I am participating in the Two Writing Teachers Annual March Slice of Life Story Challenge.
This year I decided to complete my slice of life challenge through the use of quickwrites. By doing this, I hope to explore my own writing, identify problems my students may be experiencing with these quick bursts of writing, and show them authentic revisions in the writing process.
Today's quick write is live.
Many times I write with my students, but it is in my notebook. Today, I opened up my draft on my blog for today and wrote with them. The only thing I changed were spelling errors.
We wrote for six minutes to a prompt from Linda Rief's book, The Quickwrite Handbook. The pompt was a poem titled "Fifteen" by Annika B.
Here we go:
This year I turned 55. I have never been one to not talk about my age. For me, my age was just a number. Yes, the older I get, the more I feel like 55. But I remember when I was much younger, I thought 50 sounded so old. Now, it is just a number.
Often times I think about my age in years, not necessarily in numbers. I think about how I have probably lived more years than I have left to live. This saddens me on some days. But I think about how I have lived my life. I am proud of what I have become. Oh yes, we all have made mistakes, and we have things that we would probably do differently if we had the chance.
A line from the movie Tuck Everlasting has been aging mantra. It goes something like this:
"Don't be afraid of dying. Be afraid of the unlived life. You don't have to live forever, you just have to live. And she did."
I love that quote at the end. So often people dwell on what is going to happen that they don't live in the present and before they know it life has passed them by. Age is only a number. Sometimes, though, my mind and body don't agree on that number.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing! I love that quote! This is particularly uplifting as I’m in the midst of what feels like a mediocre day. I’m now going to try to find some positivity in the rest of my day.
ReplyDeleteAmazing! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love this! I bet your students were excited to have you join in writing with them.
ReplyDeleteWriting with the students gives the writing time that might be difficult to find on some days. "I am proud of what I have become." - the best line.
ReplyDeleteI'll be thinking of my age as my birthday draws near. 30 was tough for me. 40 not so bad. I can imagine that 50 might be a challenge too when it arrives.
My mother insists that the 50s are the best decade. I've liked each decade a little more than the previous one, so I am looking forward to my 50s too. I really like the prompt to write about an age. Might have to borrow that!
ReplyDeleteI love this, Leigh Anne! I'm 53 and can relate to most of your post. I am trying to live by the mantra "quality over quantity," although I hope there is plenty of quantity, too!
ReplyDeleteSuch an honest post. Love the tuck Everlasting quore, thanks for sharing! I definitely need to get that quick write book.
ReplyDeleteI love this! What a great reflection on age. It also makes me miss my classroom -- I had a few times where I blogged with my students watching... so powerful to show that vulnerability!
ReplyDeleteYou've encouraged me to think about my age and now I feel a potential slice brewing!
ReplyDeleteI had to come visit since you commented that our posts were similar. Yes! This line saddens me a bit (well, a lot), too: "I think about how I have probably lived more years than I have left to live." But I love how you turned it around and reminded us to LIVE. Oh, that line from Tuck Everlasting. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLovely post. You make me want to revisit Tuck Everlasting again.
ReplyDelete"Fifteen" is one of my favorite quick writes from Linda Rief's book.
I keep thinking I need this book. I read the opening chapter online and used it in a workshop. I like your thoughts around age. I finally decided to stop fighting the age thing and let my natural color grow out. So many people compliment my graying hair. And as a grandma, I am embracing being 57 and still energetic (on most days.)
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