Inspiration
Recently, my daughter and I went to the Write on the River Writer’s Conference in Wenatchee. Charli, just turned 15-years-old and it was part of her birthday present. We loaded our 89′ Volkswagen Vanagon and headed to Wenatchee. Charli spinned tunes on Pandora and we sang along to the songs we knew and chatted through those we didn’t. The two and a half hour trip flew by.
The conference was smaller than I expected. Ideal. Jonathan Evinson, the Key Note Speaker, was a riot. His F-bombs didn’t faze me a bit, even with Charli by my side (I know she’s heard worse). Jonathan told stories of torching rejection letters and burying novels. He wandered and paced the stage, divulging his wisdom. I breathed it in. I smiled and laughed and gave Charli hug. I felt a burning in my soul to put pen to paper.
The Time is Now
Basketball season has been over for a while, so I really have no excuse for falling behind on my writing. But that is life, isn’t it? An ongoing battle to follow ones dreams, even when it’s down a bumpy road.
And the journey toward a worthwhile goal usually is bumpy. I mean, if it were easy to get everything we wanted, exactly when we wanted it, life might be kind of boring. Right? At least I tell myself that. And then I try not to get to angry at myself for putting my writing on the back burner for so long, and then I grab a pen.
It’s time to grab your pen, your gym bag, your resume…your strength.
The time is now.
FRIENDSHIP III – Support
“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ”
~Albert Schweitzer
My husband threw a book release party for the launch of my memoir Back on the Court. (well, he did have help from Heidi and Kathy) Friends and family gathered to celebrate. Models, basketball players & coaches, fellow writers, and friends I’ve met over the years through my kid’s preschool, elementary school and middle school days were there. Even a childhood friend who played with me in the sandbox when I was 3 years old suprized me. I wanted to cry. Okay, I did cry. But it was good to shed those tears and take a moment to focus on the friends that have helped support me through this thing called life.
Take a moment…think about those who have helped support you through life?
FRIENDSHIP II – 4am & still smiling
“It is the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter.”
-Marlene Dietrich
This quote reminds me of my friend Kirsten. The excerpts to follow are from my memoir BACK ON THE COURT. Both take place after I was in an accident, where I was badly injured and lost my fiancé. Both involve Kirsten, who somehow manages to always keep me smiling.
…When I pull back the cardboard flaps of the package that has just been delivered to the front door, all I can see are empty candy wrappers. That’s my Kirsten. I dig deeper; some of the wrappers have candy still intact. I pop a Hershey kiss in my mouth. As the chocolate melts, I scavenge through the wrappers and find, a book of word search puzzles, a hand painted journal, a plastic toy that looks like it came from McDonalds and the book Curious George Goes to the Hospital. I leaf through the book with what might be my first real smile since the accident.
***
…It’s 11:30 pm when I get home. Before I crawl under my covers, I check my machine and there are several messages, one is from Kirsten. After turning over […]
Meet Sonya
Meet Sonya
Sonya Elliott’s memoir, Back on the Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return to Life, Love & Basketball, is her story of finding hope in the wake of tragedy after she and her fiancé were hit by a train. She blogs about writing, basketball, and life and is currently working on a Young Adult Novel and a Non-Fiction Coaching book. Stories of her career as a fashion model are woven through her memoir, as both the Soloflex and Easy Spirit Shoes commercials were filmed during that time period, and this unique and intriguing business continues to be a part of her life.
Sonya played basketball at Eastern Washington University and was a starter for the Big Sky Champion team that went to the 1987 NCAA tournament. She coached for almost 25 years and was voted Seattle Times Coach of the Year, Seattle Officials Women’s Basketball Association Coach of the Year, and twice voted Metro League Coach of the Year. She loves the game of basketball and is thankful, not only for her husband and kids but for her ability to continue to get back on the court.
Blog
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Forget and Move On
I’m running behind today.
It started with both cars refusing to start this morning and continued from there. But now I am at the computer with a cup of hot tea, ready to put in some writing time, and trying not to think of the new master clutch slave cylinder, serpentine engine belt and re-wiring for the jeep and the tow I will need tomorrow for the van.
Yep, I’m going to forget it all and move forward with my day.
WRITING PROMPT- option 1: Write about a time when your car left you stranded. (Feel free to share your experience in the comments).
WRITING PROMPT- option 2: Danica chewed on her lip as she walked to her car. She could not be late to work today so she had given herself some extra time. She hopped into her Jeep, set her brief case on the […]
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Share
I needed one small duffel for traveling in Africa. No fancy clothes, no make up, no hair dryer, just shorts and shirts. Okay, and a tooth-brush. But my friend and I traveled with two large bags packed to maximum capacity. (which I really didn’t like dragging from place to place.) Clothes, shoes, soccer balls, frisbees, pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, journals, books. What ever we could cram into our luggage that the people, and the schools, in africa might need.
And there was a need.
We spoke with one principle in Zimbabwe that explained that her student’s were required to have a uniform to attend school but that was all. She said that kids walked for miles to come to school, most didn’t have food for lunch and many had no […]
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Saving Memories
I love taking pictures.
But I have a real problem that’s arisen these days due to my digital camera. I don’t know what to do with all the images. I have taken so many photos, that my computer will no longer download them because it’s memory is full. (This is not a good thing).
I want the images on my computer, because that is where I have the program to make photo books. (That I’m about 6 years behind on.) Sometimes I wish I could return to a time with no technology. Back before pagers. Back when life was simple. Of course then I wouldn’t get so many great pictures. Pictures when people’s eyes are actually open and pictures when the lighting is just right.
I have put my camera away and vowed to finish some photo albums. And until I can splurge for a […]
Follow Sonya