Welcome to the 2020 Slice of Life!! This March I will be participating in the mont
h-long challenge. Each day I will be posting a ‘slice’ from my life. This year I am using Natalie Goldberg’s book Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir to provide my sparks for memoir writing. Each post will be a quick write using one of Natalie’s exercises, slicing from my childhood or young adulthood.
I REMEMBER
This spark asks me to begin with “I remember” and write for ten minutes to see where it takes me. As you can see memories don’t come to me chronologically, and it’s fascinating to see which memory the mind lands on first.
What do you remember if had 10 minutes to quick write?
litcoachlady 
The first thing that popped into my mind was not having a quarter for the pay phone and calling collect- we had to say “pick me up at school” instead of our names so my parents would just hear, “Will you accept the charges from pick me up at school” and the could just hang up. Memories are so precious and just so funny. This is a great idea, one I want to use for my notebooking but perhaps also a slice. Thanks for the inspiration!
Wow, your collect call name was pretty clever! In college we would call collect, say our name, and our parents would REFUSE the charge…then call us back. Working the system!
When I saw your name, I thought, “How in the world is she going to notebook for 100 days and slice also. It looks like you have figured out how to combine the two (and do a little sketchnoting besides)! You are one talented multitasker. I love the story about the payphone! I love Natalie Goldberg, but don’t know this book. It sounds like it has some great ideas.
I have to admit, it’s going to be a true challenge to do both this month. I fear my reading is going to slow down dramatically!
This prompt from Natalie is my go to when I don’t know what to write. I also love to use “I don’t remember…” Your writing looks so fun with the doodles too. Thanks for posting pics of it.
I love your format and your mentor text. I’m go do some memoirs myself at least one week this month. I admire your focus and your writing.
It will definitely be a challenge Anita, but it is always so rewarding. Good luck this month!
Love the memory about the quarter — brought me right back in time. I saw a payphone in a school last week. It stopped me in my tracks. How quickly the world changes. I love the line: We wait, trusting mom got the call. So much in those words for us to think about as parents. Thanks Paula.
It is in those little specific memories that so much is revealed about our lives and our loved ones. I hope my kids have some little memories that they will hold onto as well.
Very clever way of using both challenges. I was still trying to figure all that out, but you may have provided me with an answer!
An how did we survive without cell phones…Ha!
What a great list of memories! I have done this in my notebooks before…and I had one about pay phones, too. Your mom sounds like she really showed you love!
I’m excited about your focus this month! I love Natalie Goldberg, though I haven’t found Old Friend From Far Away as generative for me personally as Writing Down the Bones and Wild Mind. I look forward to seeing it through a different lens on your blog and finding more inspiration.
I love your inspirational uses of mentor texts. Your note booking has been inspiring me. Can’t wait to see that transferred to the blogs.
Paula, you make a wonderful salesperson for this book! I must order it, but this morning I did pull out my copy of Writing Down the Bones. Keep the memories coming.
Ooooh, that is a classic. I may pull from that as well this month, Glenda!
Paula, you sent me traveling back in time a few decades, lol! I remember a similar quarter trick and calling collect and my parents refusing to accept. Then they knew to pick me up! My parents never brought warm sandwiches, but thanks to your description I could totally imagine how comforting that was for you. I also love the way you combined your notebooking and slicing. I will need to remember this! I look forward to reading your slices this month!
By the way, Paula, how cool that you made the boys’ basketball team!! That would have been unheard of in my school!
It was unheard of until we did it-and wasn’t a real popular thing with some parents and students but tooooo bad! 🙂
I think it’s fantastic! You were paving the way for all the girls who followed. Go, Paula!!
So great that you’re using Goldberg to help inspire you. “00” what a cool jersey number. Who’s Libby, a great childhood friend and fellow athlete? a sister? Your post makes me want to know more, the BEST kind of writing for a reader!
Love your memory about the payphone and will use the Natalie Goldberg prompt one of these March days for sure. I just ordered Old Friend From Far Away – do not believe I do not know that book! Thanks, Paula!
I love when I hear about a book that I probably “should have”. It’s such a treat!
Hey, Paula. I hope you are well. I loved your post and this idea of 10 minutes of remembering. I’m going to be ordering that book. I’m actually writing a memoir in response to questions one of my sons sends me every week through Storyworth. At the end of the year my responses will be sent as a book. It’s the coolest writing things I’ve every done. Check it out. Look forward to reading lots of your wonderful slices this month.
Oh my gosh, Rita! I wanted to get that for my parents for Christmas, but their tech skills just weren’t going to be up to it. So now I am sending them a handwritten letter each week with some questions that I then video them responding to on our Amazon Echo. I would love to hear some of the questions that Storyworth sends. I really wanted to do that.
Hey, Paula. I hope you are well. I loved your post and this idea of 10 minutes of remembering. I’m going to be ordering that book. I’m actually writing a memoir in response to questions one of my sons sends me every week through Storyworth. At the end of the year my responses will be sent as a book. It’s the coolest writing things I’ve every done. Check it out. Look forward to reading lots of your wonderful slices this month.
Beautiful memories, Paula! How sweet of your mom to make you those warm cheese sandwiches. That’s love right there.
I remember waiting at the gym for my dad to pick me up after an away game. He had gone and was with two supportive friends who loved to follow the team. We were playing Oxford Hills I believe. I’m waiting…and waiting…. Finally, I dug out a quarter to call home and Mom wasn’t sure where Dad was but would send a family friend over to pick me up. I’m sure I was very patient and grateful at 15. 😉
Anyway, later on we learned Dad and company took a wrong turn and ended up in NH. No cell phones, no GPS, meant for good ole adventure I guess.
Oh my! Those ‘olden days’ we were really cut off from communication in a way our kids will never understand. (and yes, I am sure YOU were very patient and grateful, Jackie!)