Maybe We Can Find Home Again

Grandma and Grandpa Go West, , , , ,

Maybe We Can Find Home Again. Each book I write is a conversation with myself. I do not recognize what those conversations are about immediately. I had published four books in my Riverton Road series before I knew those me-chats were about going home. Or, not going home.

The First Title Should Have Told Me. A Wrong Way Home is Kara’s story. Her dilemma should have told me. Can Kara go home again? Riverton had birthed and nurtured, or failed to nurture, her? Riverton is a replica of the town where I was born and raised.

Kara’s Dilemma was My Dilemma. Could I go home again? Once upon a time I did just that. I went back home. I found Jonathan there. We found home in each other. That was fifty-four years ago this month. Wherever Jonathan is I am home. Wherever I am Jonathan is home.

My Dilemma Became Our Dilemma. Hometown worked for us until it did not. Could we find home elsewhere? We decided to seek that answer. We began to wander. This journey is the latest leg of that wandering. Grandma and Grandpa Go West. Maybe We Can Find Home Again.

Our Dilemma is Widespread These Days. Many of us have wandered into Dislocation Land. Or been sent here by circumstance. Many of us long with fractured hearts for something our memory venues call Home. We say we have moved on but maintain a grip on a corner of our back-there past.

Our Dilemma May Mean Heartache. The past is a problematic place. Our hearts revisit anyway. Like to a sore tooth you cannot stop flicking with your tongue. Maybe to find out if the pain is still there. Or, to remind ourselves of the intense experiences we left behind.

Consider the High School Reunion. We shop long and hard for attractive outfits to wear. We restyle our hair. We struggle to lose weight. Unfinished business resides back there. Battlefields not conquered the first time around. We long for more satisfying endings to those chapters. Maybe We Can Find Home Again.

We Warn Ourselves to Stay Away. “There be dragons!” We do not listen. We tempt fate anyway. We are the cats whom curiosity might kill. We risk waking the sleeping tiger anyway. We yank the tail of that jungle cousin who may dangerously outmatch the curious kitten in us.

The Pacific Northwest is Problematic for Jonathan and Me. We made our home there once. Five acres we lost and mourned. Unfinished business remains. Battlefields that caused deep heart injuries. Memories like open wounds. Personal trauma as fierce as those dragons and jungle cats.

You May Have Your Own Similar Stories. Tell your stories – if only to yourself.

  • A Moment of Need. What does Home mean to you? What does Home feel like to you? Was there ever a time in your life when you did not feel at home? Where were you then? What was missing for you in that place? What did not satisfy you in those circumstances? Make a Writing Journal. Tell these stories there.
  • Choice amidst Possible Risk. Were there foreseeable dangers in leaving the place that did not satisfy you? Could equally or nearly as unfavorable circumstances be the result? How might that danger impact your loved ones? How much did this influence you?
  • Doing It Anyway. Was there ever a time when you disregarded whatever warnings there might be and made the risky move anyway? Where did you go? What happened? If you have never done such a thing, imagine doing so. What happens and how does it feel?

Lesson Learned – If you never take a risk you may never achieve your dreams.

The Pacific Northwest is Beloved for Jonathan and Me. We made our home there once. A perfect yellow house. Wonderful friends. Warm community. Memories that make us smile. We turn our journey there again. Grandma and grandpa go West. Maybe We Can Find Home Again.

You possess storytelling magic. Keep on writing whatever may occur. AliceOrr  https://www.aliceorrbooks.com

Alice Orr. Teacher. Storyteller. Former Editor and Literary Agent. Author of 15 novels, 2 novellas, a memoir, and No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells.

Read Alice’s Memoir. Lifted to the Light: A Story of Struggle and Kindness. At the beating heart of this moving story a woman fights to survive. All her life she has taken care of herself. Now she faces an adversary too formidable to battle alone. Available HERE.

Praise for Lifted to the Light: A Story of Struggle and Kindness. “I was lifted. I highly recommend this book as a can’t-put-down roadmap for anyone.” “Very, very well written. Alice Orr is an amazing author.” “Honest, funny, and consoling.” “I have read other books by Ms. Orr and am glad I haven’t missed this one.” “Couldn’t put it down.”

Thrill Yourself with Alice’s Suspense Novel Series. Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series. Five intense stories of love, death and intrigue. Available HERE.

Praise for Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series. “Romance and suspense at its best.” “I highly recommend this page-turner series.” “Twists and turns, strong characters, suspense and passionate love.” “The writing is exquisite.”

Follow Alice on Substack. https://aliceorr.substack.com/

Ask Alice Your Crucial Questions. What are you most eager to know about telling your own real-life stories? Ask your questions as a Comment following this post.

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Conestoga Time Again

Grandma and Grandpa Go West, , , , , , , ,

Conestoga Time Again. I once visited the place in St. Louis where pioneers began their journey west. An arch and plaque marked the spot, but I barely noticed them. I could not take my eyes off the Conestoga Wagon or keep from envisioning my own version. It was a premonition. 

I am Old Enough to Remember the TV Show Called Wagon Train. Ward Bond whipped up a team of six horses and shouted “Yaa Haa!” from the front seat of a long, narrow, rather sleek vehicle, something like the Cadillacs of that bygone television era.

Sleek was Actually not Practical for a Real-Life Pioneer Journey West. The arch was little more than a widish space in the road back then, soon to be narrowed to two tracks, then to nothing at all. A black-and-white-screen Caddy would lurch apart and break in half on that tough trail. The compact dimensions of the authentic Conestoga were a much more common-sense Westward Pioneer Period design.

It Was Not Common Sense I Thought of as I Stared Transfixed at Pioneer Reality. I thought of a family – a couple of grandparents, mom and dad, some kids – packed with their most essential possessions into this small canvas-covered wagon, trundling toward the unknown. Conestoga Time Again.

Contemplate the First Folks that Said “Sounds like a Good Idea” to “Westward Ho.” They truly did have the unknown ahead of them. They must have been Horace Greeley‘s intended audience –  adventurous or desperate or both to the extreme. But – the folks who followed that first wave – contemplate what they contemplated.

Tales had Drifted Back by Then. Unending plains, wild rivers, parched deserts, daunting mountains. Cholera and understandably hostile natives. Sun-bleached livestock bones and rough-hewn crosses marked the trail westward. They went anyway. Adventurous or desperate as those before them, maybe a bit insane. Mostly, they were luminously brave.

I am Enthralled by that Luminous Image – Especially of the Women. I collect their journals and diaries. They tell of pregnant bellies shawled and blanketed against the jolts of a hard trail. Teacups swaddled in handmade quilts they call counterpanes. Remnants of a civilization left, often reluctantly, behind. Clinging to hope. Praying. Enduring.

Years Ago – We Enacted Our Own “Westward Ho.” Professional moving van. Car carrier. Penske truck with husband Jonathan at the wheel. South from NYC through ice storms. West to California and the Santa Anna Winds head-on. Hung a right at LA. North to Puget Sound. Hopin.Praying. Enduring. Every minute. Every mile. Conestoga Time Again.

Lesson Learned. You Can Do It – if you try. Tell Your Own Stories – if only to yourself.

  • A Moment of “Westward Ho.” Was there a time in your life when you heard a call to venture forward to another, maybe very different place? At what point in your life did this occur? Where was that beckoning place? Why were you tempted to go there in particular?
  • Choice amidst Possible Resistance. How would your family and friends have reacted to your temptation to take off into the unknown? If there had been resistance or disapproval, how would you have responded then? How would you respond now?
  • Doing It Anyway. Was there ever a time when you threw caution to the winds and leapt into the unknown? What did you do? Why did you do it? If you have never done such a thing, imagine yourself doing so. What happens and how do you feel?

Years Later – Déjà Vu All Over Again. In NYC once more a wagon train forms. I wrap teacups with tissue paper in lieu of a counterpane. Cardboard boxes pile high as we get ready for another trek west. Older folks in search of a new life. Conestoga Time Again.

You possess storytelling magic. Keep on writing whatever may occur. AliceOrr  https://www.aliceorrbooks.com

Alice Orr. Teacher. Storyteller. Former Editor and Literary Agent. Author of 15 novels, 2 novellas, a memoir, and No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells.

Read Alice’s Memoir. Lifted to the Light: A Story of Struggle and Kindness. At the beating heart of this moving story a woman fights to survive. All her life she has taken care of herself. Now she faces an adversary too formidable to battle alone. Available HERE.

Praise for Lifted to the Light: A Story of Struggle and Kindness. “I was lifted. I highly recommend this book as a can’t-put-down roadmap for anyone.” “Very, very well written. Alice Orr is an amazing author.” “Honest, funny, and consoling.” “I have read other books by Ms. Orr and am glad I haven’t missed this one.” “Couldn’t put it down.”

Thrill Yourself with Alice’s Suspense Novel Series. Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series. Five intense stories of love, death and intrigue. Available HERE.

Praise for Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series. “Romance and suspense at its best.” “I highly recommend this page-turner series.” “Twists and turns, strong characters, suspense and passionate love.” “The writing is exquisite.”

Follow Alice on Substack. https://aliceorr.substack.com/

Ask Alice Your Crucial Questions. What are you most eager to know about telling your own real-life stories? Ask your questions as a Comment following this post.

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Our Road West Hits A Sharp Turn

Grandma and Grandpa Go West, , , , , , , , ,

Our Road West Hits a Sharp Turn. What we thought was the whole truth turns out to be part truth or no truth at all. The bright light of new knowledge reveals secrets. Everything changes. Unfortunately for the worse. The stakes soar. I am a fiction writer. A plot twist like this enlivens a novel. A twist like this is much less enjoyable in real life. And we were plot twisted for sure.

First Shock – the Unreliable Narrator. People we trust tell us a story. We base our journey on that narrative. Eventually we learn they have not told the story accurately. They were either lying or somehow lacked the knowledge needed to tell the truth. We have been misled. Everything we previously believed is suddenly rendered unbelievable. Our entire enterprise is cast into doubt

We must Figure Out What is True and What is Not True. We had believed these people to be our friends. We were convinced they had our best interests at heart. Maybe that was the case. Maybe it was not. We can no longer be certain of anything. Up to and including this moment of revelation we had no reason to doubt the story we were told. Now we are totally bewildered.

Next Shock – the Red Herring. Our attention was drawn away from the truth. Our gaze was directed to glowing photos of our destination. We were dazzled by impressive websites of the projects we would participate in there. In reality – the place turned out to be a dump. The projects did not exist. Not in offline life anyway. Our Road West Hits a Sharp Turn.

Red Herrings Work Well in Suspense Novels. Truth is revealed.  Readers are surprised. They smack their foreheads and exclaim, “I should have seen that coming. Why didn’t I figure that out myself?” The surprise is nonetheless enjoyable. That red herring is a device in a fiction story. In real life there is no enjoyment. There is disillusionment and a rude awakening. A very rude awakening.

Another Shock – the Epiphany. Our long-time friends always portrayed themselves as reliable. Information to the contrary has now been revealed. A bright light is trained upon a dark corner. We are forced to experience an epiphany about those friendships. In a novel such a twist is fortunate for the storytelling. In our actual lives it was only unsettling. Very unsettling.

We must Re-Examine Our Journey for Missteps. What did we do wrong? Why were we so readily led astray by what is now so obviously false? We are intelligent people. How could we be so easily duped? Exploited? Maybe even scammed. We look back. We see clear clues we ignored. We realize we should not have done that. Did we simply want too desperately to believe? We must take responsibility for that – for all of it. Our Road West Hits a Sharp Turn.

One Possible Consolation is Poetic Justice. The exploited are saved by their virtues. A satisfying ending occurs. God is in His heaven. All’s right with the world. In our lives we were exploited but not faultless. God gifts us with a crucial virtue anyway. We are guided to truths we need to know. This time we respond from sadder but wiser hearts. We must now save ourselves.

You May Have Your Own Similar Stories. Tell your stories – if only to yourself.

  • A Moment of Need to Believe. Was there ever a time in your life when you wanted very badly for your circumstances to change? A time when you were presented with an opportunity for that change to happen and needed that promise to be true? When in your life did this occur? What was the promise? What drew you to it so strongly?
  • Choice amidst Possible Risk. Were there foreseeable dangers in grasping this possible opportunity? Could the outcome be something other than what you hoped for or were promised? What advice were you given by family and friends? Did you listen?
  • Doing It Anyway. Was there ever a time when you disregarded whatever warnings there might be and made the risky choice anyway? What did you do? What happened? If you have never done such a thing, imagine doing so. What happens and how does it feel?

Lesson Learned – Fall down seven times. Get up eight.

We Make a Shame-Faced Admission of Misplaced Trust. We allowed our need to believe to undermine our common sense. A fresh direction is required. We can turn around and go back east where we long belonged. Or move on. What will we do? Further choices and adventures await. Surprises too. Maybe even another chapter where Our Road West Hits a Sharp Turn.

You possess storytelling magic. Keep on writing whatever may occur. AliceOrr  https://www.aliceorrbooks.com

Alice Orr. Teacher. Storyteller. Former Editor and Literary Agent. Author of 15 novels, 2 novellas, a memoir, and No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells.

Read Alice’s Memoir. Lifted to the Light: A Story of Struggle and Kindness. At the beating heart of this moving story a woman fights to survive. All her life she has taken care of herself. Now she faces an adversary too formidable to battle alone. Available HERE.

Praise for Lifted to the Light: A Story of Struggle and Kindness. “I was lifted. I highly recommend this book as a can’t-put-down roadmap for anyone.” “Very, very well written. Alice Orr is an amazing author.” “Honest, funny, and consoling.” “I have read other books by Ms. Orr and am glad I haven’t missed this one.” “Couldn’t put it down.”

Thrill Yourself with Alice’s Suspense Novel Series. Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series. Five intense stories of love, death and intrigue. Available HERE.

Praise for Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series. “Romance and suspense at its best.” “I highly recommend this page-turner series.” “Twists and turns, strong characters, suspense and passionate love.” “The writing is exquisite.”

Follow Alice on Substack. https://aliceorr.substack.com/

Ask Alice Your Crucial Questions. What are you most eager to know about telling your own real-life stories? Ask your questions as a Comment following this post.

http://facebook.com/aliceorrwriter/
http://twitter.com/AliceOrrBooks/

https://bsky.app/profile/aliceorr.bsky.social/
http://goodreads.com/aliceorr/
http://pinterest.com/aliceorrwriter/