Blogging, Education, Family, Literature, Writing

When We Write Letters, Part VI: Letters from Grandma

Letters arrived at camp. The post man delivered them to my parents’ mailbox. Letters came all the time. Now they never come. I miss her letters. Only three or four remain. Paper slightly aged, and cursive letters written into the page. I feel where my grandmother’s pen pressed down. I called my grandmother “Dick Dick,”… Continue reading When We Write Letters, Part VI: Letters from Grandma

Blogging, Life, Literature, Unemployment, Writing

Friday Night Writes: Goodbye Shame

Courtesy of http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-1612-Job-Info-and-Trends-10-Modern-Blue-Collar-Jobs/ Frost covered the ground. Tips of naked tree branches above the silos began to unfreeze on my ride to work. I listen to the radio. A woman tells a story about another who spent most of her life living in a trailer park. She worked at McDonalds. "Don't get me wrong," the… Continue reading Friday Night Writes: Goodbye Shame

Economy, Life, Photography, Photos, Unemployment, Writing

When We Write Letters Part V: After You Get Your Foot in the Door

A man walks around the center of a town. The county courthouse sits at the center. The statue of a war hero is in front. He lives in a warm place most of the year. Sunshine and 61 degree weather becomes old to him. He waits for something new to come along because he needs… Continue reading When We Write Letters Part V: After You Get Your Foot in the Door

Blogging, Economy, Family, Food, Photography, Photos, Unemployment, Writing

Write Big, Use Small Words: Best Love Ever

Look on your Valentine's Day Candy. What words do you read? Are they long or short? Does your candy say: Indulge My Passion or Flirtatiously Yours? Sometimes you need no words at all to say, "I love you." In June 2012, my husband, son and I moved out of our apartment after he lost his… Continue reading Write Big, Use Small Words: Best Love Ever

Blogging, Economy, Education, Family, Life, Photography, Writing

When We Write Letters, Part IV: A Mommy Scribbles Letter

My son next to the Catawba River in Jan. 2012 Dear Son: Some say a mother who stays at home is the best. They say she is better than all of the rest. She is blessed her husband works in a job that brings the check to support her and the little ones.    … Continue reading When We Write Letters, Part IV: A Mommy Scribbles Letter

Blogging, Family, Life, Literature, Photography, Writing

Friday Night Writes: Who is the Baby No One Wanted?

Photo taken October 2012 by R.T. Dickinson outside Bamberg, SC of my father and son. He was no one's child. He was everyone's child. Wrapped in his first blanket, the baby lay in a crib carved by the pastor. The man smiled. Eyes – the color of ashen storm clouds at dawn – stared at… Continue reading Friday Night Writes: Who is the Baby No One Wanted?

Economy, Education, Life, Unemployment, Writing

When We Write Letters, Part III: Putting Your Foot in the Door

Courtesy of http://saleshq.monster.com You want to shove open an employer's door and say, "Hey, look what I have to offer." Common sense tells us that action works like a date gone wrong; it makes the employer run the other way. Maybe you've been unemployed for a long time. Perhaps you work part-time, and like me,… Continue reading When We Write Letters, Part III: Putting Your Foot in the Door