Before we start, I’d like to turn everyone’s attention to Blogger Dad. His weekly eight questions is eighteen this week because his subject cannot ever stop talking. Though to be fair, I answered only what was asked. If you read it, and enjoy it, please consider a Stumble. It could help two bloggers with one click.
Note to Writer Dad: Please do not assume your readers know the minutia of your everyday life, or expect them to read every post. Such behavior is arrogant. At the very least, provide a link to you’re previous discussion. Omission of such a simple blogging regularity is thoughtless. The writing, it’s okay. The blogging needs work. Please fix.
I’m on it, and sorry about yesterday.
A habit is something you can do without thinking – which is why most of us have so many of them.
~Frank A. Clark
Last week, my sister sent me an email.
You should write about the Quan.
I should write about the Quan.
What’s the Quan?
The Quan was an everyday ghetto liquor store, located approximately four blocks from the house where I grew up.
My sister was brief. Here’s what she meant:
You should write about how when we were little, we used to sneak to the Quan to buy candy, then hide it so Mom wouldn’t find out.
If KittyTown doesn’t answer my email by the time I publish, then I’m saying we started embarking on these adventures around the time I was eight and she was six or seven.
We never would have designed such a plan ourselves. Our original minister of mayhem was our half sister. She lived in Arkansas, but came to live with us nearly every Summer.
Our sister was two years, and an entirely different life, older than us. She had tattoos before I had braces, and if it hadn’t been for Stephen King, she probably would have been responsible for my first exposure to the really filthy words.
One Summer, she crafted a plan of elegant genius.
We’d run to the Quan (it was practically next door), buy what we wanted (candy is cheap), and slip back home without being missed (Pop’s watching a baseball game and is going nowhere).
We lived on a quiet street, populated mostly by couples either at starting gate or finish line, providing us with precisely no on to play with. Surrounding our street were scattered patches of danger.
Each block from our house to the Quan grew progressively worse, until arriving on the corner of We Shouldn’t Have Done and What Were We Thinking?
At season’s end, big sis flew East. Our taste for illicit freedom went nowhere.
My sister and I began to frequent the Quan.
I loved those adventures, but they’re only prelude to my message.
Years passed.
I continued to visit the Quan. Except the Quan was now my girlfriend’s house, at the other end of town, in what was widely regarded as the worst neighborhood in our city, and I needed two bus transfers to get there.
Like the Quan, I disregarded danger to own an opportunity.
I was never murdered, but I did get caught.
Twice.
Our habits are there until we exorcise them.
We’re all responsible for our own behavior. No excuses. We should work to recognize our most negative patterns, then quell them.
Otherwise, we’re just spinning without launch.
My sister did respond, almost immediately (I love email). Her words were funny. Good memories.
Partly because I’m lazy, and partly because I loved her email, tomorrow is Writer Dad’s first guest post.
Don’t get excited. Honestly, it’s just a copy and paste.
Tomorrow: KittyTown’s taking on the Quan.
Writer Dad
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About Sean Platt
Hi Writer Dad – What a cool memory to revive. I’m betting when you and your siblings get together there are a lot of “remember whens”, laughs and smiles.
Oh, wow, I forgot another one – the ice cream wagon when I lived in Florida! He’d park outside the elementary school and wait for us pigeons to flock to him…and whenever I had money (admittedly, not often), I would blow it entirely on his inventory, scuttle home, and gorge on it before Big Brother got home and confiscated my contraband for himself.
I prefer to forget about the convenience store I’d ride my bike to and filch loot from…ah, childhood pilfering…if I’d had a brain in my head, I would have snitched something with actual nutrients so I wouldn’t have to eat a Kool-Aid sandwich for dinner again or wait for the next day’s school lunch to eat a “real” meal, but noooo…I had to gravitate to the penny candy. Selfish wench!
Shade and Sweetwater,
K (who is tickled by some of the memories she’s reading and remembering)
Kyddryns last blog post..The Promise, Part Two
Oh, wow, I forgot another one – the ice cream wagon when I lived in Florida! He’d park outside the elementary school and wait for us pigeons to flock to him…and whenever I had money (admittedly, not often), I would blow it entirely on his inventory, scuttle home, and gorge on it before Big Brother got home and confiscated my contraband for himself.
I prefer to forget about the convenience store I’d ride my bike to and filch loot from…ah, childhood pilfering…if I’d had a brain in my head, I would have snitched something with actual nutrients so I wouldn’t have to eat a Kool-Aid sandwich for dinner again or wait for the next day’s school lunch to eat a “real” meal, but noooo…I had to gravitate to the penny candy. Selfish wench!
Shade and Sweetwater,
K (who is tickled by some of the memories she’s reading and remembering)
Kyddryns last blog post..The Promise, Part Two
Oh, wow, I forgot another one – the ice cream wagon when I lived in Florida! He’d park outside the elementary school and wait for us pigeons to flock to him…and whenever I had money (admittedly, not often), I would blow it entirely on his inventory, scuttle home, and gorge on it before Big Brother got home and confiscated my contraband for himself.
I prefer to forget about the convenience store I’d ride my bike to and filch loot from…ah, childhood pilfering…if I’d had a brain in my head, I would have snitched something with actual nutrients so I wouldn’t have to eat a Kool-Aid sandwich for dinner again or wait for the next day’s school lunch to eat a “real” meal, but noooo…I had to gravitate to the penny candy. Selfish wench!
Shade and Sweetwater,
K (who is tickled by some of the memories she’s reading and remembering)
Kyddryns last blog post..The Promise, Part Two
Vered: It may be cliche, but I’m equal parts childhood, adolescence, and adult.
James: Do you want to trade childhoods, at least for a day?
Steph: I’m serious. I think I’m gonna do it, maybe sometime in 2011. Your parents actually tore a book in half!?! That’s crazy. I thought that only happened in movies. I’m sorry. I think King would probably think it was funny.
Barbara: We make fun of one another without mercy.
Kyddryn: Our ice cream man parked outside my favorite park. His stuff was a total rip-off, and I could easily acquire the same merchandise at the Quan, but the Quan did not make deliveries like the ice cream truck. Memories are better than the best candy.
Vered: It may be cliche, but I’m equal parts childhood, adolescence, and adult.
James: Do you want to trade childhoods, at least for a day?
Steph: I’m serious. I think I’m gonna do it, maybe sometime in 2011. Your parents actually tore a book in half!?! That’s crazy. I thought that only happened in movies. I’m sorry. I think King would probably think it was funny.
Barbara: We make fun of one another without mercy.
Kyddryn: Our ice cream man parked outside my favorite park. His stuff was a total rip-off, and I could easily acquire the same merchandise at the Quan, but the Quan did not make deliveries like the ice cream truck. Memories are better than the best candy.
Vered: It may be cliche, but I’m equal parts childhood, adolescence, and adult.
James: Do you want to trade childhoods, at least for a day?
Steph: I’m serious. I think I’m gonna do it, maybe sometime in 2011. Your parents actually tore a book in half!?! That’s crazy. I thought that only happened in movies. I’m sorry. I think King would probably think it was funny.
Barbara: We make fun of one another without mercy.
Kyddryn: Our ice cream man parked outside my favorite park. His stuff was a total rip-off, and I could easily acquire the same merchandise at the Quan, but the Quan did not make deliveries like the ice cream truck. Memories are better than the best candy.
Ah, the corrupting older sister. This post reminds me of when I was in law school in Washington DC and I had to go to really shady neighborhoods in DC to notify men that they had to appear in court (I was in a clinic that represented victims of domestic violence). I would go with a male friend but the neighborhoods were so bad that we would have to stop several taxis until finding one that was willing to drive into those neighborhoods. Thank goodness we both survived our “bad neighborhood experiences” Sean.
Marelisas last blog post..Thoughts to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing
Ah, the corrupting older sister. This post reminds me of when I was in law school in Washington DC and I had to go to really shady neighborhoods in DC to notify men that they had to appear in court (I was in a clinic that represented victims of domestic violence). I would go with a male friend but the neighborhoods were so bad that we would have to stop several taxis until finding one that was willing to drive into those neighborhoods. Thank goodness we both survived our “bad neighborhood experiences” Sean.
Marelisas last blog post..Thoughts to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing
Ah, the corrupting older sister. This post reminds me of when I was in law school in Washington DC and I had to go to really shady neighborhoods in DC to notify men that they had to appear in court (I was in a clinic that represented victims of domestic violence). I would go with a male friend but the neighborhoods were so bad that we would have to stop several taxis until finding one that was willing to drive into those neighborhoods. Thank goodness we both survived our “bad neighborhood experiences” Sean.
Marelisas last blog post..Thoughts to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing
2 bus fare in the middle of danger to visit your girlfriend, huh? now that’s love…lol
Chriss last blog post..Make Money With Pokemon
2 bus fare in the middle of danger to visit your girlfriend, huh? now that’s love…lol
Chriss last blog post..Make Money With Pokemon
show me the moneyyyyyy!!!
that quan u talking about??? :)
UrbanVoxs last blog post..I Blame Boris!!!!
show me the moneyyyyyy!!!
that quan u talking about??? :)
UrbanVoxs last blog post..I Blame Boris!!!!
Marelisa: Me too. By the way, I especially enjoyed your post today.
Chris: Something like that.
Urban Vox: Not exactly, but sure.
Marelisa: Me too. By the way, I especially enjoyed your post today.
Chris: Something like that.
Urban Vox: Not exactly, but sure.
Marelisa: Me too. By the way, I especially enjoyed your post today.
Chris: Something like that.
Urban Vox: Not exactly, but sure.
When I was a kid I never got into trouble, unless my sister was invovled. :)
Hey, no kidding about commenting on Tara’s page, it’s a pain! I think
Coventry Telegraph is anti-American!
malathionmans last blog post..The Wrath of Mrs. Khan
When I was a kid I never got into trouble, unless my sister was invovled. :)
Hey, no kidding about commenting on Tara’s page, it’s a pain! I think
Coventry Telegraph is anti-American!
malathionmans last blog post..The Wrath of Mrs. Khan
When I was a kid I never got into trouble, unless my sister was invovled. :)
Hey, no kidding about commenting on Tara’s page, it’s a pain! I think
Coventry Telegraph is anti-American!
malathionmans last blog post..The Wrath of Mrs. Khan
I so love to hear childhood stories! I think I might like to meet your older sister. We would have have had great fun together as kids. ;)
(Just an aside, I swear I did not read this post until after I posted mine. Funny how we were both thinking about habits. It must be the brainwave of the day!)
Jamie Simmermans last blog post..Character Development for Dummies
I so love to hear childhood stories! I think I might like to meet your older sister. We would have have had great fun together as kids. ;)
(Just an aside, I swear I did not read this post until after I posted mine. Funny how we were both thinking about habits. It must be the brainwave of the day!)
Jamie Simmermans last blog post..Character Development for Dummies
LOL!
I remember my Quan.
Thought I’d rather not mention it here :), it sure did get me in some trouble.
Everyone has their own Quan at some point.
I actually miss mines!
Luis Grosss last blog post..How To Build A Community On Your Blog
LOL!
I remember my Quan.
Thought I’d rather not mention it here :), it sure did get me in some trouble.
Everyone has their own Quan at some point.
I actually miss mines!
Luis Grosss last blog post..How To Build A Community On Your Blog
It’s so sad to me that you had to experience bad neighborhoods even as a child. I grew up in a place where there were no bad neighborhoods. Of course, that was because of segregation in the real estate industry, but I didn’t learn that until way later. My best friend and I sneaked to our Quan at lunchtime in elementary school.
It’s so sad to me that you had to experience bad neighborhoods even as a child. I grew up in a place where there were no bad neighborhoods. Of course, that was because of segregation in the real estate industry, but I didn’t learn that until way later. My best friend and I sneaked to our Quan at lunchtime in elementary school.
It’s so sad to me that you had to experience bad neighborhoods even as a child. I grew up in a place where there were no bad neighborhoods. Of course, that was because of segregation in the real estate industry, but I didn’t learn that until way later. My best friend and I sneaked to our Quan at lunchtime in elementary school.
I found a DualFeeds pluggin for WordPress over at http://www.scratch99.com/2007/06/wordpress-simple-css-text-boxes-in-posts/. Not sure if that’s what you’re looking for, though. ;)
Jamie Simmermans last blog post..You Can Help a Desperate Writer!
I found a DualFeeds pluggin for WordPress over at http://www.scratch99.com/2007/06/wordpress-simple-css-text-boxes-in-posts/. Not sure if that’s what you’re looking for, though. ;)
Jamie Simmermans last blog post..You Can Help a Desperate Writer!
I found a DualFeeds pluggin for WordPress over at http://www.scratch99.com/2007/06/wordpress-simple-css-text-boxes-in-posts/. Not sure if that’s what you’re looking for, though. ;)
Jamie Simmermans last blog post..You Can Help a Desperate Writer!
Malathionman: It’s a good thing we took their colonies away.
Jamie: We were dipping fingers into the collective unconscious. Thanks for the heads up on the plugin. I’ll definitely check it out. I’m on my way to help a desperate writer!
Luis: We all have a Quan.
Dot: I still live in a bad neighborhood, about a mile and a half from the Quan.
Malathionman: It’s a good thing we took their colonies away.
Jamie: We were dipping fingers into the collective unconscious. Thanks for the heads up on the plugin. I’ll definitely check it out. I’m on my way to help a desperate writer!
Luis: We all have a Quan.
Dot: I still live in a bad neighborhood, about a mile and a half from the Quan.
Malathionman: It’s a good thing we took their colonies away.
Jamie: We were dipping fingers into the collective unconscious. Thanks for the heads up on the plugin. I’ll definitely check it out. I’m on my way to help a desperate writer!
Luis: We all have a Quan.
Dot: I still live in a bad neighborhood, about a mile and a half from the Quan.
Thanks for stopping back after my technical glitch, and thanks for helping out.
Jamie Simmermans last blog post..You Can Help a Desperate Writer!
Thanks for stopping back after my technical glitch, and thanks for helping out.
Jamie Simmermans last blog post..You Can Help a Desperate Writer!
Thanks for stopping back after my technical glitch, and thanks for helping out.
Jamie Simmermans last blog post..You Can Help a Desperate Writer!