Day 6: "Who" Writing

When I received Pat Pattison's book in the mail, I began this challenge to be a lyricist. I was introduced by KJ Aartila, to this challenge. Her inspiration is Pat Pattison's book "SONG-WRITING WITHOUT BOUNDARIES".

The picture above is for the 10-minute timed writing. When I typed in sailor, a waitress clearing a table, a priest, I caught the one above for my ten-minute story. 

It isn't possible to put in the whole thing but putting in waitress worked. 

Starting on Day six we are working on "Who" writing. It is good to make small changes to keep you from getting too bored if you read all of these!

Remember that the timer can go off in the middle of a sentence, or word. Please complete it the best you can! Thank you.

This is day six prompts:

Timed for 5 minutes: Sailor.

 My dad was in the Navy and my brothers were also in the Navy. I had no interest in going into the service. Then my first husband was in the Navy, and I met him after his term in the service.

My third husband was in the army. Our grandchildren are interested in the Army and the Marines. Their interest is infantry as was my husband's. I haven't wanted any of my grandchildren to go into the military.

I am concerned that they will end up in a war.

A sailor is probably what I was most familiar with, and I heard some of my brothers' stories but none of my dad's. My brother was on a ship and sailed around much of the world.

My other brother was a medic, and he was stationed with the Marines in Hawaii. I would have preferred his experience. He saw the beauty of Hawaii and our older brother saw the belly of the ship or the engine room of the ship.

A sailor…

Timed for 10 minutes: Waitress clearing a table.

When I was 18, I lived with my husband in Montana. I worked as a waitress when we first moved there. He was working on a ranch with registered black Angus cattle.

The restaurant was a truck stop with many over-the-road truckers who would stop in and eat there. We had our regulars and then others that we would never see again.

One day, it was a beautiful day outside, and people coming in were in a lighthearted mood as I was the waitress clearing a table, I got a question that I knew would turn out not so good.

One of the customers asked what was for dessert. I asked if he wanted to see the dessert menu and he promptly replied, "Are you on the dessert menu?" I wasn't surprised as it was just that kind of day. Everyone teasing and playing jokes.

Apparently, though, this man was serious. He said there have been those who have helped him out in that way. And he said he was a very generous tipper!

Right at that moment I made up my mind that I wasn't going to continue in that job as I didn't want to have to deal with that kind of situation again. So, I moved into tending bar.

It was better. There were the regulars, and I was tending the bar during the day with the owners living just up the stairs. They had ways to spy and see what was going on with me and the customers.

I felt like it was similar to the waitress position in that I was still the waitress clearing a table all day long, but I didn't have to offer dessert, nor did I ever get propositioned. I started conversations by showing my wedding ring and talking about my husband.

It seemed to work, even though I wasn't sure it would work. I was surprised, but I was happy in my job and happy that I decided to change jobs. Even though the tips were better at the truck stop.

Being a waitress at a truck stop was something I only did once. Tending ….

Timed for 90 seconds: Priest.

My first marriage happened in the Catholic Church and a priest married us. When we were divorced 13 years later, I went to see a priest about getting the marriage annulled. He told me that because of my husband's drinking, I probably could get an annulment.

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Note: KJ Aartila's Day 6 writing challenge!

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First published by Mercury Press on medium.com