Kay Parker: The Healing Place

"Grief is a pain of the heart, but it assigns itself to our entire body."

That's what Mrs. Parker said, and she would know. She sees hurting people every day where she works at the Healing Place. Rundown people. People with heartache. People with pieces missing out of their lives. You know, everyday people. Call me a sick, twisted soul, but I desperately envy the victims of tragedy. Heck, I'll even call myself a sick, twisted soul. But let me explain.

Go out into a populated area. Close your eyes. Point your finger. Spin in a circle until dizzy. Open your eyes. Approach whoever you're pointing to. Ask someone to tell you their story. More than likely, their story will involve some sort of overcoming-an-obstacle story. It changes us when we fall and when we're broken  because that's when we are forced to choke down a bitter swig of reality and get over ourselves. That's when we recognize our complete helplessness and end up a better person for it.

Listen, my life has been no basket of fuzzy peaches, but tragedy has never come looking for me. Or maybe it has, and somehow, I've managed to hide from it for 20 years. Whatever the case, my life so far has been a walk in the slightly-run-down, mismanaged park where it's usually raining and walkways are poorly defined. How can I relate well to someone who's been walking through Atlanta unarmed at 3 a.m.?

Just thoughts. Take Mrs. Parker's advice and talk. Just talk to people and learn them and swap stories. It's good.

http://nwalreadingaides.org/

I've recently been on the hunt for a place to volunteer. This place is great for a wanna-be writer such as myself to be learning and teaching at the same time. Follow the link if you want to investigate.

The First One

I have a college address. It's where my mom and grandparents send me sweet letters and souvenirs from home, it's where businesses mail my purchases when I make rash spending decisions, and it's where I get flyers from Palm Beach Tan that are rarely lucky enough to even make it to the trash can.

But this is not my real address. I don't live here for good, and I likely won't be living anywhere in the near future long enough to call it home. But there's always one place I never really stray away from for too long. It's this lovely place called Square One.

So what better way to celebrate Square One than to start a new blog?

Ask my friends. I suck at introductions. As a matter of fact, you're probably sitting there right now clearing your throat and thinking, 'And you are?'

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Elise. I'm a sophomore at the University of North Alabama majoring in Professional Moping and minoring in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I like things quiet and simple and sweet. I spend too much money on food. Sometimes I like to pretend that I live in a lighthouse on the coast of Maine with a lobster boat captain husband and a cat named Jefferson. The people most important to me are Jesus, my mother, and Elvis Presley. In that order, but Elvis and my mother are pretty close to tied.

Good. I'm glad we're on a first-name basis now.

I'll spend the next few months trying to make this read like a blog instead of a diary. Wish me luck.