Monday, September 13, 2010

Advice I Remember Contest


ADVICE I REMEMBER CONTEST

We are endlessly given advice. Usually it’s in one ear and out the other. But once in awhile something sticks.

What stuck with me: I was walking down the sidewalk back when I was in college. Since I was tall I tended to slouch. A young black male passed me and without breaking stride said, “Walk proud tall girl.’ I’m not sure why that has stuck with me, but it has. I don’t always remember to follow his advice but I’ve never forgotten it.

For a chance to win a PDF copy of GROUNDED just leave a comment mentioning the advice that stuck with you at www.downtownya.blogspot.com. The drawing will be next Sunday, September 19th.

Intro:
Be careful what you wish for.
While I’m dropping pearls of wisdom let me add, read the fine print.
Why am I wasting my time offering warnings that no one is going to listen to? Because as humans we have this unconquerable urge to try to help others learn from our mistakes. Or in this case my great, great, great, great grandmother’s mistakes.
She came from a very poor background and consequently wanted it all, riches beyond measure, beauty. Need I say more?
Great-great-plus Grams stumbled onto a genie’s lamp and made her wish.
You don’t believe in genies?
Trust me. They’re real all right. Unfortunately, when my ancient relative made her wish she didn’t bother to listen to the genie’s warning of strings attached. This lack of foresight has a direct bearing on the first born daughter of each generation, i.e. me.
To put it mildly, my life is complicated. I am literally grounded forever.
I live on a lavish estate in the mountains of North Carolina. Between sunset and dawn, my life is my own. But during the day I’m grounded in several hundred pounds of marble. If you happen to wander by the Stone estate and peep through the fence, you’ll hear the rippling sounds of water from a lovely manmade pool surrounded by lush fragrant flowers. Beside it stands a life size statue of a young woman, with long flowing hair and classic bone structure, draped in a Greek toga a cat at her feet.
The young woman is me.
The cat is Merrick.

2 comments:

Julia Rachel Barrett said...

Very good advice. Interesting how certain things stay with you. Wow.

Molly Daniels said...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book:)