A writing exercise
While at Escapade, I attended a seminar on writing. Alice Zyetz, the seminar presenter, required us to write for five minutes. She instructed us to:
- Keep your hand moving
- Lose control
- Be specific
- Don’t think
- Use your five senses
This is what I wrote:
We called it, “Manzanita Bigberry”, because it was big, and red. It was a ’95 Honda Gold Wing, and it had been my Recreational Vehicle for the past five years.
It was time to move on, with a new RV being a big red truck, and a 30 foot fifth wheel trailer.
A buyer had appeared, bargained me down the expected five hundred dollars, and was ready to pick up my baby.
I was ready. I had said good bye. Cleaned out my stuff. Walked away, looking to truck, trailer and the next new experience.
My buyer showed up, handed over ninety five hundred dollars, and then, my world fell in.
He had no insurance. Would I please ride it to the insurance broker?
What? Ride it again? Put on helmet? Gear? Say good bye all over again?
Well, it had to be done, so I did it. The day was magnificent. Blue sky, 70 degrees. Down an open highway to a lightly trafficked road. Wind in my helmet, sweeping turns, perfect stops. I was reminded of my twelve years and 70,000 miles of accident free riding. I knew I would miss this.
The ride wasn’t long. At the broker, I handed him the keys, shook his hand, told him to “ride safe”, turned, walked away, and never looked back.
Comment from Jaimie Bruzenak
Time April 28, 2007 at 7:46 am
Saying goodbye to the “Manzanita Bigberry†reminds me of selling my truck and camper recently to friends. As they pulled out in the truck, a bit of sadness overcame me. With it went memories of the trip my late husband and I took. Bill’s dream had been to travel Route 66 and we did in that camper. I took my first solo trip in it and a later long trip with two of his daughters. Those memories came flooding back as the truck disappeared down the road.
Now George (my new husband) and I are traveling in a much more comfortable 5th wheel to new places and adventures, but for a moment, my heart looked backwards. Then I remembered, we carry those memories of past adventures with us always- in our new RVs!