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Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Goosebumps and tears - #SOL18 - 3/20/18




**I'm so grateful to the #SOL community for welcoming me each and every time I post a slice. Thank you so very much to the team at Two Writing Teachers for coordinating and hosting this slicing community for the entire month of March for the Slice of Life Challenge. You all rock!!**

*During this year's challenge, my plan is to reflect on a slice of my life from that day, or the day before, and write about it. No theme to tie my writing together this year, no plans ahead of time.  Just glimpses into slices of my days. Not having a plan is a very uncomfortable place for me, both as a person and a writer, so fingers crossed for the 11 remaining days!*


Goosebumps and tears.

I actually woke up this morning with a game plan for my slice, and then I began to skim through my Facebook feed. And my plans just flew out the window.

Goosebumps and tears.

I watched a video clip performed by two incredibly talented Broadway stars - Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt. As they sang, and the musicians accompanied them, the words and the music swelled around me.

Goosebumps and tears.

I found this clip on the "News and Guts" site, which also had the words and who sang what typed out. I did some very close reading of just those lyrics, and was so moved.

Goosebumps and tears.

I replayed the clip at least 5 times, closing my eyes and opening my ears to take it all in again and again. Every single time...

Goosebumps and tears.

And then I read the rest of the article, which showed tweets from Miranda, Platt, and Emma Gonzalez, student from Marjory Stoneman Douglas, who shared her reaction after hearing the clip.

Goosebumps and tears.

As this beauty has continued to surround me all day, I can't help but reflect on the fact that there is nothing beautiful about all the school shootings we have experienced, and there is nothing beautiful about all the precious lives that have been lost.

Goosebumps and tears.

But I hope that this beautiful musical mash up, together with all the voices that are being raised to change the status quo with regards to school safety and gun laws, will somehow make a difference. Until that time, I am left with...

Goosebumps and tears.


5 comments:

  1. Effective format, where your repeating goosebumps and tears reveal how- over and over- you were moved. Especiallly good that you ended with that line.

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  2. The repetition here is very powerful. Thanks for drawing us into the moment with you.

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  3. Word choice of goosebumps and tears says it all. I heard this too, and my thought was it was great, but makes me incredibly sad that there was a reason for this.

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  4. i enjoyed the repetition of the words in your slice. I think it accurately describes a lot of people's feelings over that recording. Hopefully it will support the changes that seem (HOPEFULLY) to be happening in our society after this last violence (I'm probably being too naive).

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  5. Now I have goosebumps and tears -- I need to go find it. I missed it. Thank you for the powerful writing - repetition was powerful and musical. Glad I came back to find you today!
    Clare

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