Monday, July 30, 2012

Someone Cared About Me Once

A woman I called "The Blonde" and I spent the next hour curling hair, doing makeup, getting dressed and being absolutely girlie before going to a party. It was hard for me—a practical granola who had shunned such things for so long. And the longer The Blonde and I talked, I realized we had absolutely nothing in common. Either she’d changed drastically since I'd met her or she was finally being herself.
    “Take those ugly earrings out,” The Blonde ordered.
    “They . . . Well, they don’t come out.”
    “What are you talking about. Of course they come out.”
    “I don’t want to take them off.”
    “But they’re rusted and old.”
    I smiled and looked at them in the mirror. “Maybe my face doesn’t look like my own anymore with all this makeup, but those earrings still remind me of who I am. When I was eleven, my brother took me on a long camping trip where we climbed mountains and hiked all around. We used to bury cans of Spaghettios under the fire so they could get warm for when we’d eat them.”
    “And what do those ugly earrings have to do with any of that?”
    “One day, we looked over a big valley. We’d spread a blanket next to his trunk. The sun had gone down. The stars came out and my brother gave me these metal earrings. He put one in his ear and gave me these. He said it was a sign that he’d always be there if I needed anything because no matter what he’d love me since I’m his little sister.” I cleared my throat and touched one of the earrings with my left hand. They were little loops, nothing special to anyone except me.
    “I guess I didn’t realize it until now, but whenever I’ve had a hard time, I remember these earrings and they make me feel better.”
    “Does he still wear his earring?” she asked me as if it was a fashion faux pas and not something that had carried me through so much.
    “No,” I whispered. “He doesn’t.”
    “And yet you refuse to take yours out now. Between those earrings and your stupid beliefs . . . That’s great if you want to keep the memory in your heart of how someone cared about you once, but you don’t need to wear those earrings forever. The earrings have turned from a blessing to a burden.”
    She really didn’t get it. Who cared that I hardly had anything, or that my brother no longer wore his earring. They were a sign to me that his words and actions had impacted my life. And If I wanted to carry those memories with me—memories of his kindness and the fact that someone had thought I was worth something once—that was my own decision.



    This is an excerpt from a book in The Golden Sky series.  How awesome that the final book is almost done!


    You might be wondering why I'm writing about my brother so much lately.  It's because his very first book is coming out this Wednesday.  I'm so excited for him.
    For more information about his book, please go HERE.

17 comments:

  1. Looks like great writing runs in your family. I'm glad you chose not to let "The Blonde" make you feel less than. You only feel less if you allow yourself to feel less!

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  2. Peanut has had the same earrings in her ears since she got them last year...but I don't think it's because of the memory...it's fear...we took them out once and had trouble getting them back in...she's afraid it will always be like that.
    And I echo what Tracy said...of course, I do...she's one groovy, smart chick.
    :)

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  3. Great story, Elisa. Very touching. I think we all have little things like that which mean far more to us than anyone else can ever truly realize. I know I do (not earrings mind you :) .

    I took a look at the description for Shane's book. Sounds pretty good. I like a good afterlife story.

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  4. It's good not to listen to the deeply shallow. ;)
    Good luck to you and your brother on your new books!! :):)

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  5. The blonde was a total jerk, who is she to tell you what to do with your own stuff. You have to tell us what your brother's book is about, maybe he can do a guest post here. :)

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    1. That's an awesome idea. :0) It's about the afterlife--he created such an amazing world that I've already read his book twice!

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  6. Thanks so much, everyone. I'm so glad I didn't listen to her. I was only eighteen at the time and it seemed awfully hard to hear my own thoughts above her opinions about me.

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  7. Dear Elisa, you are a multi-talented woman. Sewer, writer, singer, musician, mother, wife, humorist--I'm sure there's more I'm not thinking of--and I've come to believe you could be a New York publicist for books! Peace.

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    1. New York here I come LOL! Oh wouldn't that be amazing :)

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  8. Very true, each person is free to make their own decision, screw the shallow people.

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  9. Awwwww.....just the fact that he did that is about the sweetest thing I've ever heard! Do you still wear them?

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    1. I only have one of the earrings left. It's eighteen years old and since I wear three earrings, it's still dangling from my left ear. I swore I'd never take them out until they fell out--and I've kept my end of the bargain ;)

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  10. The Blonde needed to pull her head out. I think giving you the earrings was incredibly sweet. I'm excited about Shane's book. Also, today is your little hurricane sister's birthday.

    Love,
    Janie

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  11. So you AND your brother are awesome writers. That's so cool.

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  12. I'm echoing Dee. Talent is contagious and that's what it is in your family. I like the moral of the story.

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  13. It seems apparent young one that you come from a family of over-achievers. I am totally impressed. My brothers once won a 3-legged race; but that's about it for us.

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  14. Someone cared about you ONCE?!?! He's your brother - he'll ALWAYS care about you! The earrings are just one reminder of that, a reminder you can keep on you at all times. My younger brothers have yet to do that for me.

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