A blessing and a curse.

Being a writer I am often playing out scenarios in my head.  I may see something during the day and all of a sudden I am thinking, "Wow, I need to remember that for a book."  Sometimes I write the ideas down to pull out later.  More often I think of writing them down and then they are lost in the many things that happen throughout the day.  This can be a blessing or a curse. 

Last week I was at the physical therapist's starting some treatment for a sore shoulder. (the reason for the sore shoulder is another story I won't share here)   There was a high school age girl there working on some exercises.  I don't know anything about her other than she was very cute, very high energy and very talkative.  As she was leaving she mentioned that the prom was that weekend.  The physical therapist mentioned, as a joke, that he hoped her date did not cancel on her.  Then he said, "wait, you would drag his dead body to the prom with you!"

I was not included in the conversation but once I heard that I started laughing.  In my mind I saw this beautiful girl all dressed up in her prom garb dragging the dead body of her boyfriend (also dressed up in his tux or whatever they wear now) to the prom with her.  I thought what a great story title,  Zombie Prom! 

That is the blessing of having a writer's mind.  The curse is that sometimes I come up with stories about people that are no where close to the truth.

Recently our neighbor, who is a woman who lives alone because her children are all grown, had a younger man move in with her.  My husband and I were speculating about their relationship.  Well, I was thinking,  "Good for her, a younger man!"  My mind immediately in the gutter (hubba! hubba!).

We were both far from the truth.  Last weekend she was out working in her yard and her head had been shaved.  We asked and she said that she had been treated for breast cancer seven years ago and it had gone into remission.  Recently it returned, with a vengeance, and she was suffering from an extremely aggressive form of cancer.  Although she is getting treatment the doctors said that she will not go back into remission again.  The treatment may help give her a little more time but she is facing the day soon when treatments will end and she will just be waiting for the cancer to end her life.  

My internal stories of an older woman with a younger man were so wrong.  The man is a friend who is there to help her with everyday tasks so she can continue to function as well as she can right now.  Her children are all grown and she lives alone so he will be helping her through her final days.

A blessing and a curse.  Sometimes my flights of fancy can be funny and give me a visual of the "Zombie Prom"  Other times I am completely wrong and someone is just trying to get through this life as best as they can.  Lesson learned - don't judge so quickly.