March 18, 1925 – 90 Years Ago

“Today, the technology is there to give early and normally ample warning when a powerful tornado approaches. When a tornado strikes, all of us are at risk.”~ Spencer Bachus

Before I continue on with more music show posts that I have seen over the past weekend, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on something in American history. An event that fits into one of my hobbies/interests.

90 years ago on this day, the Tri-State Tornado struck and blazed a trail across three states, killing almost 700 people and injuring thousands more.

If you were to look at any “tornado ranking” or “tornado list” this tornado will always be at the top spot.

Thankfully we have not had such a severe and serious outbreak such as what happened in 1925. A time when there were virtually no weather warnings. No sirens. No television or radio announcements.

A number of cities and towns were literally destroyed and wiped off the map. According to multiple reports, the storm didn’t even look like a tornado. Just a dark black cloud.  

I cannot imagine how the survivors of this event had felt when the destructive winds blasted through and was on the ground for more than three hours in total.

With the technology that we have today, we do not have to worry about having such a high casualty rate, we can be better warned and if people would be better prepared and actually listen to the weather reports, it would save lives.

Tornadoes in the United States of America will always be a thing. But we do not have to be a number or a tragic event.

The Literary Horse

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”~ Ernest Hemingway

I’ve recently got back on the literary horse. It is something that I have been wanting to do for a very long time now. And only this past week, I began the new adventure of writing short stories again. I am a little bit excited about it.

It’s been going well so far. I noticed that when I finally stopped to begin the project that I kept going for almost six hours and written 19 pages using Microsoft Word Document.

The first day though, I kept writing until my hands were practically numb from typing away on the keyboard.

I’ve written other short stories before, and I have been told by people that I should publish them. But I lost them in the move when I left my ex-girlfriend as they were stored on an old computer. But I doubt that even she could get to them as the mother board had died before I moved away.

I probably had enough short stories to publish a small book that would have been a collection of stories. But oh well. Time for something fresh!

Since then, I have had a few ideas of what I wanted to write about and what kinds of stories that I wanted to come up with. But this time, I’m composing the story in a different way than I have done before in the past.

As certain ideas or scenes come to mind, I am writing them. And then I intend on surrounding those parts with the rest of the story. I really wanted to concentrate on getting the raunchy sex scenes out of the way first before I write the other parts to it. I need to make sure that it doesn’t sound like just a fetish story.

I was surprised with myself though the first day. I normally have tons of problems trying to figure out just how to start writing with the first paragraph. For this project, I had no troubles at all. I pulled up a new document and went to work. I finished the opening section of the story and got done a few of the amorous parts.

I’m proud of myself for being able to do that.

I wrote more today and (according to the Word Document) I have started on the 29th page, and have over 13,000 words to it written. And I have yet to fill in the other parts to the story.

But I’ve learned my lesson. I will no longer go for a long stretch of hours. I will take more breaks in between and learn to stop once in a while. My hands and arms hurt after that first day of writing. Perhaps only write so many words a day and then stop would work better for me.

I’m hoping that this goes well. Wish me luck!!!

 

Poetry & Prose

Words from the Soul

I cannot say that I’ve ever received a “royalty” in my life. I might have been an influence upon others that would cause them to strike poetry & prose, but I am unaware of it.

I know that others inspire me. Mainly though, through poetry.

Song lyrics however, is something that I have done before but without as much success with my poetry and short stories.

 

Although…. I am vaguely reminded now about how I did write a poem that was about twenty lines long. Four lines in each verse, and a man did put it to an electric guitar. Although I do not remember it well, and I no longer have the cassette recording. What I do remember is that it was called “Child of Wrath.” A story about a man who was secretly in love with a woman who was always angry but never tells her. I wondered if anyone figured out who it was I believed I was in love with? Anyways, not the point. It was transference, not love or even lust. No royalties and it never became a #1 hit song.

 

I have to sit and laugh when I hear about certain people who cast their names out to be “song writers”. I stop and wonder what in the world they have written and what has become of their work? Did they make millions of dollars and end up with a mansion in the Hills with a diamond-studded swimming pool and eighteen tennis courts in the backyard? Probably not. Usually the singer/performing artist is the one that takes up the fame and fortune. I wonder- is there ever any jealousy or ill-will with the songwriters?

 

When I was a teenager, I always wanted to make it big with writing songs. I dreamed of writing that one golden and magical song that would be so popular that it would become one of the top amazing hits EVER. And would always be played on the radio and in the homes of music lovers.

 

Hasn’t happened yet, darn it!!

 

So now that the dream is over, I continue with writing my own style of short stories and most definitely my own romantic poetry. Most of which has never been read, published, or seen by any other person alive today. I guess that is in part because of the fear of being cheated and my work stolen and having someone ELSE make all the money!

 

But I’ve made the attempt to break free from those dark and cloudy thoughts as I entered a short poem in a poetry contest. Only four people (outside of the contest people) have seen it and know it exists. Others just simply know that I’ve entered one.

 

It wasn’t my best work, that’s for sure! I kind of believed that this poetry writing contest is a bunch of crap. Probably a scam only to draw in aspiring poets and then make them feel proud of themselves as they promise to publish their works in a book. And I also suspected that at some point, they were going to push the selling of the book really hard on me. Glorifying the fact that “I would be published”. I would in a sense, but probably this company holding the contest is just out to sell, sell, sell.

 

The grand prize is $1,000. Not too bad, eh?? Then the finer print said “… and 116 other prizes.” How vague can you get? What KIND of prizes and just how is it that you can give out over a hundred of them??

 

Not that long ago, I received a letter from the company. It said that I had been chosen as a semi-finalist. The grand prize would be selected in the fall some time. But here’s my chance……………………………….. HERE WE GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yep, they wanna sell their books. Well, “a book of YOUR proud entry along with others”. But no price tag was given. Someone mentioned to me, maybe about $60 for the book? They certainly wanted me to think about it seriously, because my poem will be printed in the book. And they dazzled and shined, showing a nice leather bound collection of books. But of course I would not suspect that whatever they are trying to sell me would look exactly like that.

 

So at any rate, I am thinking about going for it. Most likely I will not win their grand prize. But I want to see just how far they are going to push the selling of their books. I want to see what I “did win”, (if they said that I did) and find out just what they are going to offer me as a prize if not the $1,000. I still kind of believe everything is just crap, so as I said, I did write from the heart, but not really from the soul. And it was inspired by someone. I could very well say that the poem is “heartfelt”. Awwwwwwww…

 

But since I am a “semi-finalist” I have to intital off on some paper that it IS my original work and not a copy from something that has been already published. No ripping off Shakespeare, people!! I need to look it over and see if there are any corrections, and then send it back in their envelope that they provided (but did not provide a stamp to), and get it back to them by the end of this month.

 

Having 117 total winners, depending on how many poor saps entered the contest with hopes and dreams of winning all of that money, I’ll probably be told that I won and a prize is coming in the mail. Something menial like a $5 gift card to Wal-Mart. Well if that be the case, at least I could go there and buy another kick ass patriotic t-shirt!! How cool would that be?

 

But nevermind the contest, I enjoy the poetry writing. I find it to be my therapy as well as the outlet to say things that I just cannot say. Shy as I may actually be, personally.

 

I’ve done a lot of poetry writing in my entire life. Most of it I am very proud of. And I know that I will always continue to write poetry, until the day that I die.