Sunday, January 31, 2010

new work in progress has no name


I sat down yesterday and was feeling the itch to write.  Not just blog but actually write something tangible.  Lately coming up with things that aren't short quips about family and life has been difficult.  But then I started writing and this is what I came up with.  Let me know what you think and if you think I should continue writing it or is it too boring?

Charles Brody never imagined this would happen.   It seemed life was like this though, at least where he were concerned.  He’d been here before.  One moment he’d been a thriving student, working his way toward a degree in a sports medicine.  God he wanted to be a doctor for athletes.  He wanted to help them get better and rehabilitate to get back into the game.  Guess the joke had been on him, because he’d been the one doing the rehabilitation.   That was the card God had dealt him though and it was one he had to live with.
Over the years Charles had questioned it.  Why him?  Why had he been chosen?  How come he survived?  What plan did God have for him?  Which direction was he supposed to go?  Oh, he’d questioned it.  How could he not?
The accident should have killed him.  In fact, many times Charles or “Charlie” as everyone called him; had sometimes wished it had.  But we don’t get to decide what happens.  We don’t get to choose.  All we get to do is follow and make the best choices possible and hope we don’t get fucked in the end because the rest…
The rest is up to him.
At least that is how Charles saw it and he’d been through enough shit in his life to believe what we do and the choices we make do not give up the power to change anything.  A card laid is a card played and it’s the dealer who decides whether you get an Ace of Spades or bust.  The key is to play your best hand and hope you come out of it with something of value.
That is what Charles tried to do.  For the past thirty years he’d tried to live the best life he knew how.  Not one without mistakes because that is retarded to think as human beings we are infallible from perfection. 
No, he just tried to be a good man and it hadn’t been easy.  There were times Charles thought he’d be better off if he just finished off the job God had started, but he knew doing that would be like spitting in God’s face.  The face of the second chance he’d been given and Charles believed in second chances.  Heck, who didn’t?  It was what kept us going on a daily basis.  We fuck up and we make amends.  That was how it went.  L
And Charles… he’d fucked up.  He’d fucked up bad.
The road he traveled hadn’t been paved with gold or smooth.  It was a road paved with pebbles that would constrict and bleed any mans feet; no matter what size shoes he was wearing.  It was a path worth traveling though.  A path that had given Charles his wife; his Joey and for that Charles would be eternally gratefully.
Joey was his rock.  She was his best friend; more than a wife and mother.  She’d been the one constant in Charles’s life.  She helped to keep him sane and lord knows that was not an easy task for Charles.  She was the reason he got up in the morning.  She and the boys were his entire life.
Ricky was his pride and joy.  Fifteen years old; he was as tall as an oak tree and Charles couldn’t be prouder.  Their relationship hadn’t been without perilous angst.  Nothing ever came easy for Charles.  Why would he think this would; being a stepfather to one of the most amazing kids he’d ever had the privilege of knowing.
Ricky had his issues.  He’d struggled for many years; fighting with Charles every step of the way.  Ricky’s biological father couldn’t give him the time of day and that had been the reason for the many many arguments that had ensued between he and Charles.  Ricky had had anger built up inside of him and his resentment bounced of Charles with each emotion using Charles as a backboard.  Sometimes Charles would allow the basket to drop and give Ricky the two points, and other times…  Charles bounced back.  That was just how their relationship went.
It had been difficult especially for Joey.  She was always caught in the middle between the two of them; something Charles felt bad about.  That is just how things were though.  It couldn’t be helped.  It was what happened between a father and son.  Joey wanted to control it though; despite Charles trying to explain that in time things would ease up and get better.  She was a stubborn woman though and pushed for them to get along; to see eye to eye.
And then there was Rhys and Trace.
Rhys was twelve and he was the most like Charles when it came to looks and attitude.  He was also Charles’s son from his first long term relationship.  Trace was eight and more than a handful.  He was blessing God had given to Joey and him.  But it hadn’t been a blessing without its tangles.  Trace had been born with Cerebral Palsy and he had Asperger’s, which is a form of autism.
Charles still remembered the day the neurologist had told Joey and him the news concerning Trace, which was a miracle when you thought about it since Charles didn’t remember much.  It had also been a day that had devastated Joey; finding out their beautiful baby boy they’d fought hard to bring to this world would have disabilities and be recovering from a brain injury.  The news caused Charles to laugh aloud.
It wasn’t that he didn’t care or didn’t get the seriousness of the situation and hand his son had been dealt.  Charles just got it.  He’d already seen the signs long before Joey had and he knew from the moment Trace had been born that something was different and not quite right; and yet so familiar.
And why wouldn’t it seem that way?
Charles knew all about brain injuries.  He was a TBI survivor, suffering a traumatic brain injury after the accident.  A present God had given him apparently.  One that Charles often thought of as curse though.  It caused him to forget things on a daily basis and not just little things.  Charles forgot nearly everything.  Each night he went to sleep his slate was usually wiped clean of the day’s events, conversations he had with people, places he’d gone to that day; that had been God’s will for him.
It wasn’t fate that caused their son to be born with similar afflictions.  At least not as far as Charles were concerned.  It was God.  He knew that one day Charles would be the only person Trace would be able to connect with.  It sure as heck wouldn’t be Joey.  She struggled with that and it killed her.  But Charles; he tried to help her see reason and not butt heads with the fact their son lived in a different world.  A world that most would find themselves lost inside.  Trace found solace in.  Charles was amazed at how far Trace had actually come.
“Mr. Brody?”  A woman called out and Charles glanced up.  “Mr. Jacobs will see you now.”
Charles nodded.  He stood up from the comfortable leather chair and strode across the hall and down the corridor to the last office on the left.  He sucked in a long and deep reassuring breath, before opening the door.
Charles had known Mike Jacobs for the past thirty years.  They’d played ball together up in Vanderhoof, graduating from the same high school.  Mike was always making the papers as one of the best attorney’s in Vancouver.  The guy was good at his job.
“Charlie boy!”  Mike rose from his desk, smiling brightly.  He outstretched his hand and Charlie shook it.  “How the hell have you been buddy?  Come in and sit down.  Let’s get to business.  I have a busy afternoon.”
Charles sat.  He stared out the twenty second story window that overlooked beautiful downtown Vancouver.  “I have all the documents here, ready to be signed.”  Mike told him.
Charles took a deep breath.  He was about to drop a bomb.  He pushed the papers back toward Mike and Mike stared at him puzzled.  “I’m not signing anything,” he told his friend with confidence.
“But Charlie…”  Mike interjected his voice slight with confusion.
Charles shook his head.  He wasn’t signing anything.  In fact he had another idea and clasping his hands together he stared at Mike.  “I’m not signing.  I need your help.”  Charles said flatly.
Charles knew Mike was going to disapprove.  They’d been going over this for the past year and half and now it was the moment of truth.  The moment where Charles took fate and twisted it out of God’s hands to make something of his own, and Charles wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
“I don’t understand.”  Mike said looking at Charles.  “What exactly is it you want me to do?  Joey wants you to sign these by the end of the day.  That was the agreement.”
Said who?  Charles thought.  He never agreed to anything, certainly not this.  Nothing was going to stop him.  He’d come too far and for too long.  “I need you to buy me some time.”  Charles told him.
Mike shook his head, uncertain.  “Charlie… time for what?”
Now that was the question wasn’t it?  That is what it all came down to.  Charles paused.  He could feel the swell of emotion begin to spiral inside of him, which he wasn’t used to.  Having a brain injury made it nearly impossible most times to feel a connection to his feelings.  That was something Charles hated.
Charles knew Mike wouldn’t understand.  Heck, he didn’t give a shit either if Mike or anyone else did.  This was his choice to make and nobody had to understand his reasons.  He just needed to do this.
“I need you to buy me some time so I can get my wife back!”
Mike released a long sigh and sat back in his chair looking at Charlie with that pathetic “this isn’t going to work” look that everyone seemed to be giving Charles lately, but Charles didn’t care.  It was what he wanted.  He wanted Joey back.  He wanted his life back and that was exactly what Charles was going to do.  Get her back and his life, before it was too late…
God knows he had to try.


Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Blogger Needed for 2010 Olympics


Craig's list one of my favorite sites to be on sometimes has writing opportunities for local writers looking for some extra work.  Today I came across this ad...

We're looking for a full time blogger to come on board for the next 60 days to blog full-time on vancouver and the vancouver 2010 games. Must be able to write quick, insightful blog posts on vancouver. This is a contract position and the candidate must be able to work on site at our yaletown office. Please send previous writing samples for consideration.

  • Location: Yaletown
  • Compensation: $9/blog post
  • This is a contract job.
  • Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
  • Please, no phone calls about this job!
  • Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

Seems like a good position.  If you are interested give it a try.  You might get to see some fantastic action during the games and you get paid to talk about.  If it's not for you then please pass the link around for others to take advantage.

Have a great day, sparked with tons of creativity.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Cat's Life

I received this in my inbox and as always I am sharing this amazing call out opportunity for writers.




As many of you know this title was going to focus on the grieving and recovery process we humans go through after the loss of a beloved cat.

However, despite the many heartwarming and inspirational stories you have submitted, we decided that the topic is too narrow.

We have added to the book and changed the title to Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Cat's Life: 101 Stories about All the Ages and Stages of Our Feline Family Members.

In its new form the book will focus on all the memorable ages and stages our cat's lives.

Starting with kittens, it will cover the prime years, aging cats, and finally the twilight and the end, when our dear friends leave us.

We want to capture the experience of living through the natural life cycle with our cats.

Because of the title's initial form we expect to have a nice large section on grieving and recovery (which isn't filled despite our collecting submissions!).

We are looking for true stories and poems written in the first person of no more than 1,200 words. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both.

We look forward to reading all the heartwarming, inspirational, funny, crazy stories you have of your cat's life that we can all relate to.

Here are a few suggested topics:

Has your cat ever done something that made you laugh out loud?

Tell us the story.
How did you get your cat, and how did it change your life?
Have you had/do you have more than one cat?

How was one different than the other? How do they relate to each other?

Has there been a family situation that your cat took part in that was memorable?

Teenagers, human or feline, can be tough to live with. What did surviving the teenage years, around eighteen months, teach you?

When your cat arrived into his/her young adult and adult years, what did you cherish about the companionship you shared?

The senior years begin around age seven. What routines have you and your cat established that are the essence of your bond?

Twilight years and the end... it comes to all of us, how did you grieve? How did you recover?

If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose.

You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story.

SUBMISSIONS GO TO http://chickensoupforthesoul.com/form.asp?cid=submit_story.

DEADLINE IS MARCH 30, 2010. Book is scheduled for publication March 2011.


CONTACT US

Please do not reply or send questions to this address. For any further questions or correspondence, contact webmaster@chickensoupforthesoul.com or visit our website at http://www.chickensoup.com.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Chicken Soup Call out: My Dog's Life


As always I share emails I get for stories needed by writers by many online websites or publishers.  Today this came in from Jack and Mark, my favorite guys from Chicken Soup for the Soul:



Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Dog's Life
101 Stories about All the Ages and Stages of Our Canine Companions



As many of you know this title was going to focus on the grieving and recovery process we humans go through after the loss of a family dog. However, despite the many heartwarming and inspirational stories you have submitted, we decided that the topic is too narrow.

We have added to the book and changed the title to Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Dog's Life: 101 Stories about All the Ages and Stages of Our Canine Companions. In it's new form the book will focus on all the memorable ages and stages of our dog's lives. Starting in puppyhood it will cover a range of middle years, senior dogs, and finally the twilight and the end, when our dear friends leave us. We want to capture the experience of living through the natural life cycle with our dogs. Because of the title's initial form we expect to have a nice large section on grieving and recovery (which isn't filled despite our collecting submissions!).

We are looking for true stories and poems written in the first person of no more than 1,200 words. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. We look forward to reading all the heartwarming, inspirational, funny, crazy stories you have of your dog's life that we can all relate to.


Here are a few suggested topics:

When you trained your dog to do something, what happened?
Has your dog ever done something that made you laugh out loud? Tell us the story.
How did you get your dog, and how did it change your life?
Have you had more than one dog? How was one different than the other?
Has there been a family situation that your dog took part in that was memorable?
Toddlerhood is a stage that all puppies go through from around three to seven months -- how were your dog's toddler years? How did he/she make you laugh or drive you crazy?
Teenagers, human or canine, can be tough to live with. What did surviving the teenage years, around eight - eighteen months, teach you?
When your dog arrived into his/her young adult and adult years, what did you cherish about the companionship you shared?
The senior years... depending on the breed or breeds your dog is, the senior years begin around age seven. How did you modify your life to care for your aging dog?
Twilight years and the end... it comes to all of us, how did you grieve? How did you recover?

    If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story.

    SUBMISSIONS GO TO http://chickensoupforthesoul.
    com/form.asp?cid=submit_story.

    DEADLINE IS MARCH 30, 2010. Book is scheduled for publication March 2011.


    CONTACT US

    Please do not reply or send questions to this address. For any further questions or correspondence, contact webmaster@chickensoupforthesoul.com or visit our website at http://www.chickensoup.com.

    TO UNSUBSCRIBE please send an e-mail to webmaster@chickensoupforthesoul.com with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line or mail your request to:

      Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC P.O. Box 700 Cos Cob, CT 06807-0700

    Sunday, January 3, 2010

    How to tell if you have an infected wound


    Article written for Helium.com by JP Shaw


    How to tell if you have an infected wound or not is a question many people ask after injuring themselves.  How can I tell if my wound is infected?  There are several signs and symptoms to look for and all wounds are different.  A wound can be caused by a cut , burn, a scrape or even an insect bite like from a spider or mosquito.  Most people are not sure when is a good time to visit a doctor or even an emergency room.  Here are some ways to tell if you have an infected wound.

    Look for swelling.  Any infection can swell slightly once an injury occurs but if an infection is present the infected area and swelling will become worse over time and will not appear to get any better.  Swelling can include the area around the infection as well as any limbs attached.  For example if bitten by a spider on the ankle; the entire ankle can become swollen.  If the swelling gets worse and persists after a few days then a visit to the doctor is a must to see if antibiotics are needed to clear up the infection.

    A wound will almost always have slight redness around the infected area at first.  Damage to the skin and area surrounding can become inflamed to start.  However if the area of infection is red and the appearance is getting worse then it's time to see your doctor.  The area of redness can also include a blood trail down a limb which can be harmful and lead to clots and problems and require hospitalization if left untreated.

    Soreness is a sign.  Most wounds hurt at the beginning but they often improve over time as the wound heals.  A wound that doesn't improve can hurt badly and soreness or stiffness can cause a further harmful reaction and does not get better but worse over time may require a visit to the doctor.  A wound without an infection usually heals within one to two days.  More than that  should be looked at to make sure the infection doesn't spread.

    Smell yourself seems like a funny statement but can be a key indicator of infection.  A cut or abrasion, burn or scrape that becomes infected can often cause puss, a yellowish or whitish discharge and can leave a strong odor that trails from the wound.  This is another way to tell if you have infection or not as your body tries to heal.

    Hydrogen Peroxide can be your friend in telling you if you have an infection or not.  Pour a small amount of peroxide on your wound and if the wound bubbles and stings a bit and a whitish substance shows over top of the wound then you most likely have an infection.  Peroxide can be used to help heal a wound.

    No matter what just monitor your wound and keep an eye out for these key factors letting you know if you have infection or not.  Listen to yourself as your body will talk to you letting you know something is wrong.  Keep the wound clean, free of dirt and other particles that could help spread an infection around the wound.  Use a band-aid if you feel covering the wound is necessary, peroxide to clean the wound and polysporin an over the counter medication useful for cuts, scrapes, bites and other smaller abrasions to help it heal and lead you back to the road of recovery.