Stay alert! Chairman Joe warned. This, after I had blissfully accepted the invitation to become a contributor to the Wannaskan Almanac. Those days [in between posts] go by quickly!
I had just submitted my first post for the Almanac and was ridin’ high. Woo, hoo, I’m a blog writer - look at me! Then Joe puts the fear of God in me. I can’t blame him. You folks have been writing the Almanac for, what? Four or five years? More? Ya, I like to fancy myself a writer, but to sustain the effort, I’m gonna have to go some.
When I taught creative writing years ago, the title of the school’s annual literary magazine was BLANK. And my raison d’etre was to challenge writers to dig deep; to reach beyond predictable resistance and perceived limitations; to stare down the proverbial blank page. Which is exactly what I’m doing right now. Eeek!
In theory, I’m a big believer in the idea that creativity begets creativity. As a teacher, I wanted to provide students with experiences of what it’s like to push the envelope. So, one day I came up with the idea of having them develop a list of 101 original somethings. I must have been listening to Paul Simon sing about his 50 Ways to Lose Your Lover. To my ear a hundred and one ways sounded more daring. I knew it would appeal to kids attracted to the undoable; for the groaners, I felt sure it would be a dynamic encounter.
Up front, I stipulated that these things, the items on the list, couldn’t be anything that could be searched for on the internet; it couldn’t be a list of ice-cream flavors, or pop songs, or movies. The purpose of the list was to mine for personal gold: 101 reasons for wanting/not wanting to go to the prom; 101 excuses I make up for coming home after curfew; 101 hopes in my heart for spring break; 101 reasons I want to go out with Eddie (or Sheila or Drew); 101 reasons why I hate social media.
A veteran at defending myself against student resistance, I put myself through the paces first. The result was my first List of 101 Possible Lists of 101 that I created on a roadtrip one weekend with my husband, Jim. Although I’m curious as to what was on my long-lost, original list, I’ll never forget the varied stages we went through as we wrote it. The mad-woman in me knew it could be done, but along the way I questioned my sanity. Throughout the process of developing the list there were fits and starts as we bounced back and forth from initial enthusiasm, to doubt; from frustration (like, what was I thinking?!) to ultimate satisfaction. We were inspired; we got stuck. Ultimately, we drank the sheer joy of having done the impossible.
For this post, then, I took a deep breath, rolled up my sleeves, and made up a fresh list of possible things I could write about. I don’t want to let you people down.
Ginny’s List
of
One Hundred and One Things to Write About
- 101 obstacles to being clear and direct.
- 101 reasons why I’m better off if I am.
- 101 excuses for why I was always late for anything when I was a kid.
- 101 reality shows that should never air.
- 101 reality shows that I would definitely see.
- 101 alternative ways to structure time.
- 101 titles to use for my memoir.
- 101 new colors I’d pitch to Crayola.
- 101 reasons for lighting a candle
- 101 original creation myths to explain life’s beginnings.
- 101 thoughts upon waking.
- 101 regrets at the end of the day.
- 101 paradoxes worth puzzling.
- 101 topics that float when I’m walking.
- 101 poems I wish to have published.
- 101 hopes to own up to.
- 101 things I’d like to know about but don’t.
- 101 indications that anything is possible.
- (Now that I know more), 101 vows I’d have made at my wedding.
- 101 reasons to just stay in bed.
- 101 reasons to get up and go.
- 101 tips for getting along.
- 101 reasons for scattering ashes.
- 101 examples of life as absurd, unpredictable, bearable (thanks to Leonard Woolf)
- 101 thoughts when I’m out chopping wood.
- 101 ways I’m obtuse to my blindspots.
- 101 blindspots I wish that my (relative, friend, neighbor, co-worker) could see.
- 101 occasions for throwing confetti.
- 101 wisdoms to practice while aging.
- 101 reasons why I so love my friends.
- 101 instances for side-lining prudence.
- 101 benefits to having kids who grew up.
- 101 uses for the stick that I’ve placed by the door.
- 101 questions I can’t wait to ask for God.
- 101 things to do when everyone is asleep but me.
- 101 explanations for why I love making bread.
- 101 paragraphs after circling the moon.
- 101 slogans I’d invent for a tee shirt.
- 101 reasons to open the windows.
- 101 reasons to lock all the doors.
- 101 ways to leave a lover.
- 101 ways to betray a good friend.
- 101 holidays that should be declared.
- 101 landscapes I’ll never forget.
- 101 saints I’d love to talk to.
- 101 ways to regroup when I’m failing.
- 101 things I’ve learned about love because I’ve been married for 55 years.
- 101 secrets that I’ll never tell.
- 101 flavor combinations for the daring.
- 101 reasons to build a new building.
- 101 ways that I duck nagging doubts.
- A profile of myself on the 101 ways I’m so reactive.
- 101 ways I ignore rules that are senseless.
- 101 rules I’ve created to set myself free.
- 101 habits I’m trying to break.
- 101 instances when life isn’t fair.
- 101 practices that enhance my being.
- 101 ways I can be a stick in the mud.
- 101 ways to flow more like water.
- 101 metaphors for whatever I’m in the mood to imagine.
- 101 praises to sing for my ancestors.
- 101 highlights to re-live from childhood.
- 101 antiques I’ve bought and loved.
- 101 behaviors I’d redo from last week.
- Mine 101(or less) titles from my bookshelf.
- 101 issues as gross as a hairball.
- 101 jobs I might have worked at with pleasure.
- 101 jobs I wouldn’t do if you paid me.
- 101 original first lines for new poems.
- 101 memorable meals I’ve captured in photos.
- 101 recipes I make all the time.
- 101 humiliations I’d rather forget.
- 101 triumphs worth a place on my mantle.
- 101 lies that I wish I hadn't told.
- 101 occasions when I’d bolt in a heartbeat.
- 101 growth edges I’m fighting/leaning towards.
- 101 times I’ve felt stuck to the floor.
- 101 ways that my culture has formed me.
- 101 motivating people.
- 101 ways that time’s speeded up.
- 101 names I’d call death if I could. (All hail, Markus Zusak!).
- 101 talks that I’ve had with the ocean.
- 101 secrets I’ve learned from the woods.
- 101 times in my life I’ve been startled.
- 101 crises that damn near undid me.
- 101 excursions that changed me forever.
- 101 sibling stories I could tell.
- 101 reasons to look up at treetops.
- 101 excuses for staring down at the floor.
- 101 techniques to jumpstart my thinking.
- 101 practices I’ve borrowed from other cultures, religions, and ways of thinking.
- After blowing a gasket, 101 ways I calm down.
- 101 uses for logs besides burning.
- 101 sneaks I now feel safe reporting.
- 101 choices I’d rather not made.
- 101 fires I should have put out.
- 101 trash heaps I’ve happily picked.
- 101 treasures I’ve found on the ground.
- 101 ways I’d pick night over daytime.
- 101 ways daytime’s better than night.
- 101 times when I float as in a snow globe.
- 101 ways I stay stuck in the past.
- 101 ways to be open to the future.
- 101 complaints that I should probably stifle.
- 101 musings while gathering kindling.
- 101 bits of evidence that time is everything.
- 101 reasons why writing makes me more real.
- 101 ways to begin again.
- 101 phrases to describe 101 memorable people I have both known and imagined.
- 101 reasons why changing the pace and the scenery helps everything.
- 101 blocks to missing my parents.
- 101 ways I know I have a heart.
- 101 impediments to my ferocity.
- 101 relationships that stretch me to grow.
- 101 virtues/vices I could wake up to.
- 101 causes for my remorse.
- 101 hopes and dreams I could nurture.
- 101 reasons why it seems that everything hinges on. . .
- 101 ways these ideas must come together.
Ok, so, I took a week or so to build what’s obviously becoming a voluminous list. That’s about the same time I’d give my students. At certain points, the process became oddly addictive; each idea became a kind of Dopamine hit. When I got close to 100, the pump had been primed, and the hyperbolic nature of the task had worked its magic. It seems I have just begun to clean off the windshield of what I really might want to explore for an actual post. (I subsequently jumbled the order to eliminate any qualitative assessment).
I know the work of digging in; I tend to write slowly and with blood. You long time writers of the Almanac demonstrate what happens when a topic is seriously explored for the richness contained beyond the surface. It’s great to be among you. I’m inspired and excited. Can you tell?
Usually I'm bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when I get up in the mornings,(some mornings singing and/or whistling) but after reading that short list of 101 things, and its suggestion that there are possibly thousands more 101-lists that one could, well, list, I think I may have to go back to bed for a nap or snag a cup of Woe Wednesday's superb coffee. Too much brain work too early.
ReplyDelete1. grumpiness.
ReplyDelete2. sunnier outlook.
3. nose hairs.
4. Winsome Wannaskans.
5. Gregarious Gryglans.
6. Upside down.
7. The Skinny on Ginny.
8. WannaskanWhite
9. To clear the air after Sven passes gas.
10. Before The First.
11. Time to smile.
12. I should have had another raisin.
13. "I never lie," lied Sven.
14. Airy fairies.
15. Snowy Travels to Greenbush.
16. You're in charge.
17. Qubits.
18. Sven or Ula.
19. To repeat my vow each day.
20. Jim.
21. You can't be happy staying in one place too long.
22. See the big picture.
23. I have too many ashes.
24. Sven catapults a skunk into your yard.
25. Steady.
26. Your left hemisphere doesn't know how much it doesn't know.
27. Your nasal discharge.
28. Any gathering at the Shedéau.
29. Focus on the cute eye wrinkles when you smile.
30. Life is too boring when it's just you.
31. Talking to a racist.
32. Help when moving.
33. Back scratcher when Jim's away.
34. Are you a girl?
35. Write a pram.
36. The smell.
37. We had a spectacular aurora borealis last night...
38. Be My Boo.
39. Sven passing gas.
40. Zombies.
41. In the dark.
42. Stupidly.
43. Palmville Day.
44. The Roseau River, South Fork.
45. Eubestrabius.
46. Breathe.
47. He's still here; I must be doing something right.
48.
49. Liver-flavored banana syrup.
50. More closet space.
51. Write a pram.
52. If you only knew...
53. That's not my problem.
54. One more won't kill me.
55. Lists.
56. Mornings.
57. Smiling.
58. Staying in bed.
59. Start with your hips.
60. Butterfly.
61. Thank you.
62. My first milkshake.
63. Backscratcher.
64. Pouting.
65. Gravity's Rainbow.
66. Jim's toothbrush.
67. Poet Laureate.
68. Hairball picker upper.
69. I'm my own franchise.
70. Joe's pizza.
71. Bread.
72. My first date.
73. Any of my student report cards.
74. I'm serious.
75. An invitation to pizza night at the Shedéau.
76. Muffin top.
77. Any cineplex matinee.
78. Your shoes.
79. Smile.
80. I was enjoying my self.
81. Wuss.
82. Oooooooooh!
83. Everything goes to ground.
84. End of any date.
85. Beginning of any date.
86. First date.
87. Second date.
88. Hope.
89. Maybe she'll go away.
90. Smile.
91. Breathe.
92. Breathe.
93. Sitting.
94. High school prom.
95. Third date.
96. Second date.
97. Any thrift store.
98. Me.
99. Writing.
100. Writing.
101. Writing.
102. Writing.
103. Writing.
104. I'm not ready yet.
105. I wonder if this is enough.
106. The first bite of pizza.
107. Everything else makes you less.
108. Breath.
109. Delicious.
110. My right hemisphere has more ways to attend; moving stimulates it.
111. My kids.
112. I smile.
113. Laughing.
114. Jim.
115. patience/impatience.
116. Impatience.
117. Writing.
118. Writing.
119. Writing.
Excellent list. I wonder what grade Teacher Ginny would give it.
DeleteNo worries. You are up to the task! BTW, the Simon song is "Fifty ways to LEAVE your lover." If you "lose" the lover, you find that person again!
ReplyDeleteWhen you finish your list, you can pay Woe for some of his topics on his list!
Encouragement?
ReplyDeleteThe Creative Drive
Catherine Barnett
A recent study found that poems increased
the sale price of a home by close to $9,000.
The years, however, have not been kind to poems.
The Northeast has lost millions of poems,
reducing the canopy. Just a few days ago,
high winds knocked a poem onto a power line
a few blocks from my house.
I had not expected to lose so many at once.
"We've created a system that is not healthy
for poems," said someone. Over the next thirty years,
there won't be any poems where there are overhead wires.
Some poems may stay as a nuisance,
as a gorgeous marker of time.
If I wasn’t about to start driving, I’d come up with 120 reasons to take a road trip.
ReplyDeleteGinny, I can easily think of 101 ways in which we are peeps, and 101 more reasons why I am looking forward to you writing with us. Welcome to the Wannaskan Almanac! :)
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete101 Reasons to Go on a Road Trip
1. To cool cabin fever
2. To satisfy wanderlust
3. To visit family
4. To visit friends
5. To recycle bottles in Thief River Falls
6. To have lunch at Johnny’s in TRF
7. To buy filled bottles in Tuff Rubber Balls
8. To clear away mental cobwebs
9. To polish my mirror
10. To do blog research
11. To taste the sweetness of home
12. To see the plains
13. To see the forests
14. To see the mountains
15. To see the sea
16. To see the places in the geography books
17. To see the places in the history books
18. To see the difference: virtual vs real
19. To see the birthplace of the famous
20. To see the home of the famous
21. To see where the home of the famous was
22. To see where the famous slept
23. To see where the famous was killed
24. To see where the famous died
25. To see the grave of the famous
26. To see ruins
27. To see old houses
28. To see rivers
29. To see old ships
30. To see ships built
31. To see ships launched
32. To collect flotsam
33. To pick up jetsam
34. To pick up fast food
35. To munch on junk food
36. To test pedometers
37. To test altimeters
38. To escape drudgery
39. To observe the drudgery of others
40. To have epiphanies
41. To think up prams or poems
42. To make one day friends
43. To make one hour friends
44. To make ten second friends
45. To help the postcard industry
46. To practice map reading
47. To get lost in the land of Serendip
48. To adapt to having no sense of direction
49. To practice a new language
50. To untangle a southern drawl
51. To collect plant specimens
52. To collect rock samples
53. To collect driftwood
54. To visit thrift stores
55. To visit books stores
56. To help the local economy
57. To become detached
58. To let detachment go
59. To integrate
60. To celebrate
61. To dance to the music
62. To drive
63. To walk
64. To figure out strange showers
65. To figure out motel coffee machines
66. To research biscuit & gravies
67. To escape cares
68. To evade responsibilities
69. To be OUT OF TOWN
70. To close up shop
71. To down to tools
72. To Be Back Soon
73. To let the ambient static diffuse
74. To watch birds
75. To pass as a professor
76. To take lots of pictures
77. To resolve to study geology
78. To catch up on podcasts
79. To see railroad graffiti
80. To see street art
81. To see sidewalk art
82. To identify birds
83. To see wildlife
84. To acquire outside information
85. To pick up inside tips
86. To go native
87. To stretch my legs
88. To have expansive views
89. To enter other realms
90. To enter the amphitheater of the clouds
91. To get driving lessons from my copilot
92. To climb to vantage points
93. To try out a rental RV van
94. To sleep in big box parking lots
95. To rent a tiny camper van
96. To awake in pristine settings
97. To change a state of mind
98. To reach the outer limits
99. To go beyond the outer limits
100. To reach the end
101. To realize there is no end