Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Slice of Life Tuesday: You are Orange

Join Two Writing Teachers and share a Slice of Life today!

I have been enamored with the book Poemcrazy: Free Your Life with Words, written by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge. Although I am about half-way through it, I love that so much of it emphasizes playing with words, phrases, and ideas. This book has helped me play in my writer’s notebook with different kinds of writing and exploring new words.

Susan Wooldridge shares that she often begins initial workshop sessions (after participants have collected words) by asking participants to write down in a list the first things they think of in response to this question:

If I were a color, what color would I be?

I began drafting a list in my notebook. I jotted down phrases like petal droplets, lilac blossoms, sky ribbons, daffodil surprises, and tulip stems (can you tell that I have been noticing signs of spring around me?). I conjured some fantastic images in my mind. However, I did not end up focusing on a specific color. Yet, for me, it was notebook play, and it is probably a list that I will maybe return to someday.

A peek into my notebook

My ten-year-old daughter, sitting next to me, peered at my list, and asked me what I was doing. I told her the exercise I was trying. I wondered what she, as a tween, would come up with. Here’s a snip of our conversation:

Me: If you were a color, what color would you be?
Daughter: I would be yellow. A bright yellow, not one that is faded. Because yellow is a color full of sunshine and joy.
Me: What kind of color do you think that I would be?
Daughter: Hmm... definitely not blue.
Me: Really? You know that I like blue. I wear SO much blue.
Daughter: I know, but blue is a cool color. It means sadness. You aren’t sad.
A few quiet moments pass.
Daughter: Oh, I know. Orange. You would be orange.
Me: Orange? Tell me more.
Daughter: Orange is a warm color. One of comfort and warmth. You are orange.

Orange has never been one of my favorite colors. To me, I think of blaze orange for hunting or construction cones. For me, it signals a warning. A caution. Yet, suddenly I thought of sunsets and sweet oranges and times spent in front of a campfire. Even in listening to my daughter’s explanation, I don’t always feel orange - full of comfort and warmth. Ultimately, I love knowing that right now, this is how my daughter sees me. Our conversation made me feel warm. So I don’t mind seeming orange to her.

14 comments:

  1. I love this! I always enjoy reading little people voices!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! It reminds me to listen (and write more) of what my kids say. They won't be little very long!

      Delete
  2. You should start adding a dash of orange to your wardrobe, just to remind yourself of this conversation - and to inspire you to be this person your daughter sees.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agreed! As I was walking this morning and saw the sun rise I was thinking about her comments.

      Delete
  3. Mmm... I love this conversation. So fascinating to hear how she sees you. So interesting that it's not how you see yourself. I wonder if orange will make its way into your life now?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is very possible that orange will make its way into my wardrobe - at least in pieces!!

      Delete
  4. Trina, I totally forgot about that book. Thanks for sharing it again. I like what you noted in your notebook and also the conversation with your daughter. Might you and your daughter be interested in a creative writing project with your thoughts? Here is the invitation to my spring gallery:
    beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2018/04/spring-salutations-with-invitation-to.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carol, thank you for the invite! We are thinking about participating in this! It would be fun!

      Delete
  5. So interesting to read this post right after one about another mother-daughter interaction that revolves around this same idea of how we see ourselves and how others see us, particularly our children. What a wonderfully open conversation to have with each other that conveys so much without needing to hurdle over and step around cliches.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Orange is one of my favorite colors, and I love that your daughter sees you as this rich, warm, comforting color. This is also a great writing prompt--definitely borrowing to make a list in my notebook.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! There are also questions like If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be? And, if you were a shape, what kind of shape would you be?

      Delete
  7. Such a beautiful post! Orange is awesome. I love the question about what color you would be....I'll have to ask my kids what they think!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I think that it would be interesting for you to hear as well! :)

      Delete
  8. I like how you built the slice from the writing inspiration and thought, to dialogue and finishing with reflection. Your daughter sees you in a lovely color.

    ReplyDelete

Slice of Life Challenge #23: Day 31/31: March Coffee Date

F or the month of March, each day I am writing and posting  a slice of my life , hosted by  Two Writing Teachers .  Slice of Life Challenge ...