Esther Chilton

This week’s writing prompt is:

SEASONS

Which is your favourite season? Mine is autumn. I love the glorious golds, oranges and reds as the leaves turn. There’s also a crisp freshness to the air and the crackle of the log burner once inside. The differing seasons can make a great theme for a poem, or they can be the backdrop to a story. Which season will you choose?

You don’t have to share your work, but I always enjoy seeing what you come up with if the prompt gives you inspiration. Your last prompt was WORK. Here are the pieces you shared:

Ladyleemanila:

Through hard work and strength

Determine at length

With endurance I conquer

Challenge come and go

Through the night I plough

Off to the distant yonder

I follow the trail

Even if I fail

Have insurmountable will

Try and try again

No thrill without pain

Didn’t I said so and I will.

Tessa Dean:

I worked through the list of subjects that needed to be found and sorted out for each elementary school child. I was at work (it was a volunteer job at my son’s elementary school), and this was one of my favorite jobs. I researched different subjects to help the young children write their first research papers.

When I finished all the research topics, I would sit at the computer and type in the different books as the library implemented its first computerized book search. Someone had to do the typing, and I enjoyed data entry and anything related to computers.

Kim Smyth:

I learned my trade before I joined the Army, but later it changed to a more specialized job. I started working in high school at a local nursing home as an aide, applied for something in nursing when I joined the service, and became a combat medic. That didn’t work for me due to medical issues, so they sent me back to San Antonio to attend school to become a laboratory technician. I did not get to finish, so since I enjoyed the phlebotomy side of lab work, that became my lifelong career. I worked in many places before landing at Arlington Cancer Treatment Center as a phlebotomist. I worked there for twelve years until a suave and debonair Englishman offered me a position with him at his fledgling company called LIFEQUEST. I did all kinds of things with him, from CPR training, to flu shots all over TX. I even ran his office and handled his appts before eventually returning to the cancer center. I worked there for three more years and left when my husband said my mental health was more important than the job.

Later, we moved to southeast Texas and I worked a part-time job as an activities director’s assistant, and a volunteer job with the United Board of Missions. I also worked a part-time job as a cashier in an affiliated thrift store…proceeds went to the board of missions. On top of all that, I served in SERTOMA as a secretary and as an activities planner in the group.

When we returned to NRH, TX, I worked as a private duty nurse/personal assistant to Miss Stephanie Kilgore who has a rare form of muscular dystrophy called Frederichs Ataxia. We remain friends to this day! She has her own blog on WordPress called “Rollin On”.

I’ve had many, many jobs in between but always enjoyed my work, wherever I was needed!

The Bag Lady:

Being a “housewife” in the sixties, the first question at a gathering would be, “do you work?” Next question (this was Texas) was where do you go to church?” The idea that if you did not receive a paycheck from a company, you did not work. These uninformed persons probably never did their own cleaning and cooking, raising three children, and providing a good home. This still is a prejudice in our society. Now many women who stay at home do all these things plus some type of online job just to get by. Respect is needed.

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