Amy M. Schaefer
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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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Shhhhh...

6/8/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
Image from openallnightediting.com
The inky blackness stretched out above me, as I lay in the cool grass star-gazing, grateful to be far enough away from light pollution to clearly see the night sky. It was too chilly for crickets tonight, but the ever present sounds of a location way too near a bustling, small city crashed around what might otherwise be a peaceful evening. Too many people, I thought, too close and noisy and irritating. I forced myself to focus on the notion that above me, above our Earth, space was extremely quiet. I contemplated various ways to get "there".

I think what I find so distasteful about living in such a densely populated urban area is the noise, especially at night...traffic sounds, people's conversations, barking dogs, the distant sounds of a helicopter, and the constant hum of electrical noises, i.e. air conditioners, heating units, power lines, etc. I want to hear the "stillness" of the world, maybe because my head is always also full of noise that I crave an utter quiet somewhere. I remember vividly what it sounds like when the woods are filled with fresh snow, the complete lack of sounds reminding me of cotton stuffed in my ears. I remember growing up in a place where traffic sounds were nearly non-existent, replaced instead with mourning doves, robins, cicadas, and the occasional hoot owl.

There is a part of me that paces restlessly inside, anxiously awaiting my break from being so close to civilization. I have to ease that desire, otherwise I'd forget to live in the "now", but it's not easy. I have too many memories of how solitude feels, the ache of it just out of reach sometimes making me whacky koo koo crazy, especially when the chaos in my head is at a crescendo. Tonight, I will settle for a long soak in a tub, my ears underwater as I wash my hair. For the moment, it's the best I can do. Soon...soon I will reside in a place less "peopley", and that will be, for me, nearly Heaven.
2 Comments
Angela Miles
6/9/2016 12:20:00 pm

What you and Brad don't know is that I am coming with you!!!! So make room...

Reply
Amy Marie
6/9/2016 03:28:54 pm

Hahaha! You work on a house plan, I'll make sure we have enough acreage !

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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