She Shoots! She Scores!

 I decided to break way out of my comfort zone with my writing. Instead of just coming up with thoughts and putting them out there, or researching an idea and writing about that. I wrote a 1 act play. So, when reading it, keep that in mind. 

Through everything that has been happening on the homefront, doing this deep dive into writing has been cathartic and I am so excited to see where this leads...

The play is about a woman and her high school best friend (and crush) accidentally being seated next to each other on a plane after not seeing each other in over 30 years. 

 

List of characters: Mollie Carter (Female Lead)

                             Jackson Emery (Male Lead)

                             Char (Flight Attendant)

                             Captain Mike Phillips (Airline Pilot)

                             Narrator (guides the reader through the script)

 

Act 1

Narrator: It is a crowded flight. As Mollie is getting herself situated in Business Class after boarding the flight, she is observing and wondering who will be sitting next to her on the cross-country flight from Miami, Florida to San Francisco, California. She shrugs to herself, checking out the outfit she chose, black leggings with knee-high black boots with a silver buckle at the top, she added a long-sleeved pink tunic with silver threading throughout and topped the outfit with a black and pink blazer. Mollie was wearing her Coach messenger bag as a cross-body. She exuded confidence.

Mollie: (to herself) Hmmm not too bad, ol’ girl. You have certainly figured out how to put an outfit together and thanks to several hours following content creators on TikTok, your make-up skills are way better than high school. (Mollie shakes her head with horrific makeup memories from middle and high school.)

Narrator: The Business Class flight attendant, Char, is showing more passengers to their seats and helping passengers close the overhead compartments.

The overhead speaker comes on and Captain Mike Phillips welcomes the passengers onboard and gives them an ETA of the non-stop flight to San Fransico. As Char is helping, Mollie looks up.

Char: Okay sir, here is your seat. Please fasten your seatbelts and I will be around shortly after take-off to get your beverage and meal orders.

Jackson: Thank you. I hope the meal is as good as the meal from my flight here was. I have been supervising hockey tryouts for a new team I am starting in California. I am starving! (Jackson laughs and rubs his stomach, pretending that it is sticking out)

You can hear the sound of seatbelts clicking and the sound of the engines warming up.

Narrator: Jackson looks over to Mollie and offers her a warm smile with his greeting. Mollie smiles back. In that moment, Mollie realizes that Jackson is so familiar to her. She remembers their friendship and how he never loved her the way she loved him.

Mollie: (to herself) How was he supposed to love me like I loved him, and I never told him that I loved him, loved him… Let’s see where things go. My God, he looks exactly the same. How is that even possible?

Char and the other flight attendants begin the presentation of emergency exits, seats are also floatation devices, and to please remain seated until the fasten seatbelts sign is turned off. The plane begins to taxi down the runway to take off.

Mollie: Jackson? Jackson Emery? How are you after all these years? 32, to be exact, right?

Jackson looks at Mollie with Confusion

Jackson: I..uh. I’m sorry. Do I know you? The fasten seatbelt sign turns off, and the flight attendants stand to get the beverage carts ready and get the meals in the oven while prepping the salads.

Mollie: Um…Seriously? Yeah, I’d say after 4 years of getting up at 4am to go to 5am hockey practices with you, four summers of going back and forth to our families’ lake houses, and 17 million hours of phone calls, we know each other.

Everything begins to make sense to Jackson. He remembers Mollie. Jackson’s eyes dance.

Jackson: Oh my God!!! You look… Char approaches.

Char: Hello again (she says in a heartfelt way). We have any beverage you would like, and the meal is grilled chicken Ceasar salad with garlic bread. Sound good?

Mollie: Yes. The salad sounds amazing and could you please bring us 2 glasses of pinot noir. Is that okay? Jackson?

Jackson stares in wonder at Mollie.

Jackson: Huh? Oh yes. Long bathroom waits are a nightmare. Wait… What?

Mollie and Char: (laughing together) Char walks off to get the rest of the orders.

Mollie: (now looking at Jackson) I am so very glad to see you. I didn’t even know how much I missed you until I saw your face.

Jackson: Mollie, you look so amazing! I love your style, your pixie cut, and your eyes. I have always loved your eyes, especially when they were looking at me. Amber brings Mollie and Jackson their wine.

Mollie: (Wipes a tear from her face, takes a sip of wine and exhales deeply.) I was the chunky and nerdy girl who was just happy to be in your presence, but I had this heart-crushing love for one of the funniest, strongest, and sexiest guys I have ever met. Like ever. (she maintains eye contact even while blushing)

Through the overhead speaker, Captain Phillips checks in and gives some facts about Louisiana as they are about to fly over. Then jokes about making an unscheduled stop to run and get some gumbo. You can hear chuckles through the cabin and some passengers agreeing that they want some gumbo, too.

Jackson: I was an ass. You were one of my best friends. The one person I couldn’t wait to talk to, even after a date. I had an image to maintain and that meant I had to have a tall, hot, but dumb girlfriend. I am so, so sorry.

Mollie: (wiping another tear from her face, and gently wiping the tears from Jackson’s face) Mollie thinks to herself, that “it has to be now or never.” She leans over, takes Jackson’s face in her hands and kisses him. The kiss was soft and lingering. With a giggle and a long exhale, says a little too loudly, She shoots!!! She Scores!!!

Jackson: You can score with me for the rest of our whole lives! It is not a coincidence we found each other after all these years.

Mollie: I live in San Francisco.

Jackson: That is where I am moving.

Mollie: To my house, right?

Jackson: There is no other place I want to be, than wherever you are.

Mollie: She shoots! She Scores!

Narrator: Mollie and Jackson kissed and held hands the rest of the flight.

 

End of Act 1

This is an original work by Shelley Nalls. It is not to be copied or distributed without my consent. 

There is no grieving process

My dear friend,

I cannot imagine the depth of grief and heartache you have experienced. As humans, we never get over grief. It is always there. Sometimes it hits like a tidal wave, and there is no refuge except to lean into Jesus's ever-waiting arms. Other times, it hangs out like a faithful and silent companion that whispers sweet memories to our soul while a soft tear falls from our eyes. Jesus is still there in those moments. It is in those moments that we can find sort of a hideaway. Choosing to live in those memories and not embracing the present and looking for the future. Your friends and family want to be there for you but are unsure of what to offer beyond prayers and hugs. Tell your loved ones what you need from them. I love your heart and spirit. Those things are still there, my friend, but through your grief, they are a little bit seasoned, a mixture of savory and sweet with a little bit of spice. You remain in my prayers.

Question of the Day

 

Question(s) of the Day

Pregunta(s) del dia

What was the very best part of your day today?

What would you change about today if we got to have do-overs?

Jinx! I owe me a coke!

 

As you may have noticed, I didn't make any posts yesterday. 

Even making a post today is difficult because it seems as though just as I begin to process one thing... BAM!!! Here comes one more thing! 

All that is on top of kicking off my freelance writing/copywriting business still actively looking for a job to be able to pay the myriad of bills, and getting ready to start school to complete my BS in Healthcare and Social Services. No amount of Vyvannse or Post-it notes is stopping the out-of-control rave the squirrels in my brain are having.

Yesterday, I received a call from my son's school. The vice principal attempted to assure me that everything was okay, now, but my son had been found unresponsive in the restroom. He was revived by sternum rub and walked of his own volition to the stretcher, then was transferred to our local hospital's emergency department. The words, "Ben was found unresponsive," kicked off one of my greatest fears. It made me second guess sending him to school after he was complaining of not feeling well and having a headache... But also thankful that he was in a protected environment where he was able to receive prompt help instead of walking around the neighborhood or being home alone. 

I am thankful for the quick actions of everyone around him and for the care he received from the EMTs and emergency room staff. Because of all the wonderful care, I was able to leave the hospital with my son 3 hours after he arrived. 

As I was filling my mom in on all the details from the day before, I said to her, "After everything that has happened since August, I sure could use a little bit of boring!" Almost 2 hours later, I got the mail.     

 In the mail was a bank statement with my name and address. No big deal, right? In normal circumstances, yes. BUT, we don't do normal and boring around here, right? This statement was from a credit union I had never heard of in Illinois. There were over $3500 in deposits from Zelle with immediate withdrawals. I immediately called the credit union and was transferred to the Fraud Department. They shut the account down in September for fraud and identity theft. Thankfully, I am not being held liable, and the victims of the financial fraud were refunded the money.  I was advised to file a police report, alert the credit bureaus, and file a FCC fraud alert. I managed to get all that done as well as request my free credit report to see what hard inquiries there are and to see if any credit has been extended... 

I have spent my entire adult life trying to be as fair and reasonable as possible. I am honest. I am meticulous with others' personal information, both financial and medical (HIPAA). I am sickened that someone is out there frauding(ed) people with my name. 

What is the lesson in all this? I have no idea. Things can always be worse.  Also, I clearly jinxed the whole situation by asking for "boring"... So, Jinx!!! I owe me a diet coke... I guess I can do that whenever I start working. 

More tomorrow from the squirrel nest...

Question of the day

 

Question(s) of the Day

Pregunta(s) del dia

Have you ever been prescribed physical therapy? If so, did you actually go and participate, not only with the exercises while there but in your at-home program as well? If not, why? 

Always Learning

"Learning never exhausts the mind" - Leonardo DaVinci

"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."-  Pablo Picasso

Pre-ADHD diagnosis, I was always trying to complete my higher education. Often times I scored very highly, especially in classes that interested me or classes that were "easier" because of life experiences. But I struggled a lot with staying caught up in homework. I fell far enough behind that I failed a few classes. The consummate people pleaser that I was, took those failings hard and more or less resigned myself that I would not get anything higher than an Associate's Degree.

Fast forward 14 years and I finally found a doctor who listened to me and did not try and put my whole life's existence into a tidy little bow of "depression". So many doctors did that, placing me on one antidepressant after another without any improvement. My doctor listened and tested me for ADHD and Autism, which makes sense since my son has Autism and ADHD, along with several other comorbidities, and my daughter has ADHD as well. The test results came in and I tested very high for ADHD and scored very low for Autism. At the moment of the diagnosis, a wave of validation washed over me. Tears of pride that I never stopped advocating for myself fell from my eyes. In the days following the diagnosis, I went through a period of mourning the loss of missed opportunities and education because I could not properly focus because I was too worried about pleasing every single person around me. 

After the validation and mourning and getting placed on Vyvannse, I began the task of figuring out my place in this world. First of all, on my first day on Vyvannse, I wanted to cry because all the crazy squirrels at an ecstasy and alcohol-laden rave in my brain had slowed down. Like, waaaaaaaaaay down. I was able to complete a thought and communicate without trying to rush. I could be pulled from a task and then return without feeling like I could not complete it. I knew what all my post-it notes meant and felt amazing as I was able to throw each one away as tasks were completed.

I have enrolled in school to complete my Bachelor's in Health and Social Sciences. I have created my own freelance writing and copywriting business. I am excited for what the future has in store.

Learning never stops. We are always learning.

Question of the day

 

Question(s) of the Day

Pregunta(s) del dia

Have you ever experienced something so truly bizarre, that you are not even sure you are really experiencing it? If so, what did you do? 

GenZ: Unsung Heroes

GenZ: Unsung heroes

There is so much chatter about how GenZ is lazy and how they don't want to work/have no work ethic. Well... I actually, as a GenXer am inspired by what I see in our younger generation. These young people have witnessed the stress, the zero work/life balance, the struggle to maintain, let alone, get ahead, of their parents and grandparents. GenZers are faced with the reality that no matter how hard they work, they will most likely never be able to afford to buy their own home. Rental prices are not sustainable with minimum wage. Heck, they are barely sustainable at $20/hr. Then you factor in how the prices at the grocery store are increasing exponentially; we are often faced with the choice of buying groceries or paying rent. 

I recently experienced a situation where I was injured at home. I went to work the next day, on crutches but began my tasks. I was told that I had to leave because it was against corporate policy to be there while on restrictions. My position was in an office. No reason on a daily basis to be in the rest of the building and I did not provide patient care. I left. My daughter the weekend receptionist was offered my position. My daughter is GenZ. She worked every day, without any further training, but was replaced one month in, because she wasn't trained and they wanted someone with more experience. They told her this *after* the position was posted on a job platform. That was a Friday. Monday, they hired the DONs cousin, a woman who had never worked outside the home. Oh, the "policy" that was used to get me out, is not actually in the facility handbook nor the corporate handbook. When I asked a person from corporate about that, I was told, "Not all policies are in the handbook." As a former recruiter, I can assure you, that if it is not in the handbook, it is not a policy. But, here we are. 

While I am highly upset about what happened to me, I am far more angry about what happened to my daughter. This was her first grown-up, post-high school, corporate job. Welcome to the world of nepotism and unethical practices. 

GenZ is not lazy and they do not lack a work ethic. They have learned from us that it doesn't matter how hard you work, how much you sacrifice, or how much you play the game; you are easily replaced, even before your seat gets cold. I wonder if we GenXers learned this earlier if we could have pathed a smoother path for our kids. 

So, next time you want to talk badly about the younger generations, they learned through us, what they will and will not allow. We should be so proud of them!

Q(s)OD

 

Question(s) of the Day

Pregunta(s) del dia

It is the most awesome time of the year! I love Fall! I love everything about it: the cooler temperatures (who doesn't love the trending Fall styles? I love the flavor profiles of the savory and sweet dishes and desserts. I love apples, apple spices, apple cider, apple tea... Yes, I realize I went on a Forest Gump tangent, but you get what I am saying. 

When it comes to Fall coffee/tea drinks, are you an apple blend of flavors person or why are you wrong? Okay, seriously... Do you choose apple or pumpkin.

Do you think they will like my socks?

 

Yesterday, my son was excitedly getting ready for a job interview. He has had several jobs since he was 14.5; he is now 17, a junior in high school. Each job ended with him being silently fired (not being put on the schedule) or being told that no one could deal with him, so they were cutting ties. Each time was crushing, but it never deterred him from continually trying, even begging the former jobs to give him another chance. He loves the idea of making his own money. He loves even more the idea of spending his own money. He was sometimes paid at 6am, but by 8am, he had spent all his money with online purchases and DoorDash. 

My son has ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder. He also has ADHD with high levels of anxiety, is very impulsive, and has some behavioral disorders as well. I have taken my son to therapies, and he is on an IEP through school and in a closed unit for learning.

Recently, it has been weighing heavy on me that my son is months away from turning 18. Legally, an adult. Where does that leave him? Us? In the neurotypical world, we would prepare him to go to college, join the military, or go to trade school. We would talk about moving out. In our neurodivergent world, the military is out because of his disorders and being medicated for ADHD. College is out because he has zero interest in going to college. Trade school is still a possibility but most likely not a probability. 

According to Taylor, J. L., & Seltzer, M. M. (2011), from the Vanderbilt Department of Pediatrics, studies show that kids like my son struggle to be self-sufficient after high school. The studies further show that because of intellectual disabilities, these individuals are not finding ANY, let alone long-term, success at a job (2011).

 Yesterday, my son was excitedly getting ready for a job interview. As he was getting things together to shower, he held up 2 pairs of socks and asked me, "Which ones do you think they will like?" I said, "You will be wearing long pants; they will not see your socks. Oh my gosh!!! Please do not pull up your pants to show them your socks!" My son thought that they would see him as someone who stood out from the other applicants. I thought they would see him as someone who stands out from the other applicants. 

My son came out of the interview pretty happy and was told to return to meet with the GM and would then be told if he got the job. I did not ask if he showed the hiring manager his socks. BUT if he showed his socks, I hope the manager liked them; they're pretty cool!

Taylor, J. L., & Seltzer, M. M. (2011). Employment and post-secondary educational activities for young adults with autism spectrum disorders during the transition to adulthood. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 41(5), 566–574. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-1070-3

Question of the Day

 

Question(s) of the Day

Pregunta(s) del dia

Do you have a child who has Autism Spectrum Disorder? If so, what are your plans as they are nearing transition to adulthood? Will you seek to have legal guardianship or conservatorship over them? Do you feel confident in their ability to live on their own? Please answer and include any resources that you have used, or even if this is something you are struggling with. We are building a community.

QOD

Question of the Day

Pregunta del dia

When it comes to the different generations, there seems to be a debate on toast. Do you like toasted bread? If so, to what level of toastiness? Barely any color OR so toasted it could be used to start your grill for the next cookout?  Comment with your preference and your generation.

Me: Gen X (the feral and best generation)and I do not eat bread anymore, but before finding out I had Celiac Disease, I absolutely did not like toast. In fact, if offered toast at a restaurant, I never ordered it.

Sleepless in... Kenton

 

Sleepless in…Kenton

Oct 7, 2023

Good Friday night/Saturday morning.
If you happened to stumble onto this page, welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride. If you came to this page because of an evite that I stalked you with, thank you!! Keep sharing !!

All my life I have been told I am a great writer. I love putting thoughts on screen and on paper. Sooooo while I am going through some employment downtime, I thought about freelance writing/copywriting to earn some money to do the silly adult things like, buy food, have lights on, etc… But, many of the companies that are offering these positions, even entry-level, want to see blogs and articles of your work/writing style.

The plan is to write and post twice daily. One post will be topic-related, and the other will be musings and rants. Or there be 2 posts of topic-related content or 2 posts of musing and rants content. Only the day can tell what will be written.

As for now, I feel like I can take a breath now that this blog has been created and my first content created. I am actually sleepy. Eyes are heavy.

signing off until later today.
Going to sleep in… Kenton.
-Shelley