GreenishLady

Originally Blogging the Artist's Way. Thoughts, musings, experience of the 12-week course, January to March 2006. And after that?.... Life, creativity, writing. Where does it all meet? Here, perhaps.

Friday, March 31, 2006

List Friday - Twelve Minutes

This week's list suggestion at Pomegranates and Paper is To list Six Minutes You'd like to Erase and Six Minutes You'd like to Relive (or vice-versa)... Let's see...

Erasing:

  1. The minute I left a diary where a friend could find it and read something I didn't want her to read. It got repaired, but...
  2. The moment I gave the constructive criticism a friend had asked for, and I realised - split second - I hadn't thought it through, hadn't realised the sensitivity involved. Never really repaired
  3. The split-second glance that caught sight of him with her. Never erased.
  4. The moment I decided to tell my father something important without checking first had he had a drink. He'd forgotten by morning, but I didn't know until years later that he didn't recall the conversation.
  5. One friend's secret I shared with another friend. Risked both friendships. Repaired.
  6. There is a sixth. I cannot find a way to describe it here.


Reliving:

  1. 6.52 a.m. 20/5/86 Open your eyes, says the midwife, and my eyes are open to catch the first glimpse of my son. That moment.
  2. My son has learned to count to ten. I am proud. But when he tells me "I love you FOURTEEN, Mummy!", I know how big a thing that is. How big that love. It's as high as the stairs in our house, that love.
  3. July evening, 1991, plane touching down Tel Aviv, and Israel is glowing in a peach-pink sunset. Holy Land. I am a pilgrim.
  4. One moment of prayer, indescribable sensation of becoming a tiny thing in an infinite universe.
  5. My mother is sitting on a garden seat surrounded by flowers, peacefully enjoying the sun. I come along the path. She glances up. She smiles.
  6. My sister pulls up and jumps out of the car, puts it in my hand, three hours before the launch... my book. I am published!

Strange exercise, trying to isolate the moments. It was easier to identify the ones to relive than those I'd wish to erase. Do you have moments you'd like to share?

6 Comments:

At 31/3/06 10:16 pm, Blogger Julie said...

That was wonderful, thank you for sharing. I am almost, almost inspired to make my own lists. Okay, I am inspired. Let's see if I can do it now.

 
At 31/3/06 11:18 pm, Blogger harmonyinline said...

I don't know why this weeks list intimidates me, but you have done it beautifully.Your reliving is one beautiful moment after another I loved reading it.

 
At 31/3/06 11:24 pm, Blogger Endment said...

Harmony put it so well - you have done this beautifully!
I started to make my list and put together minutes I would like to relive but when I started on the ones to erase - decided to simply leave it blank.

 
At 1/4/06 12:12 am, Blogger blackbird said...

beautiful -
haunting.

 
At 1/4/06 5:26 am, Blogger kellie said...

These are very moving and well-written (as always!) lists.

"I love you FOURTEEN, Mummy!" Wow. That's beautiful.

You've got me thinking about my moments. It's amazing how short the little slices of time that determine so much in our lives.

Oh, speaking of that--you've inspired me to do something I've been meaning to get around to. I'm reading Blink! (Via audiobook.) Just started yesterday. I hope you read it so I can hear what you think. Utterly fascinating so far, but I am a bit frustrated. I keep wanting to say to the author, "It's called intuition. Just say it." Anyway...let me know if/when you read it.

 
At 2/4/06 8:30 pm, Blogger eliza said...

your re-live list made me teary. beautiful. thank you.

 

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