Mini Memoir Monday: The Photo That Got Away

photo: Sri Lankan house spider. Birthdays, Christmas, the first day of school, vacations at the beach; most of us have photos of these special events. For times like these, we pack our camera in the diaper bag, purse, suitcase or act like a tourist and hang it around our neck. But what about those times that we didn't have a camera. We are creatures of habit and sometimes that is not a good thing. It's the ordinary times that we tend not to take photos of. Here are a few examples from my own life;

*Watching Lawrence Welk with my grandparents
*Baton twirling lessons
*The times my grandma tried to teach me to paint
*Walking my kids to school
*Trips to see my sister in Seattle
*The kids riding their bikes in front of our house
*Great adventures in our neighborhood with my best friend

The wonderful thing about memories is that they just sit there, waiting to be tickled so they can share their story. So even if you didn't take photographs of every single moment in your life (and who does?), you can create a picture with your words. In fact, I would venture to say that the picture you paint with words will be even more vivid than a photo taken in the best light.

Assignment: Over the next day or so, jot down things you wish you had photos of. Think of your childhood all the way up to present day. When you've got a list of ten or so, pick one to write about. Give your mini-memoir a beginning, middle, and end. Who was there? What were they doing? How did it feel? Describe the setting as you would to someone who hasn't been there. Use all of your senses to create the feel of the photo in your imagination, then write it on the page.

Care to share? I'd love to hear about it!

Until next time... Write Now - Because it's Later than you Think