Amy M. Schaefer
  • Amy M. Schaefer, Writer
  • Blog: From the Front Porch
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From the Front Porch

I am an "accidental blogger". When I launched my writing career in March of 2014, one of the things that I decided to include was my journaling, which I have always found to be a comforting and therapeutic endeavor.  It was a big risk to open myself up in such a public forum, but it has taught me that, for the most part, we share far more experiences than we think. It's comforting to know I'm not alone!  (*the "Button Text" is the link to my first novel)
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Fountain of Youth

9/2/2015

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Picture
Image @ wallpapersfacts.com.
Today my students and I read a book about ants. I know, fascinating stuff, right? Well, the exciting part is watching the world come vividly alive through the eyes of a child. Let me tell ya, seven-year-olds have a lot so say about our little arthropod pals. I was regaled with stories about squishing ants, eating them, and watching them do things like crawl up your arm or swarm mom's forgotten Pepsi can. The children were also eager to draw me pictures of ants doing their thing. It was delightful! One child drew a picture of his foot coming down on top of a wayward little critter, telling me how much he hated them because they crawl on EVERYTHING! When we read about soldier ants who guard the nest, he quipped, "I'm bigger than you, buddy. Squish, Squish!"

I love being a reading teacher, not only because reading is one of my passions, but also because the children help me look at the world through a lens my adult eyes had forgotten. Being an adult, it doesn't take long to lose that perspective, the world taking on a layer of seriousness that squishes our "innocence" as quickly as my student and his ant encounters. Losing that is a tragedy. With the children, I gain a little of it back. It makes me a better person, gives me a much more in-tune perspective about what really matters in life. And the bonus? The children make me feel young again, no matter how old I am by the numbers. That gift...priceless!
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    About The Author

    I grew up in rural North Carolina. When I was only nineteen, I moved away and became a military wife. My only aspiration at that tender time in my life was to create an adult life that "fixed" all of the "injustices" of my childhood. Secretly, however, I wanted to reach for the sky! I wanted to be a writer and find ways to "save the world" (my mother used to say, "You have Save the World Syndrome".). Mostly, I wanted to matter.

    Since then, I have learned to reach well beyond what I ever dared to think was possible. I've learned not to allow fear to stop me from whatever future I want to create!

    What keeps me grounded? My Tribe! What provides the wind beneath my wings? A well of reserves filled with unstoppable passion!

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  • Amy M. Schaefer, Writer
  • Blog: From the Front Porch
  • Novels
  • Short Stories
    • Children's Books
  • About the Author
  • Contact
  • Photo & Art Gallery