You'll Shoot Your Eye Out By Ann Haywood Leal



The cautionary tales ...
If you look cross-eyed at someone, your eyes will stay that way.

If you take out your retainer, your teeth will go back the way they were ...PRE-braces!  (Immediately, I was running my tongue along my front teeth, checking frantically for the old fang-type protrusions.)

And don't forget all of the forbidden don't-you-try-it types of scariness:

No boys allowed.
No girls allowed.
No eating.
No food or drink.
No talking.
No swimming.
No running.

But at some point, as writers, we made ourselves move past all of that.  We developed this blindness for the rules with an unexplainable urge to break them.  We had to try things--difficult new things.

We have to take chances, because otherwise there would be no characters and no new stories.

So go ahead .... run with scissors!  Chew that big glob of sticky bubble gum with your braces!  Just try to tell us no.

Comments

  1. Ann, your post made me smile--thinking of all the don'ts we hear growing up. Now I want to go watch A Christmas Story!

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  2. Love it, Ann. Thought of a two more: Don't talk back to grown-ups, don't play with your food. Both of which I've been known to break on occasion. You made my day!

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  3. No talking was the sticking point for me! I never minded paying the penalty for that...as long as there was a little laughter involved!! Love seeing you here, Ann Haywood Leal! Let's kick up some trouble together soon!!

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  4. Ha-ha! Off to run with scissors myself!

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