Jacquelyn's Space

Freeing the Writer Within

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I read the Introduction today in the little snippet of time I had to read. So far I love this book. Here is a quote from the author in regards to teaching writing:

I teach the same methods over and over again. It is such basic information about trusting your own mind and creating a confidence in your experience… ~ Natalie Goldberg

Trusting your own mind.

Creating confidence in your experience.

Freeing the writer within.

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Yeah. I am all about that. Goldberg meditates. I need to start something like that, something to help me stop and remember what I am, what I want to be, what I want my life to be about instead of getting caught up in all this insanity. Insanity of life, expectations, and time pulling me along. Forgetting me.

Ghost Hunters did a show at Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island, and it was really cool. I have never stayed at Mission Point but I have heard the ghost stories. The Ghost Hunters caught a voice on tape – supposedly of a little girl who haunts the theatre there. Also, one of the guys slept (or was trying to) in a room that is haunted. He kept hearing footsteps in the bathroom and behind his bed, which there was only a wall. They went to Mackinac in the dead of winter too so it was not other guests making noise. The most exciting part was his bedside lamp turned on all by itself. You can hear the click of the lamp knob on the video so it was not a loose lightbulb or faulty wiring. OOOOoooooOOOO…Now I want to stay there.

All this footage of Mackinac in winter makes me want to go up there and check it out when it is frozen and snowy. I have never been in the winter and of course I will settle for Mackinac any time of the year but I wanna’ go now! I am sure I prefer it when it is warmer or somewhat warm but it is my dream to know all seasons on Mackinac Island.

Actually I am lucky enough to say I will be going soon – after my semester is over my husband and I have plans to go and we are staying at the Grand Hotel! I guess that is why I was so excited to see Mackinac on TV tonight – I just can’t wait until the bothersome month of April is over, ha.

Speaking of ghosts, the show tonight made me remember a dream I once had about a cottage, Small Point, that is right next-door to Mission Point. It was a short dream I had while I was staying on the island. I dreamt I was a young girl or woman and I was getting dressed for the day. I was looking at myself in the mirror and I was so proud because I had just bought or received (perhaps made) a new shirtwaist. The dream took place in the early 1900’s and it seemed so real. It was a simple dream but I woke up thinking about it and this girls feelings. Intuition told me that the dream took place at Small Point Cottage and that the girl was sad because she was soon to leave Small Point and Mackinac Island and did not want to. She was afraid she would not be back and she loved the island.

Tonight I looked up Small Point Cottage, for one, to see if it had a history of ghosts and for two, to see how much it would cost to stay there. I found out that supposedly the place is haunted, which I kind of picked up on just riding by on my bike. It is haunted by a young girl who lived there, loved Mackinac but had to leave and was never able to return. Whew!

I am not sure I have ever heard that story before. I don’t think I have but you never know. Perhaps I had and that is what prompted me to dream the dream. I do not know but I remember the furniture in the room and if I were to see a picture of the girl I am sure I would recognize her.

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I am a proud aunt to a new baby niece. My sister-in-law gave birth to her fourth child and first daughter today. Exciting! I think she is going to name her Angel. The most precious thing was to see how the new baby’s three older brothers reacted to her.

I love it sooo much I want to stay here forever an ever. I wanna’ be a perpetual adolescent, hehee

No, not really but I did find out a couple of pieces of good news. I am going to be around UM-Flint next year (God willing as always) and I it looks like I am going to be secretary of Psi Chi. I am excited!!  Now I just have to get it all set up for my double major and see what is going to take to get into the English Honor Society, Sigma Tau.  

Oh yeah, I really need to practice my writing now. Good thing my writer’s group is meeting tomorrow =) I need to work on my vocabulary and start reading more – more than textbooks.

“The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.” ~ Gustave Flaubert

I just received my copy of Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones and it is a lovely little book. There is nothing better than a new book that looks elegant and is full of possibilities.

This book is all about writing. I had never heard of Goldberg until this semester but so far, from the few snippets of hers that I have read, I really love what she has to say about writing. I hope to learn much from this book. I only read the preface and already I am inspired. Perhaps I will blog my way through the book.

She says…

“Meditation and writing practice are coincident. The more we understand the human mind, our basic writing tool, the better, more secure we can be in our writing.”

“Once you connect with your mind, you are who you are and you’re free.”

From Jack Kerouac’s essentials for prose:

Accept loss forever

Be submissive to everything, open, listening

No fear, no shame in the dignity of your experience, language, knowledge

Be in love with your life

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Now those are some words I can live with. That is what I have been trying (not always succeeding) to do with my blog. I will try harder.

“Now please go. Write your asses off.” ~ Natalie Goldberg

“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows you are slightly cracked.” ~ Bernard Meltzer

I have been blessed with some true friends.