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Remember the Rumble Seat?

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If you’re under sixty years of age, you’ve probably never experienced the joy and excitement of riding in a rumble seat. Lucky for me, I just made the cut.

This style of car that sported a rumble seat was not very popular with the ladies because there was no shelter from the wind. But if you were six or seven-years-old, the gusts of air didn’t put a dent in your enthusiasm. There was one problem though–It was hard to find someone willing to put their hairdo at risk so that a little girl could catch a ride in back of this awesome car.

The enticing seat was all that mattered to me. However there was that huge problem that hung over me. My mother would, under no circumstances, allow me to ride back there alone. I had to have an adult with me.

As I mentioned before, because ladies were so persnickety about their hair and whatnot, this was a dreadful requirement. Lucky for me, my mother’s friend Peggy was always up for the challenge. The rumble seat delighted her as much as it thrilled me. We’d laugh and giggle together. I’m sure the word “joyride” must have been coined in honor of this car.

Anyway, the last car with a rumble seat rolled off the assembly line in 1938. And I must admit some fantastic cars came later, but none ever had the magic to rival the Rumble Seat.

Going Barefoot – Why Does It Feel So Good?

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The first thing I do when I walk in the door everyday is take off my shoes. And I know a lot of other people who do the same thing.

Recently I’ve read that it’s a habit that’s actually good for you. It seems that walking on soft carpeting or sand or grass in your bare feet stimulates pressure points on the soles of your feet. Those pressure points in turn signal your brain to release a calming hormone called dopamine.

So, I suppose it stands to reason that if your brain is going to send you a complimentary dose of dopamine, it will eliminate some of your stress and eliminating some of our everyday stresses equals a healthier heart.

No wonder going barefoot feels so good!

Myths–True or False

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I was watching Inside Edition on TV last week and they were debunking some popular myths–a few conclusions I agreed with, others I did not.

Here’s one I never had heard before. Drinking caffeine will stunt your growth. I was always told smoking cigarettes would do that. Turns out neither is true.

Put ice on a burn. I’ve done this plenty of times, however, ice held on the skin too long can actually make the burn worse. Instead, it’s recommended that you hold the affected area under cold water for ten or fifteen minutes.

And a favorite of mine–chocolate will give you acne. The official finding says False. But I’m living proof that this is absolutely True. If I eat too much chocolate, by too much I mean three or more pieces, (caramels are my favorite) a large zit or two will erupt the very next day. Not acne, but unmistakable lumps that hang around for a couple of days.

The program didn’t mention whether drafts will give you a cold or, for that matter, if going outside on a cold day with wet hair might do the same. They’d probably deem it a myth. As far as I’m concerned, the jury is still out on this one.

Gary Provost – For Writers

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Have you ever heard of Gary Provost?

As it turns out, he was a highly thought of mentor and writing instructor. He died in 1995. Over the years, his name has cropped up relative to some aspect of my writing.

The one I remember like it was yesterday ironically came from another English teacher, a member of my critique group. After reading a few pages of my latest writing, which I thought was rather good, he began his critique. And the first thing he said was, “your sentences do not vary enough in length. The story you’re telling is good, but most of your sentences are about fourteen words long. You need to use some shorter sentences to add variety and interest, otherwise  the reader will get bored.” I knew good advice when I heard it and I have patterned my writing accordingly.

That brings me to Gary Provost. I found out today that this sage advice came from one of Gary’s very famous quotes.

“This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, it is important.”
― Gary Provost

Happiness Or Unhappiness?

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Someone sent this story to me years ago. I liked it so much, I thought I would share.

One evening a Cherokee elder told his grandson about the battle that goes on inside people’s heads.  He said, “My son, the battle is between the two ‘wolves’ that live inside us all.  One is Unhappiness. It is fear, worry, anger, jealousy, sorrow, self-pity, resentment and inferiority.  The other is Happiness. It is joy, love, hope, serenity, kindness, generosity, truth and compassion.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”