Saturday, July 20, 2024

"Summer Games: Crack the Whip"

  

            The line snakes across the front yard, slithering slowly at first. The leader picks up speed, tugging the line left, pulling suddenly to the right, wrapping quickly into a tight circle and then yanking forward at a full run. Little feet push to keep up the mad pace, fingers painfully vised hand-to-hand, fighting to stay clasped. A whip to the right and feet leave the ground, the last three in line somersaulting into a jumbled dog pile. The leader, powered by an adrenaline rush, darts now. She spins to the second in line, grasps with both of her hands, and twists. She uses her momentum to crack her whip one more time. The tail breaks off with explosive yelps as the leader laps the yard in victory.



Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

Friday, July 19, 2024

"Theme Song"

             Recently, I’ve noted several friends refer to their “theme song.” They have one special melody or lyric that harmonizes with significant events in their lives. I’ve tried to think of my one special piece, but instead I hum out tunes from different periods of my life. In high school, it was Elton John’s “Daniel” playing on my 8-track. In college, I remember singing “Some Day Soon” by Firefall when I studied. After I got married, my music mixed with David’s—Eagles, Beatles, Heart, Billy Joel, Kansas, Yes, Rush. I didn’t listen to any one particular group, let alone have a “theme song” that represented my life at that time.

            The 80s blurred by with us searching out new sounds to counter the airwaves’ disco drone. Always a classical music lover, I remember listening at night to a local station that rasped, gasped, and hissed with poor reception; but I didn’t care. I discovered Jazz during these years, and I revisited all the big bands my parents introduced to me as a child. Never having much money during the early years of our marriage, we carefully picked each album we purchased. By the time our son turned two, he expressed a liking to many of the soundtracks for his favorite movies. We had the music from BeetlejuiceMary Poppins, and half a dozen Disney animated films providing the beep and the bop to our road trips. Out of all of the songs, I never thought of one, though, as my theme.
            Decades merge with a multitude of musicians flavoring my life. Millions of words from lyrics spice up my thoughts at any given point in time, and I’ll sing a refrain or two out of the blue. I have no new favorite song at the moment that makes me think, “This is me!”  I keep waiting for a piece to tug at my heart or make me wanna dance. In the meantime, I wonder about everyone else out there. What is your special song? What makes it special for you?   

 

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

Thursday, July 18, 2024

"Pet Peeves"

            In August of 2011, I decided to generate a list of the top ten behaviors that irk me—just because. It AMAZES me that not a single pet peeve has changed all of these years later!  I haven’t ordered my list in any way. I wonder, though, if any of you also share the same irritants. Feel free to add to my list with your comments!

I hate it when people:

 
greet me like I’m a long lost relative with effusive hugs when  I know it’s all for show

 

agree to be at a certain place at a certain time, show up late (or not at all) and then act annoyed because I’m upset 


swear (usually in front of other people) that they’ll gladly help, and then cancel when it’s too late for me to line up someone else 



preface their criticisms with, “It’s nothing personal, but . . .” and then blast me with a long list of very personal things they’d like me to change

 
dump their problems on me and never offer a reciprocal dumping of my woes 


expect me to be a good person at all times (loving, generous, thoughtful, forgiving) while they can treat me with nastiness 


deny me my right to speak my views because I’m too different from them; yet want me to listen without rebuttal to their diatribes   


preach to the choir (a favorite in educational circles). If you have a problem with something someone says/does, speak privately and directly to that person 


brag about their lives in an effort to exclude me from it 


know what is right; yet choose to do wrong 

2011 Me!


Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman




Tuesday, July 16, 2024

“Endangered”


 

behemoth fossil fuel guzzlers
pitted against efficiency
threatened by diversity
weakened by equality
petrified by inclusion
they worship their perfect world
white males, subservient females
power through intimidation
power through manipulation
power through deceit
their lies pile upon each other
thicken their hides with false security
they are terrified rhinos
dangerous in their fears
excluded by a changing world
endangered





Copyright 2024 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman


 

 

Monday, July 15, 2024

"Butterfly Rainforest"

 


 

            One small house in the San Antonio Zoo nurtures butterflies. Stepping into this exhibit brought immediate delight to us. With all of the sorrows in today’s world, sometimes pausing long enough to play with butterflies brings wonder and joy.










 

















Copyright 2024 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman




Sunday, July 14, 2024

“Unsafe States of America”


CaliforniaTexasFloridaColoradoWashingtonPennsylvaniaWisconsin IlliniosNewYorkMarylandOhio  VirginaMichiganNevadaKentuckyNorthCarolinaGeorgiaTennesee ConnecticutMissouriMinosota  SouthCarolinaOregonIndianaOklahomaKansasMississippiIowa NebraskaNewJerseyAlabamaNewMexicoMaineLouisianaUtah  MassachusettsHawaiiDCArizona

ConcertsCollegesClubsChurches
RestaurantsStoresMovies
BowlingAlleyPostOfficePoliticalRally
SchoolSchoolSchoolSchoolSchoolSchoolSchoolSchoolSchool
SchoolSchoolSchoolSchoolSchoolSchool






Copyright 2024 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman