Memory Lane . . . Prompt #635

Today’s Writing Prompt has four parts.

Part 1

Imagine you are going on a trip. Cost is no object. You can go anywhere and take anything you want.

Spend a few minutes writing what you would take.

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Part 2

Mentally add safety items to your suitcase, or duffle bag, or backpack. You might have already packed some of these things.

Medical supplies, bandages, antiseptic.

Flares, flashlight.

Things to protect you: sunscreen, a soft pillow for a cushioned landing in case you fall, a safety net to catch you.

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Part 3

Go on a trip down Memory Lane.

Choose a time in your life when something deeply affected you or was troubling.

Write about a difficult time, a pivotal moment, when something happened and you were not the same after.

If you experience a strong reaction while you are writing, stop writing. Shake out your hands, or look up, take some deep breaths. Look out a window.

Remind your body that you are safe at this time.

Write about a difficult time, a pivotal moment, when something happened and you were not the same after.

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Part 4

Travel back in time, again. This time, go to a lovely moment. A time of peace and calm. Who was with you? Or, were you alone?

Describe the scene, like you would see it unfold in a play. What do you see? What do you smell? What do you hear? Use sensory detail as you write about this memory.

Bring in smells if you can . . . clean laundry, sheets dried outside on a clothesline, a shirt being ironed, fresh lemons, strawberries. The smell of the ocean, diesel fuel. Freshly mowed lawn.

Bring in sound: The iron hissing on the shirt, the bang of the screen door, the clang of a bell. Waves washing ashore. Bicycle tires crunching on gravel. The crunch of autumn leaves as you walk on them.

Write about a special time that makes you smile every time you remember this moment, perhaps a time when you felt at peace.

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