Fall 1991 Short Family Stories

Four short stories Mom wrote for her fall 1991 writing class. She writes about watching her daughter play ball in the hot July sun, her family and her religion being the top priorities in her life, how she didn't like her name growing up and, apparently following an assignment, what shape and color she saw herself as.

The photo is of Mom, myself and my sister in 1991, on a trip through Mark Twain Cave in Missouri. Dad took the photo.

July is very hot and humid in Iowa. A good rule is to stay in the shade or stay indoors. So here I am, in the hottest part of the day, watching a ballgame. My daughter is on the team, so I have to stay. All my clothes are wet with sweat. Whatever I drink, it is not enough and doesn't satisfy me. My arms are heavy. The longer I sit there, the worse I feel. At least the game is over. I try to walk to the car. I feel very dizzy. I feel like I will pass out. A friend helps me. Ten minutes in the air conditioned car and I feel better.
Connie, Sept. 25, 1991

Top Priorities in My Life
The number one priority in my life right now is my family. My husband, who is on disability from a kidney transplant, and two hip replacements, is very important to me. He also has a learning disability, which was not diagnosed until recently. He has great difficulty reading and writing. My two children are also a number one priority. My goal is to give them as much self-esteem as possible. They are both very gifted and talented in their own right.

Secondly, my religion is very important to me. My faith in God has gotten me this far, and it will get me through the rest of my life. My goal is to help instill some of this faith in my family, more by action, then by preaching.

My future plans include incorporating my hobby of sewing into a business. I love to teach someone how to sew. I eventually would like to do a simple sewing manual, written in simple language, to give the amateur confidence. I teach sewing part-time through Kirkwood Community Education Department when there are enough students. I have found that I love teaching. I love to see that light go on, which means they finally got it.
Connie, Oct. 8, 1991

My Name
I never liked Constance as a name in school. I wanted a nice, simple name like Mary or Jane. Also, no one else in school was named Constance. We did have one boy in class named Conrad, which really complicated things. As I grew up, it didn't matter and now I like the name. I like that it is a little different and easy to pronounce.
Connie, Fall 1991

Shape
I believe my personality is round, because I am interested in many different kinds of subjects. I am able to relate to a variety of experiences with old and young. I can go into a conversation with old or young, and feel fairly comfortable on a one to one basis.

Color
My color varies with the day. It also varies accordingly to what is going on around me. As I am getting older, there seems to be more "blue" days and I feel blue. On good days, I feel like red. I can take anything thrown at me.
Connie, Sept. 19, 1991