Courtesy of the Dog
Because we all need a little break:
Put Him Back in His Place
Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on . Posted in General. 21 Comments on Put Him Back in His Place
Why am I so mad about the presidential race? Because I’ve lived through this shit. I’ve been stalked while riding my bike, cutting and swerving through the neighborhood, trying to get away from the pickup truck, pedaling as fast as I could, realizing I couldn’t outrun him, couldn’t keep up my flight much longer. I’ve...
The Morris Girls
Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on . Posted in General, LOVE. 10 Comments on The Morris Girls
Her face is alive with joy. And beauty, such beauty. In her fitted navy dress that hugs every curve, with Bigmama’s diamond bar pin sparkling in the vee of her neckline, she walks down the aisle with perfect poise. And confidence. She has such confidence. My heart swells with love for, and pride in, my sister. My big sister. The mother of the...
We Can Fix Police Shootings
Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on . Posted in Racism to Reconciliation. 12 Comments on We Can Fix Police Shootings
Those cities in the US experiencing dramatic declines in police shootings, how did they do it? Did they round up the citizenry and instruct them on the proper way to react during a police encounter (“Nope, nope, nope—hands on the wheel”)? Or did they go into African-American neighborhoods and distribute fliers (“When stopped...
Sic ‘Em, Brain
Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on . Posted in General. 15 Comments on Sic ‘Em, Brain
The young woman squirmed in her seat, responding to the hypnotist’s questions. She and I were students at North Carolina’s Governor’s School in the 1970s. In the lecture halls of Governor’s School, I first learned of quantum mechanics and the theory of general relativity. I also first experienced hypnotism.
Put under,...
Yikes!
Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on . Posted in HOMELESSNESS, Writing. 14 Comments on Yikes!
What was I thinking? Sending out such a request? Yes, my agent is shopping my novel to big name publishing houses. Yes, editors at those houses—complete strangers—are judging my work. Plus, I’ve been in writing groups for years where judging nascent work is the name of the game. But this is different.
I put out a request on Facebook for...
Hard Truths I’ve (Recently) Learned
Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on . Posted in General, GRIEF. 8 Comments on Hard Truths I’ve (Recently) Learned
1: You don’t get Fitbit steps by wearing walking shoes.
2: The heat index is real.
3: Toilet paper doesn’t buy itself.
4: The dog likes me best when I’m giving her a treat.
5: When I say “I don’t want to do anything today,” I mean, “I only want to do what I want to do today.”
6: I spend most days not doing what I want.
7: Doing what I want is...
The Unvarnished Truth
Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on . Posted in GRIEF, LOVE. 14 Comments on The Unvarnished Truth
I was in the eighth grade. We had recently moved to North Carolina where we met our new Van Hecke family. One branch of the family lived in Charlotte, the same city we did. That was Daddy’s younger brother Merwin, his wife Faye, and the kids, Kelley, Michael, and Charlie. My sister and I had played in their yard; they’d visited our...
Entertaining Angels Unawares
Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on . Posted in General, GOD, LOVE. 6 Comments on Entertaining Angels Unawares
Like a water bug on a lake, he zipped past me, twirling around the display case, flailing his skinny arms, talking to himself, entertaining himself at the T-Mobile store. He was my favorite kind of child. A frenetic, voluble young boy of five or six, the type of child who might puzzle his classmates and drive his parents to distraction.
A child...
What the Hell, Dentists?
Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on . Posted in General. 4 Comments on What the Hell, Dentists?
For all of my adult life, I’ve been flossing. Okay, okay. Not when I was in college–who needs to floss when the only thing going in your mouth is cold beer? And not when I was a young lawyer. Man, I was too busy trying to make partner to floss. And not when I was newly divorced—I gave up all reputable pursuits during that period of my life and...