I've got a theory about why writers do this......you see if I didn't go to coffee shops, I'd probably still be wearing Sunday's pajamas, dishes would be stacked on my bedside tables and my children would occasionally open my bedroom door to Febreeze me. Coffee shops forces me to be humane to myself and others. It's a reminder that there others in this world, like characters in the book only real-er.
Okay time for another excerpt from my novel:
She would recall being teased because of her crazy nest of wiry hair, pug nose and her proximity to her black ancestry displayed so prominently in her features. In a family with such diverse lineage, children can vary greatly in characteristics and Mom’s look placed her closest to the African side of the spectrum. Those with Caucasian features, soft curls, straight nose, light skin, coloured eyes were higher up on this scale which led to a sense of superiority. An attitude highly reinforced by the society of that time. Jeannie’s “picky hair” became controversial, when she had to sojourn into elementary school with an afro, after her bird’s nest of a head became too much for the frequently absent Mammy, who resolved the issue, by chopping off Mom’s hair. In those days an afro on a girl was an oddity and a battery of teasing ensued, as she now stood out like a sore thumb. She was a fighter though and wouldn’t sit idly by while they teased; she fought them and developed a quick wit and razor sharp tongue. All along , she was secretly wishing she could have long curls, like the other girls at Sacred Heart Primary. This secret desire would have a profound and lifelong effect on her and would shape the future that would unfold.
Submitted by Kathy Thomas
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