa May Alcott fan and had read most of them, so she started on one I hadn't read, "Old Fashioned Girl." After about 15 minutes she threw it across the bed, and said, "This is tripe!" It was too goody two shoes for her and the cynic and literary critic in me was born." M.P.

by Martha Slavin

"We were a comic book family too. Not for drawing, but for inspiration. My favorite strip was "Archie and Veronica." I learned a great lesson for my life from Jughead Jones of that series. It went like this...your brain is full of information in little boxes. If you want to stuff more information in your brain, you need to remove some of the boxes that are cluttering up your brain... I guess I never figured out how to do that and I got stuck when I ran into Physics in high school. I had no more room for science boxes so I had to toss any idea of becoming a doctor. You can learn a lot from comic books!" Gary R.

Mary cutting paper

"Since I was really young, I have always had an interest in crafts and using my hands to make things. We have a picture of me at about age 3.5 to 4 years, sitting on the floor cutting up paper. I would often take excess fabric and try to make outfits for my dolls. I loved Cracker Jack prizes when I had to put something together. Hand work of any kind, knitting, sewing, or crocheting always intrigued me. If I expressed an interest of sorts, I was encouraged to stop and visit my Grandma after school to help me with a braided rag rug or a crochet stitch. My sister Bonnie was definitely my mentor for quilting and we spent many happy hours together trading skills. I feel this interest was something I was born with, a part of my gene makeup. To this day I love getting lost in projects in my Sewing/Craft room, it’s so good for the soul."

Mary M.

by Martha Slavin

"My mother was a teacher, so I guess I modeled myself after her. I "played school" with my dolls and, occasionally, with my grandfather who lived with us. I was always pretend-teaching the grade that I was actually in at the time...and my students were never unruly! So, I became an elementary school teacher, as did many women at the time, and enjoyed it for the three years before Jill came along. Then, after many years of school volunteering, working with Brownies and Girl Scouts, working on high school committees, I headed back to teaching...this time to junior high...what a different experience. When Jill was in college and Libby on her way there, I developed a wanderlust, wanting to visit the world that I had taught about but never visited. I made a total U-turn, took two years of classes at CSM and went on to become a travel agent. I worked for American Express Ethan Allen Travel in San Mateo and even had an airline computer in my home office. And then, we really started traveling!" Marcia S.

Two Sisters by Martha Slavin

"Ah, Katy Keene! I had a full page drawing featured in the comic book one time and a small dress design, too, at another time. Loved the Katy Keene comics and wanted to become a fashion designer. Didn't happen, but I always enjoyed designing fashion. Calligraphy was a favorite of my art classes in college." Linda D.

Writer friends have recently published books and essays worth reading. Getting a book published is a major achievement for a writer, harder now than ever. Most of the major publishers look only at established writers. There are smaller publishers who will produce a book, but then leave the details of selling the book up to the author. Self-publishing a book is an option, but it can leave out an important step, the advice of a good editor. We all need good editors, don't we? Take a look. Good Reads!

Terri Hinte, former publicist for Fantasy Records, wrote about a trip to Brazil in Brazilian Christmas.

Donna Kaulkin contributes to "Vistas and Byways," an online publication from Olli at SF State. One of her good stories can be found on her website: https://donnatellsstories.com/the-dance-of-love/

Cousin Carrie Classon's book, Loon Point, brings together a cast of characters marooned at a resort during a Minnesota blizzard. Carrie also writes a weekly column called Postscript:

https://www.carrieclasson.com/info-about-carrie