Dare to be Free

January 2, 2018 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 8 Comments

She stood off the periphery of the wide-open beach beyond the willowy weedy dunes, and the fading painted sign with its tattered lettering, Dare to be Free.

Her face flushed, she stepped timidly into the clear and sighed as her bare toes sank deep into the warm, gritty, sand. Her pulse beat daringly as she opened her arms wide to the rush of heat. With the wind at her back and the sting of the sun on her virgin skin, she ran discarding the tiresome reservations of her life like worn-out clothing tossed onto the disappearing footsteps in the sand.

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. I’m all ears and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, Contently, and Instagram. You can follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

Conversations – A Lost Art

January 1, 2018 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 9 Comments

The Daily Post Prompt – Conversation

Conversation, aw, such an old word with an antiquated meaning, and almost extinct in practice. The dictionary defines it as a talk, especially an informal one, between two or more people, in which news and ideas are exchanged. What a novel idea.

We used to enjoy these on a regular basis. We talked to people we met on a bus, in a store, theatre, museum, class, and sometimes over the dinner table; another antiquated practice.

We got to know the people we met by the conversations we enjoyed with the nuances of language on full display. We understood it was more than simple words. We listened to the tone of the other’s voice, paid attention to the subtle languages of the body, and read the eyes like a roadmap to the soul. Once upon a time, we enjoyed the give and take of thoughts and ideas; even the occasional debate.

Unfortunately, we’ve replaced conversation with cryptic text messages and snap chats; emotions with emojis, and the subtle art of courtship with photo swipes, no dialogue needed. Who needs to talk? It’s so much easier to hide behind a message board, filtered photo, or a digital world void of nuance and feeling.

No longer in vogue, we’ve lost the art of conversation. It’s backward, old-fashioned, outdated, too mundane, and requires too much effort; texting is so much easier. Is it any wonder our country, our families; our genders are so far apart, so torn asunder, or in such strife?

We used to enjoy a lazy afternoon conversation with our friend over lunch, our kids after school, around the dinner table, or after dinner with our husband, wife, or significant other. We used too, but no longer.

Conversation is a lost art, a treasured skill, and without it, we are doomed.

I Believe

October 9, 2017October 9, 2017 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 13 Comments

The Daily Post Prompt – Believe

After years of writing and hiding my words by a stream in a cow pasture, I have found my voice, and I know what I believe.

I am a conservative, southern woman, a mother, grandmother, and a retired nurse, having served in the nursing profession from 1972 until 1995. Reading, writing, family, and friends are my passion, not necessarily in that order.

I believe in God, that He is in control, even when I’m not.
I believe knowledge is power and investing in the future of our country is not only my duty but also an honor. I believe in standing.
I believe in honoring every man and woman who rises each day to protect family, my country, and me. They are far braver than I.
I believe our history, the good, bad, and the ugly, is worth remembering.

“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” ― Maya Angelou – Tweet This

I believe family is the foundation in which our country will either succeed or fail and being a mother is my greatest accomplishment and responsibility.
I believe we all must be kinder than necessary to others. Everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
I believe satisfying a short-term goal, on an impulse, at the expense of a long-term goal; will cost you something, which matters much more in the end.
I believe we would be better off if we returned to practicing the values of honor, respect, integrity, hard work, gratitude, and appreciation.
I believe in friendships that last a lifetime and laughter the best medicine.
I believe books open more hearts minds and the doors to a world of imagination better than any device we possess.
I believe learning to lose graciously is more valuable than a trophy.I believe it is not our mistakes or failures that define us, but what we do with them.

“When you come to the edge of all the light you know, And are about to step off into the darkness, Faith is believing one of two things will happen, There will be something solid to stand on, or you will learn to fly.” Patrick Overton – Tweet This

What do you believe?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Join the conversation. Talk to me or tell me your story. I’m all ears.

Deny All You Want

October 4, 2017 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 8 Comments

The Daily Post Prompt – Deny

There are times I get distracted. You know:

Going into one room to do something only to have another something catch your eye …
Bending down to pick up a cracker crumb from the kitchen floor and noticing the nasty baseboard …
Walking into Walmart for one item and coming out with a cart …
Searching for a document on your computer and spending the day re-organizing your entire file system …
Starting one story and getting highjacked by another …

I have a name for this and no, it isn’t dementia (Although, I wouldn’t ask my husband) – I call it – the squirrels are loose. More recently, however, I’ve come to realize it’s something more sinister – Mother!

Yep, the ghost of my mother is haunting me. She’s not only dancing in the middle of the squirrels, she’s leading the choir.

Women can deny it all they want that they’re nothing like their mother, but the older we get, the more we become our mothers. And, don’t give me that sappy crap, “I would be honored to be like my mother.” Bull malarkey! Okay, maybe one or two of you … but, I digress.

Growing up, mother was our version of Mr. Clean, and let me tell you, baldy couldn’t hold a candle to mom!

By the time I was a teenager, I knew how to vacuum, mop, strip and wax floors, scrub tile grout, baseboards, and make windows sparkle! You would have thought the Pope was coming for Sunday dinner (we were Baptist, but still).

When she cleaned house, she supervised. At the time I thought I had the meanest mother on the earth, but I did learn some valuable lessons along the way:

“If you don’t do it right the first time, you’ll just have to do it again.”
“You don’t have to have a lot of money, but you can be clean.”
“Hard work never hurt nobody.”
“I know the definition of elbow grease – “Put some elbow grease in that.”

I’m sure there are more, but my mind has wandered. So, back to my long, drawn-out point – See?

Last week, while picking up a crumb, I noticed my baseboards, which lead to me (yes me) painting every baseboard in my line of sight, 4 doors, reorganizing my junk drawers, pantry, closet, re-installing my computer software, and joining the Chapter Buzz, 10,000-word Challenge for October!

My arthritic body is faring better than I expected, but my mind is tired as hell. I think I might be possessed.So, yes deny all you want that you look, act, or say things like your mother – but it happens to the best of us, like it or not.