I left my footprints in the snow.
I knew when I first saw the snow fall
that prints could be left by any and all.
I checked through the window to see in the drifts
there were three toed bird prints and cat paws there,
holes made from icicle drops in the snow’s tear.
When I finally made it out with boots on my feet
I didn’t waste time in my jumps and my leaps.
Looking behind to see what I had left to show,
I left my footprints in the snow.
When do you we lose our sense of questioning the world? I listen to my boys every day and their endless, and I mean endless questions. There is a constant line of questioning when we are getting up in the morning, when we are in the car, at nap time, bedtim
e and every other possible interlude in between. To us, it gets tiring.
“Why are the leaves falling off the trees?”, “Why do we have to put gas in the car?”, “What’s for dinner?”, “Why do I have to go to bed now?”, “Do you want a hot latte?”, “Where does the mail go when the mailman takes it?”, “How does the clock know what time it is?”… and so on.
To the kids credit however, there is the childish impulse to learn as much as they can about their world around them. Things that we take for granted every day are not missed by their eyes or their ears. Small snippets of conversation, books, and even musical lyrics are engrained in their heads. Little sponges.
As adults we often skim over these things in our multitasking world. If it is not on our list of things to do that will get us groceries bought, mortgage paid, clothes on back, and maybe a Saturday night out, then it is probably not going to be a priority.
At what point does our mind switch gears from sheer wonderment and imagination about the world around us and become goal driven devices? I am not sure which of these options is the best one to pursue. I am still trying to balance my childish whims with my adult responsibilities. I hope that I will always childish whims to balance.
Why are titles so hard to figure out. I know what I teach to my students. I teach them to look for titles in their already written words. Look for characters I tell them, or important objects or even the setting. There are a million meaningful titles available to you if you only look. The title is the first impression to the reader. Are you going to capture their attention with your title, you had better, or they will not even read the rest of your radiant words. There are so many perfect titles:
The Outsiders
Of Mice and Men
Romeo and Juliet
The Hunger Games
The Secret Life of Bees
These titles all say something important. They tell us some secret about what is contained in the pages and words. There is nothing more satisfying for me then finding that perfect title to go with something that I have written. Titles are not something to be overlooked in the writing process. They are a bit like the icing on the cake of a delicious read!
kristasurprenant.com 