Good Times

GOOD TIMES

How can one shine when they are trapped in an atmosphere of darkness? Living with a parent whose alcohol consumption occasionally leads to violence and frequently being berated qualifies as a gloomy environment. The counter force that boosted Jill’s self-esteem, enabling her to dare to runaway from home was education. It is good to succeed and Jill did that at high school. At the suggestion of her grandmother Jill took a summer school course and aced it. Years later she also felt great achieving honors for her grade twelve diploma.

High school also tapped a passion––creativity in a drama setting. Jill’s love of designing sets and costumes for plays began in school and later, when she moved back to Camrose she joined the community drama club. Those were good times. Later she and her children become involved in church and community plays. Their talents are applauded. More good times.

Jill appreciates the values that come from education and creativity so much that she chooses to home school her children. Not only does she enjoy the thrill of new discoveries through the eyes of her children but she also plants the love of painting in Amber, her eldest daughter and acting in her other daughter. Her children are happy and successful. She feels like a good mother, a lasting joy.

To be able to play is good. Play washes away time and judgment. The risk-free environment implies that a person and their actions are acceptable. Such instances occur on Jill’s Hawaiian holiday. While her husband sleeps peacefully on the beach, Jill rolls pebbles on his body simulating an annoying bug. He awakes and swats the rolling annoyance only to find her laughing. Fun! Another time she goes to the hotel restaurant for supper. She appears to be alone. Only one table is left. When her husband comes, she fantasizes being a seductress and invites him to join her at her table and later to come to her hotel room.

A play is a fictional conflict, an unreal situation. It implies a safe environment. Through this mechanism Jill explores events in her youth. By viewing painful events from the past as acts on stage she feels safe and can determine if they are the cause to her present troubles. Through such an insight she hopes to gain a clue to relighting her lantern so she can once again shine as bright as the sun.

How have memories of good times carried you through difficult times?

Baggage Burdens. has a number of interesting characters, Martin Shopka being one of them.  Because of Jill’s prejudice against men who smoke and have beards I couldn’t develop Martin as well as I would have liked. What is it about Martin that draws me to him is the subject of the next blog.