The Writing Experiment

Oct. 24, 2010

Well today began a new experiment. I spend an enormous amount of time at the computer playing Spider Solitaire. I have been feeling this is such a waste of time, like watching TV all the time. So, I was looking for something that would at least be productive, so I thought, why not write, just for the fun of it. No deadline, no end in sight, just write. Who knows what may develop?. So, I started to write a story about my grandmother, on my mother's side....Laurie I have an old picture of her and my grandfather, sitting outside on the ground, sourronded by my mother, Edie, and her two sisters, Leia and Martie. So far, I have written a couple of paragraphs. I am fascinated by the picture. I never knew my grandmother, and Mama wouldn't talk much about her side of the family. So, I try to put myself into the picture and imagine what it would be like to be there with them, as an invisible outsider, to see how they interact and what they are like. The photograph is a good one. I don't know who took the picture, but it doesn't look real posed. It looks like they captured them in a moment in time. Grandmother looks posed, all prim and proper, but my grandfather looks like he's trying to shrink in the background. The sisters, are not smiling, except Mary, who appears to have almost a smirk on her face. She looks to be about 12 - 14. long legged and gangly. Aunt Martie got pregnant out of wedlock. Mama said she was wild as a March Hare, whatever that is. The father of her baby would not marry her. A guy named Luke married her. Mama was so ashamed of that. Back in those days, it was a real scandel to get pregnant out of wedlock. Many years, later, my older sister, also got pregnant out of wedlock. Mama was devastated and had a nervous breakdown as a result. My sister's boyfriend married her though. They have been married for more than 40 years and have three children and 5 grandchildren and 1 grandchild. Years later, one of my sister's grandaughters, got pregnant out of wedlock, twice. She's had 2 babies by the same man, but they have never married. It did not appear to be a scandel now and Mama did not have a nervous breakdown. It is really interesting to see how society has changed. It is no longer a scandel to get pregnant out of wedlock, nor to live together no married. My son is living with his girlfriend. I really do not see where marriage is going these days. People still get married, but, most live together before they take that step. So, it still seems to be revelant. What has caused this decline in the value of marriage. They lack of commitment on the couple's part? A fear of divorce and all that entails? The friviouls act of marriage between gays and lesbians? Has all this made marriage not important? I don't know. This phenomen is not just America. It appears to be in all developing countries.