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One-Minute Writing of the Day:
Writer: Joan
The checks with my forged signature were strewn across the backseat of her car; the paper where she'd practiced my signature beside them. I knew, as I looked through the window of the locked car, that a crisis was upon me. I knew with a sinking heart that it was time to force my daughter to pay for the consequences of her actions. I knew it was time to send her to jail.
Congratulations, Joan! I could clearly picture the scene you described. I hope things are looking up for your daughter. Feel free to put a One-Minute Writer WINNER! button on your blog, and please check out the most recent entry in the Community Notes section.
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The checks with my forged signature were strewn across the backseat of her car; the paper where she'd practiced my signature beside them. I knew, as I looked through the window of the locked car, that a crisis was upon me. I knew with a sinking heart that it was time to force my daughter to pay for the consequences of her actions. I knew it was time to send her to jail.
When the bonfire fell at Texas A&M killing people I had classes with. People I had seen just hours before. People I was supposed to be working alongside if not for my flu.
I spent a week numb, silent and scared. I went to the site every day. I helped move logs and clean up the area but it all seemed so... pointless.
From the outside looking in, you can never understand. From the inside looking out, you can never explain.
Yesterday my three-year-old fell off the kitchen table and hit her head on the tile floor. When something like that happens I go into practical, calm mode--definitely some adrenaline, but not panic. Once things settle down, I suddenly get emotional and want to cry--a delayed reaction.
I go into take charge mode. The bigger the crisis, the more formidable I become. The times when it's happened, I can hardly believe it's me reacting in so strong a manner. It's a comfort to me to realize that I can have fortitude in a crisis.
Up until about 4 years ago, I used to be the "take charge" person in every crisis, methodically working through the problems. Only after the crisis was over and everything was going back to normal did I allow myself to fall to pieces.
But since the death of my sister, the "take chargedness" has left me. Now I have a tendency to fall apart at the first little hint of trouble. And when things really get bad, I'll melt down and have to go to sleep. For some reason, sleep protects me from having to deal with situations or problems that cause me great stress.
I'm trying to work through this inner "crisis," but relief still feels like it is so far away.
As the emergency helicopter descended towards us, my husband sprawled on a stretcher on the floor I felt a flood of guilt, even at a time like this with him lying broken and in paind, I said "Well this is probably the only time We'll ever set foot on Necker Island when Richard Branson is in residence". Why do I always have to make a joke at times like this?
My recent crisis was last about Sunday 2am, I had come back from a party, put my key through the lock but it wouldnt turn because my daughter had forgotten to take her key out! It was cold, I needed the toilet badly and my kids rooms are on the 2nd floor, too far to throw anything at! So I stayed outside for an hour while ringing continuously on their mobiles, gave up and then called a friend, just as i was about to fall into her spare bed...my phone rang..it was 4am. Surprisingly, I was just so happy to be able to get back home, I did not blow my top as I normally do...still stunned!
I am sure there are others who post here that are from the New York area but I as a visitor was in Jersey City on September 11th, 2001. Jersey City is directly across the Hudson in line with the World Trade Towers. Watching this unfold before my eyes was then and is now traumatic for me to recount. So many emotions, fears, uncertainties come flooding back each September 11th. Not enough time here to write about it but I can't imagine what it must have been like to loose a friend or family member in such a unnecessary tragedy.
Dan
"Yes, probably about 7 weeks along. Would you like to discuss any options?"
"What? ... Options? What do you mean options?"
Funny how the truth of reality seeps so slowly into the brain even if the body already knows exactly what is going on.
"I thought you might like to discuss abortion."
Was the shock on my face so obvious?
"Abortion? No … I couldn't..."
He didn't say anything else, but I knew he was thinking that of course I was Catholic, which I wasn't by that point in time, but I still wasn't going to consider abortion.
Didn't change the fact that my life was in freefall - or so it seemed.
In the event the world kept turning and I kept growing in body and mind - as did my son who is now a 19 year old physics student.
As the body of an American Soldier fell to the ground, it all became so real. No longer were we living in a world of working all day and partying all night. No longer were we young men away from home just having fun. Now it was forever. Frozen in fear I watched what had happened. What now, he was reloading, there was going to be another attack, he was not just going to go away. As he raised his weapon and pointed at the remaining soldiers we fired. Another body came to rest on the ground. I was sad for my fallen friend, glad to be alive, angry to have been involved. Those seconds will never fade, they will always be here.
recovery is the only reaction I can remember after a major crisis in my life. recovering from the damage done to me, to my family and to my friends was all i could think about. I needed to put the pieces back so that i could return to a relatively normal life.
There seems to be many a crisis that enters my mind, but today...I am going to share one that oddly makes me laugh. It all happened on the date of Oct. 26, 2008:
purchased some type of oranges from Price Chopper and decided to rip one open and eat it. The peel was not easy to remove; that should have been my first warning.
Finally, I removed all of the peel. Then I noticed that each slice had atleast four seeds in them. This was definately a difficult orange! Each slice resisted being pulled apart, but I managed and they were quite juicy. Although they were tasty, the skin was also very tough. I don't like wasting food so I continued to eat after the first piece.
I chewed the second piece...and I chewed it...and I chewed it; then I swallowed. Next thing I knew, I was choking. So, I have this stringy tough piece of orange skin stuck in my throat. I stand up trying to cough it out...not happening. I tried swallowing it....not happening. My kids are standing there making some kind of comments and my hubby is in the living room, sitting there and asking "are you okay?". Not one of these men felt compelled to come in and offer some sort of help.
Needless to say, I was able to cough it out eventually; obviously, because I'm writing this now. I'm surprised I didn't pop out my eyeballs. The feelings in my head afterward were similar to those that I experiencd after pushing out each of my children. Whew!!
I have to say that I was a tad bit annoyed with these guys in my house. I mentioned my hope that they would have atleast called an ambulance if I fell over convulsing on the floor for oxygen or come give me a kick to revive me.
What did I learn from all of that? I suppose I shouldn't have fought with the stubborn orange in the first place, it gave me plenty of warning. I struggled with the peel and the seeds and pulling apart each slice....were those not clues? I also learned once again, not to swallow food unless I have thoroughly chewed it; unless I'm in public where some concerned citizen might offer to give me the heimlich because it's not going to happen in my house :o>.
Be careful and thoughtful when eating your next orange. Also, might I recommend cutting it into small pieces if you're sharing it with your child? I gladly threw the rest of mine in the garbage! I know it's wasteful but I had no patience left for it.
~ Crisis? This is only one of many :o)
my response to the crisis pormpt can be found at
http://a-mus-ing.blogspot.com/2009/03/crisis-intervention.html
Saturday morning. I was zipping up my black boots in the mirror when he said it. My black and white stripped sweater fitted over my hips, and my black leggings just below them.
He pretended to watch the news, sneaking dissaproving glances at me. A mixture of embaressment and begrudgment loomed over me, and I felt it. He finally said it.He didn't want his friends to see this. He didn't want anyone to see this.
"Are you going to wear that?" And as soon as his voice hit the last word, I knew what he meant. I knew I was falling apart. I was physically repulsive and every time we never held hands or kissed was a reminder.
"Do I look fat or something?
No response. He kept looking at the televison. It was as if his mouth was now glued shut. His eyes, awash with confusion, stared dully ahead.
Twenty minutes later, as we got in the car he finally answered.
"It's those leggings..you can't wear them. I told you, you need to do squats.. and you couldn't pay $10 dollars a month!"
My body collapsed in tears. I felt all my bones drop.
"Stop it. I knew I shouldn't of said anything."
After we arrived, with fake smiles at his friends house, I changed in the restroom into jeans.
His approving glance burned holes in my back as I walked out of the bathroom. "You humiliated me." his eyes said, over and over again.
My mother told me to move into my fathers house. I'm fifteen.
The next day she told me that she never said that, and that I should stop making things up. But I know what I heard. She tells me how everyone who knows me thinks I'm a disgraceful child. But I cant recall what I have done wrong, or what anyone else has done to teach me what is right. And now I sit here and try to forget about it, but there is nothing to distract me, and I dont know what to do. This effects my entire life, and I dont know how not to let it.
People dont understand that words are powerful. I'm not going to say something I dont mean. Words are the greatest form of communication, and people waste them to say things they dont mean, not even caring what it does to someone else.
I sound so...
pathetic...
Reaction to crisis is handled with a even keel BELEIVE it or not. I have been confronted with many things in life - health issues, caregiver to caregiver and dealing with correctional facilities. Leadership skills have pulled me through.
I didn't hear that last bit; all I saw was the look in your eyes, the one that says...
I'm ugly, I'm old, I'm fat, I'm lazy, I'm dumb, I'm no good, I'm a loser...
"I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
He didnt just say DIE. He is not talking about my daughter. I am still. I am listening. I see his lips moving, but I am sure I am not hearing the sounds correctly. I try to take it all in. I can't. He cries. I cry. I walk. I scream.
First pregnancy. Out shopping in my little old car. Went to the loo - blood in the toilet. Freeze. Terror. Back to the car. Reversed. Crunch! Wheel collapsed. Panic. Abandon car. Back to the loo - stuffed paper in my nickers. Taxi home. Driver cheerful - me not! Took up and down route home. Hang on tight. Paid the fare. Didn't look back. Blood on back seat? Soon to hospital.
Two happy pregnancies followed later.
Last week my mother was in a horrible automobile accident. I tried all day to keep my tears at bay tow. By 10:30pm I felt the tears and I couldn't hold them back any longer. I've already lost my Father and brother both to suicide. I didn't want to fathom losing another family member. My mother told me that ONStar saved her life. They were responsible for calling emergency personnel to the scene. I think in every situation we can always give the angels something to do because action in heaven begins when we pray here on earth. What I learned is that no matter what they say about the economy, taxes, jobs, marriages, there is NOTHING too hard for God! He saved my mother that day! I don't have to handle a lot of whatlife throws my way, I let God do it!
My crisis is my addiction is my blog.
My response to crisis has always been rise to the challenge type...untill recently. A pending divorce and all that entails has plunged me into a deep depression. I have avoided everything that represents a responsibility and as such I have caused my own crisis. So I responded by diving deeper into the depression and avoiding EVERYTHING including work and my kids for something like 3 months. Not proud of it, but this doesn't have to be a positive response to crisis now does it?
I opened the door . . . it was gone. . . I couldn't believe it. . . I felt the panic start to build . . . I took a deep breath. . . I calmly and purposefully drove to the store and purchased more ice cream. . . crisis averted.
I was working at a hotel and stepped away to assist a VIP member. I came back and found a gigantic linebacker sized, masked man w/gloves and a crowbar waiting for me.
I played stupid, offered him some towels, and informed him that he is more than welcome to call me for room service next time.
He accepted my towels [mask and all] and walked away without harming a hair on my head.
Then the officer on duty and he arrested him when he caught him attempting to rob the neighboring hotel.
I do not react well to things at all. I am pretty demanding and want answers. Everything has a reason, right? My general reaction is crying though.
Bus crunches into the back of my car, spewing me across the intersection. Steer crushed wheels to the shoulder.
Phone? Check.
Wallet? Check.
Sunglasses? Check.
Stumble out of car, start to walk away...
Go back, turn off car, and pocket keys.
I stood in my kitchen with the phone planted on my ear. I was calling my brother. He lived 2 hours away but the medi=coptor that carried my son was going to be in his city long before me.
I needed my brother to meet it at the hospital so that my 8 year old son would not be alone. I talked to my brother while bent over.I stared at the floor.
All the while wondering if my son would still be alive when I got to the city. It was touch and go when the coptor left my local hospital and I was scared.
The deputy sheriff told me to go home and make arrangements. I did what I was told. I kept it together. A cold chill washed over me.
A minute is not long enough to describe all of these emotions.
Crisis all around
Be it Lehman
Or the
Goldmann Sachs
Be it overpricing or the
money lacks
Be it population
or malnutrition
Be it stock market
or the shopping arcade
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