I just finished reading The Liar's Club, a memoir by Mary Karr. It was on the New York Times Bestseller List for more than a year. If you've ever thought that you were reared by a bunch of crazies, you must read this witty, raw and honest book about growing up in East Texas with an older sister and alcoholic parents. Karr was her father's shadow, tagging along on hunting, fishing and gambling adventures with the good old boys, thus acquiring a vocabulary no child should be exposed to, much less be fluent in. She was her mother's keeper, so to speak, from the time that she was a little girl. This book is a frank, raw, emotional ride, but one I could not put down.
Reading this book confirmed what I already know, that the stories that are most difficult to write are sometimes the most riveting to read. We all have common experiences. Even those who have had idyllic childhoods can't help but peek into Mary Karr's past and seek a voyeuristic view of the unfathonable. Life isn't all pretty, but survive we do, as Karr proves.
My essay, Reflections of Me, will be published in Sasee Magazine in May. In this piece, I view my life through a variety of mirror images as I grow through the decades.
Have you ever looked in the mirror and suddenly seen your mom's eyes? Have you ever wondered who that unrecgonizable gal was in your mirror? We all have our own stories. Tell me what you have seen in your mirror at some point in your life, early on to present day.
This morning I see a 5'4" fuzzy, pink bunny looking back at me...I am not 'touched in the head'. I am wearing my bunny costume to school for the Easter party,as this is the last day before Spring Break. Woo-hoo, I need a week off! And that isn't a lie.