Ariel Pierce

Divorce? Marriage? Love?

I have this idea in my head that I’ve had since around 2014. It’s not one I ever thought I would have because I never thought I would be divorced. I convinced myself at a young age that my first husband would be my first and only everything. I thought I hit the jackpot when I met a man at the age of 18. I had a boyfriend or two in high school, but I mostly was a nice, goody two shoes, single nerd. When I went to college, I somehow started getting attention I never imagined. I dated a man or two and then during December of 2010, I met my soon to be husband.

The purpose of this blog isn’t to go into the details of why that relationship failed. I don’t even remember all the reasons, honestly. Getting divorced led me to the idea I mentioned. Quite a few people I knew back around 2014 were getting married. I saw post after post stating something along the lines of “Divorce is never an option!” I HATED seeing this. The bitterness inside me resented these people that had never experienced a relationship they needed to escape.

I knew at that time that I wanted to create a project. I started writing up concepts for a book I hoped to call “Divorce IS an option.” (Please don’t steal my idea, but if you do, put my name somewhere at least.) Divorce is and always will be an option. It should be an option. You should absolutely go into marriage with the thought that you might get divorced. Everyone should have boundaries that, if crossed, will result in a divorce.

For me, if you hit me, I’m gonna bounce. If you abuse my children, we’re gone. If you cheat on me, I have no interest in making things work. There’s a few more, but you get the gist.

I would like to interview those who have gone through divorces and explore the reasons that led each couple to get divorced. Ideally, I would get both sides. Not that anyone should have to justify their choices, but it’s important to put out in the world that divorce is not something that should be shamed. Divorce is a valid option and should be discussed thoroughly before marriage about what might lead one to make that choice.

The other part about this book concept that I would like to consider is about love. I look back at the people I’ve told “I love you” over the years, and I wonder if I really did or if it was more of an obligation or expectation. I remember saying the words over MSN messenger to, what I consider, my first real boyfriend. I’ve said the words to five men since then.

I feel like maybe I have loved them all. I’ve always been one to show love to everyone around me. I never want anyone to feel left out or like no one cares about them. I always befriended the quiet kids, the kids that were bullied, or the straight up strange kids. They were all typically pretty legit people. I post all the time in my blogs how I love everyone that reads these blogs. I genuinely want people to feel loved.

So, maybe I have loved these past romantic interests. However, I don’t think it should have gone past me being kind to them as people. I saw red flags in four of the five men I previously mentioned immediately.

The one I married kicked a chair down in the middle of a college dance when I refused to let him give me a lap dance in front of everyone. He also referred to me as Ms. Claus when referencing my weight. My baby daddy would never make time for me when we first dated. This didn’t change when I was pregnant or when I gave birth to his child. One man said I was too complicated to date but continued to spend time with me in a “friends with benefits” type of way. The last one literally had a confederate flag in his apartment, and I let that pass because he said he only had it to make his parents happy.

Y’all. I literally made some seriously questionable choices back in the day. Why did I let any of these things slide? I’ll tell you why. Please forgive me for my language, but loneliness is a bitch. I ignored all these red flags because I hated being alone. I liked having someone around. Sometimes, they weren’t terrible. I know I have good memories with all of them. Kinda okay was better than being alone.

Nope, it’s not. Being alone is wonderful compared to living with someone who treats you like you’re nothing, who insults you, who hits you, who ignores you for the fun of it. Even if they sprinkle a few good times in, it’s not enough to deal with the nonsense. Y’all truly don’t have to suffer because you’re scared of being alone. I recommend getting out when you start to see those red flags that you probably wouldn’t ignore if you weren’t worried about being alone.

Loneliness sucks. I get it. We’re not meant to be doing this life alone. Hopefully you have a semi decent family. If not, find some friends that you can spend time with to try and block out the loneliness while you wait for the right person to come into your life.

When I think about love, I think about what a person says when they’re asked what they love about their partner. Do they mention qualities about their partner, or do they mention what their partner does for them. So, basically, do you hear “I love their humor” or do you hear “I love that they make me laugh. Do you hear, “I love how thoughtful they are,” or do you hear, “I love that they buy me flowers.” If you hear actual qualities about someone’s partner, I feel like that’s a good sign that they genuinely love their partner. If you hear the word “me” in their responses that seems, to me, like a sign they love what their partner can do for them rather than loving their partner as a person.

Y’all aren’t going to believe this, but I am a girlfriend to someone! After complaining about being single for so long, it feels shocking to say. I still don’t believe it some days. Guess what? I’ve said “I love you” to this man. He’s beautiful inside and out. He looks at me the way I’ve always wanted to be looked at. In past relationships I always felt that I was looked at as something broken, like I was too weird, too much, and too hard to love. He looks at me like I’m delightful, like I’m perfect, and easy to love.

I haven’t seen the red flags. I know if you asked his past partners, I’m sure they will tell me all kinds of things about him. Three of the four past men that I’ve mentioned appear to be in healthy relationships despite treating me like they did. We never know what goes on behind closed doors. I can’t speak about what anyone has done in their past. All I can speak about is what I see now. I see a kind man, a man who cares so deeply about those he loves, a humorous goofball, a wildly intelligent and creative man.

I’m hopeful we will continue a path of building love for each other. I may have gotten off track a little but, I mentioned my relationship status to show that I don’t really know what I’m doing, but I’m excited to continue learning about love, how to receive love, and how to show love the way my partner deserves. Love is complicated. I’ve said the words in the past and looking back I feel like I only did it out of loneliness and a want to feel loved in return. Now, I’ve had so much time to evaluate what I’m looking for and I have no interest in tolerating what I have before.

I’m hopeful I can use my experience with love and relationships and write something in the future more in depth than a short blog to impact people and their relationships. I want people to be looked at by their partners like mine looks at me. I want them to feel so much love because they genuinely thought through and evaluated their boundaries and found someone who can show them the love they deserve.

Have conversations early on about what you expect out of a partner. I’ve been clear in my current relationship about what I need and what I expect, and I feel like it has only helped us. I know I haven’t been in a healthy relationship for very long, but I still feel like my past relationship experiences have shaped me to be someone who can speak to what a healthy relationship should look like.

I love speaking to people who have been in relationships for a long period of time. Both sets of my grandparents made it 50+ years. It’s incredible to find someone you love so deeply that you want to be with them for so long. However, a long relationship doesn’t mean a healthy relationship, so don’t get it twisted. Relationships take work.

I love love and I love writing about love. I think I will probably continue to speak on relationships in my blog and hopefully open the door to completing the book idea I’ve dreamed of writing for so long.

Thank y’all for taking the time to read my words! I hope a healthy and beautiful love has found or finds you! We all deserve to be loved for the amazing, unique, wonderful people we are.

Bucket List #22 and #37

I’m back with a Bucket List update! When I wrote my “Updated Bucket List” blog back in January of this year, I had no idea how much my life would change in such a short time.

About a month later I had submitted a two weeks notice from my job of seven years. I started selling most of what I owned in Texas and made a plan to move back to my home state of Kentucky. By the end of May, I was back in my childhood home.

Between March and May, my Bucket List and my New Year’s resolutions were far from my mind. I was in such a weird place mentally with my world changing that I basically just slept, made sure my son went to school, and ate food.

Being back home didn’t magically wake up a desire to start up my resolutions or start checking off Bucket List items. I slowly settled into the rhythm of what life would look like moving forward.

I think the beautiful part about the two items that I’ll mention in this blog is that I never imagined crossing them off this year. They’re not major items that are incredibly difficult to accomplish like some on the list. However, finding a hot air balloon and someone you like enough to kiss isn’t exactly an every day occurrence.

The first item I crossed off the list this year was number 37.

37. Ride in a hot air balloon

If you read my original Bucket List blog you would know that this one has been on my list since I was in high school. It feels surreal to check off something that you’ve dreamt of doing for so long.

My hometown has multiple days of 4th of July celebrations every year. I’ve always known that they do hot air balloon rides around that time of year, and I’m not sure why I’ve never done it in the past.

This year I happened to be with my best friend and her family at one of the holiday events. We had seen the hot air balloons out, but there were rumors that the weather wasn’t going to cooperate enough to get them in the air. We even started to leave because it seemed like it wouldn’t happen.

Suddenly, we started seeing them blow up and they made the announcement that rides were available! My friend and her kids also wanted to go for a ride, so we got in line. While we waited, I assumed we wouldn’t all get to go up together because 6 people in a hot air balloon seemed excessive in my head.

My friend and her kids walked up and then they called my son and I over to join! I was stoked. Not only was I getting to ride in a hot air balloon, but I was getting to do it with some of my favorite people!

I loved it. We were tethered to the ground and it only went up so high, but it was still high enough where if we fell it probably wouldn’t end well. We got a group shot of all of us together, and it was so amazing getting to see the wonder of the moment through our kids’ eyes.

It does make me wonder about being more specific with my list. When I originally thought of riding in a hot air balloon I imagined riding higher and not being tethered to anything. However, I don’t think these factors took away from the moment. I would like to go untethered in a hot air balloon one day, but I still feel happy crossing this item off my list.

I’m probably going to disappoint those that came to be nosy about #22, haha!

22. Kiss someone in the rain

I’m not going to go in to details about this one. I’ll keep this moment between me and the person I shared the moment with, my journal, and my mom! I’ll just say what I said on my Author Instagram page. “…I couldn’t have dreamt up a more perfect moment.”

I couldn’t see what my future looked like when things started changing back in February, but I am happy to report that your life can surprise you. Just because your life looks different than what you pictured doesn’t mean life stops happening.

I’m excited to see what items I cross off next. I still think a good goal for the next few items are what I mentioned in the blog from January.

1 – Pet a giraffe

16 – Go horseback riding

56 – Indoor Skydive

I’m grateful to be with family and friends that love me and encourage my dreams. Find the people in your life that want to be alongside you while you cross off your Bucket List items! I’ll always remember the faces of the people who were there for the six items I’ve crossed off so far, and I’m excited to see who will be there for the next 51!

I love all you beautiful amazing humans! I hope you’re doing well and creating bold dreams and lives for yourselves! You deserve the world, and even if life doesn’t look like how you imagined, don’t worry, it can still be a beautiful love filled life.

AABC – September 2024

This isn’t going to be like my typical Adventure Awaits Book Club blog posts.

I am not certain of the research behind the effectiveness of trigger warnings but this post, out of any of mine, would likely need one. I plan to address suicide.

I started reading the book I chose for my book club this month. It’s The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

The back of the book did not appear to allude to what the book actually happens to be about. I owned this book when I lived in Texas but never got around to reading it there. I think I’m grateful that I didn’t. It’s not because it’s not a fantastic book, but it’s because I don’t think I was in the head space for it to have the effect on me it had reading it now.

While reading this book, I felt I needed to write some emotions down in one of my journals. The first sentence of the journal entry states, “I thought I’d always want to die.”

Oof.

I met with a psychiatrist back in 2023 and the beginning of 2024. I’d been going to therapy for almost four years and nothing in my life felt like it was improving. I thought maybe medication could help. Maybe it did, but it never got rid of my thought that not being alive would be so much better than living.

Due to life circumstances, I stopped taking the medications. They didn’t get rid of the thought I wanted them to, so why keep taking them? A few months later, I moved back to where I grew up.

I had complained for so long about nothing in my life changing and suddenly everything had changed. I was greeted every day by my mom’s beautiful smiling face. I had someone hang out with me while I fold laundry (mom, again), I had someone who hung out with Henry on the days when I wanted to sleep longer than he did (yes, it was my mom).

I needed my mom. I spent years telling her I would never move back home. I spent time trying to convince her to move to Texas, but something knew that wasn’t the path I needed to be on. I needed to be home.

2014 was the year I felt everything inside me change. My mom often comments how the sparkle in my eyes has been gone for so long, and that’s when I think it left. Everything about the life I imagined for myself started to fall apart. I got divorced. Grad school wasn’t what I pictured it to be. I entertained other romantic relationships that gutted me in ways I didn’t expect. The years kept coming and nothing really improved how I thought they should. My best friend almost died. I lost my grandmother. I wasn’t doing fulfilling work. Another relationship that sucked the life out of me. More jobs that weren’t what I wanted. 2017 started to turn things around. I found a fulfilling job, ended a relationship I should never have been in, and started taking care of my health. Things were okay for a little bit, but my brain still convinced me it wasn’t enough. I sought out a past relationship and ended up pregnant. For the next six years, I did everything alone. For four of those years I told my therapist over and over how I felt stuck. I felt like nothing would ever change. Why didn’t I get the family I wanted when I started communicating with my child’s father. Why couldn’t I find the time and energy to go back to school? Why did I have to feel so alone? Why did I want to die?

For 10 years I prayed over and over for cancer or some sort of death that wouldn’t completely traumatize my family. I never had thoughts of harming myself, but I knew I wanted to be taken out of this world.

Moving home has shown me that the thought I had for so long actually isn’t normal. I convinced myself that my thoughts weren’t actually suicidal ideations because I had no intention of hurting myself. Girl, please. You wanted to die for 10 years! I don’t know how you couldn’t see that your brain was telling you a lie.

Honestly, I probably didn’t share what I really needed to with my therapist or psychiatrist. I never told them how much I begged to be taken out. I never told them that the thought lived in my brain every day. I thought it would always be there and that I just needed something in my life to change for things to improve. A new job. A husband. Money. Something. Anything.

That brings me back to the book I read this month. If you haven’t read it, maybe don’t keep reading because I’m going to write a few things that will give away the ending.

The character in this book was exactly where I was mentally but unfortunately, took the next step and attempted to complete suicide. That is what was left off the back of the book. It explains that she has the opportunity to try and do life differently but does not indicate why she was given that chance.

The majority of the book is her doing things differently. Trying out lives that were different because she went down a path that she had avoided in her first life.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve said I want to go back and do things differently.

I’ve wanted to go back and never get married.

I’ve wanted to go back and never enter any of the relationships I entertained.

I’ve wanted to go back and submit applications I didn’t because I was depressed.

I’ve wanted to go back and never become a mother.

I’ve wanted to go back and finish every degree I can possibly get.

I’ve wanted to go back and spend money differently.

I’ve wanted to go back and spend more time with my grandparents.

I’ve wanted to go back and focus more on writing.

The character in The Midnight Library tried so many lives. She made so many different choices. It didn’t matter what she chose, nothing ended up being like what she thought it would be. Every life had its own set of challenges, even in the ones that seemed perfect.

I don’t want to go back anymore.

I had a bracelet that meant the world to me back in Texas. I got it to try and trick my brain that things would be okay. It said “Keep Moving Forward.” They were the little rubber bracelets that are popular. I got two in case one broke. The first one broke and it felt metaphorical. My life was trying to break me. The second one broke and then I painted a picture of the words to be able to see them every day. I was trying to find a way to keep doing what the words told me despite not really wanting to do it.

I want to keep those words forever as my life motto. Keep Moving Forward. Even if I went back to try life differently, I’d face any number of new challenges. I want to focus on the future. I want to live my crazy life and see what’s out there for me.

I know now that I need my mom. I’m on a path that feels like it was meant for me. I’ve met people that feel like they were meant for me. I don’t know what my future will look like but like one of the lines in the book says, “…that’s the beauty, isn’t it? You just never know how it ends.” She may have been talking about chess but we all know the author meant it about life.

I’m going to throw in here a little bit of advice from someone who has experienced the feelings of wanting to die. Tell someone. Be honest about exactly how you’re feeling and truly seek out the help that you need. You’re not meant to feel this way. You can’t go back to change your past but your future can look different. Your future will hopefully give you so many more coping skills and supports that help you get through all the crap that will inevitably be thrown your way. You deserve to have days where your brain isn’t lying to you. You deserve to live!

I’m grateful for reading this book when I did. Had I read it in the depths of my depression, I would never have gotten out of it what I did. I might have felt a little hopeful but being in a place where I truly want to live is completely mind blowing.

I’m going to end this blog with another quote from The Midnight Library. “My depression-prone brain remains…I don’t want to die any more.”

Isn’t it beautiful? Please reach out for help if you need it, especially if your brain is trying to convince you your thoughts are normal like mine did.

988 is a great resource and is the suicide and crisis lifeline. Call them if you don’t know where else to turn.

Also, follow the author, Matt Haig, on instagram. I follow him there, and I appreciate his vulnerability in sharing some of the hard times he’s experienced.

I love you, you amazing beautiful humans!

AABC – August 2024

My book club, Adventure Awaits Book Club, read The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall for the month of August 2024.

I picked this book, because I went to Walmart and bought the first book that sounded the most entertaining. I’m into fantasy type books that have magical elements and appreciate a good love story intertwined with a solid plot.

Here are a few short thoughts I had while reading the book. They’re not in order of when I thought them.

Grandmas are the best.
That girl did what now?
What is his magic ability?
I want to have those desserts.
I love this dog aspect.
What is the figure?
Will they save her?
Will there be a second book?

There were a few small details about the story that I appreciated. The dog aspect isn’t necessary, but I found it precious. I liked how much thought the author put in what each recipe could do. I loved the diversity in the characters, including LGBTQ+, races/ethnicities, and aspects of multiple cultures. Randall created a large primary family and gave so much personality to each character.

The book, upon first look, is one of those that you think, “wow, they fit a lot of words on these pages.” I love a book that fits as much as possible on a page. It’s an easy read though, and I zoomed through it happily. The last sentence of the book made me smile; I love an author who fits their title so perfectly into the story.

I do wonder if there will be a second book. The ending confused me a bit about a certain character. It hurt my heart to see a return and then a departure so quickly. Another aspect of the storyline made me question a bit about its explanation. I felt bummed and happy about the explanation of this figure that appears over and over. It seemed like an easy way out instead of it being something a little more challenging. It also made me a little happy the way it played out, being romantic at heart and all. I still want to know about the creepy voice on the hill!

Mental health played an unexpected role in the story. Several diagnoses are mentioned, and the book advocated the importance of taking care of your mental health. Who doesn’t love a magical story about things that mostly live in our imagination and aspects that are completely relevant to our everyday lives.

I don’t want to go into too many details about each character or give too much of the story away. I hope I gave you just enough to make you want to pick this one up. I recommend it! I’m sure most can find something about the story to love!

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I hope to get back in to writing these monthly book club updates! Follow along for more book choices!

The book club choice for September 2024 will be The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

Bedtime Stories

Storytelling is in my bones. My grandfather happened to be the king of telling compelling stories. Everything he shared held so much heart. He loved life and those who shared it with him. I tend to be one who sits and listens rather than share stories with words. My words linger in my brain until I put them down on paper and create the world once living within my brain.

I have mentioned in a previous blog that I created a story with my son one night to bring him joy. Go check out the blog, “The Cranky Lizard,” if you want to read more about that story. I randomly started a nightly tradition of spending a little bit of cuddling time with my son, playing thumb wars, goofing off a bit, and creating stories together.

He hooked right on to the story creation idea and now asks me to tell him a story every night. This generally means he’s cutting me off with ideas of his own and it becomes our story. He even tells stories of his own. I’m hopeful this is a long-time tradition.

I’ve been writing the stories down in my phone to keep fun memories. I thought it would be cute to share them with the world and have another safe place to keep them.

None of them have titles. Some of them are ones he created, some are ones I created, and some are both of our creations. They’re super rudimentary, not focused on substance, and were solely meant to make my son and I laugh. Most of them are also super short and may not make total sense but it’s about having fun!

Here we go!

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Story 1: Story by Ariel

There once was a ghost named Spooky Ghost. He always wanted to make friends and would try to say hi to people. He realized people couldn’t see him. He was so sad. On Halloween he realized everyone could see him when they complimented his ghost costume. He went around the rest of the night making friends and had a great time. The end.

Story 2: Story by Henry

There once was a black and white striped dragon. He also had orange circles on his body. His name is Breath Fire. He lives in a dark cave that has clams inside with lights in them so the dragon can see in the dark. The dragon found a crystal that gave him transformation powers. The crystal was orange and pink. He touched it and then he had magical powers to change into a person. On Halloween he wore a dragon costume. Everyone knew he was a dragon because he forgot to change his tail and wings. Everyone ran away and he was sad. Two adventurers named Henry and Mommy became friends with him. He let them fly on his back. The end.

Story 3: Story by Henry

Henry and Mommy lived in different houses. Henry learned how to walk and would spend all his time with his mommy. They would spend time in Henry’s room and had a lot of fun. One night when they were sleeping a thief stole Henry. Mommy punched the thief in the face and saved Henry. The end.

Story 4: Story by Ariel and Henry

There once was a horse named Larry. He had three kids named Jerry, Mary, and Berry. His wife’s name was Carey. One day they went on a ferry. They were on their way to visit their grandparents Terry and Gary. At their grandparents’ house they learned about a secret fairy. Her name was Bethany. She lived in the attic of Terry and Gary’s farmhouse. Bethany loved to sing. She threw the best karaoke parties for all the fairies. Terry and Gary could never catch Bethany as all the fairies would disappear when Terry and Gary would go to the attic. One day Jerry, Mary, and Berry were playing in the attic when Bethany appeared. It was quite a surprise. She heard them singing and wanted to know who it was. They all jumped in surprise. They all became friends and eventually they met Bethany’s husband named Harry. The end.

Story 5: Story by Henry

There once was a caveman named Jodo. He was on a journey to see some new dinosaurs. The end.

Story 6: Story by Henry

Once upon a time Charmander found a Squirtle who battled him in a challenge. Charmander lost. He cried and ran away. He wanted to find a trainer with tough Pokémon. He was in a cold area and none of the trainers liked Charmander. He had a feather on his nose that made him sneeze. Charmander found a trainer named Henry with tough Pokémon. Charmander was so happy. He battled Squirtle again and won. He evolved into Charmeleon. The end.

Story 7: Story by Ariel and Henry

Once upon a time there was a Henry and Mommy. Henry and Mommy were the best buddies ever. One day Henry and Mommy went on an adventure. They went to California and went to the beach. While on the beach, they went searching for treasure under water. Henry’s friends from town went along and their names were Athena, Christian, Isaiah, and Brantley. While under water, they spotted a magical turtle that was carrying a treasure chest on his shell. He was too fast due to his magical powers. Henry, Mommy, and their friends didn’t know what to do. Suddenly a lightning fish appeared. It looked red and yellow like the flash. The lightning fish told them they had to find a purple stone that would stop the turtle from being so fast. They searched for hours and then Henry and Mommy found it. They showed all their friends and then went to find the turtle. Henry threw the stone at the turtle and stopped it in its tracks. The treasure chest started to fall, and everyone swam to grab it. They went up to the shore and realized they were lost. They found an island with some turtles that could talk. The turtles told them of the secret hole in a cave that could transport them to their homes. They found the cave, made it home, and opened the treasure. It was full of new and cool toys. The end.

Story 8: Story by Henry

One day there was a picnic at fairly land. Henry, Athena, Christian, and Mommy wanted to see Kylo, a fairy. They went in a teleporter and saw their friend Kylo. They became fairies and had a picnic. There was a chocolate fountain that used to be a water fountain. You can dip whatever you want in. They wanted marshmallows. After the picnic, they slept over in a small tree. They had a lot of fun when it was morning time. They wanted to have a walk. They saw magical pets. They went into a magical pet store. They all got pets. Henry’s was a cat named pumpkin. Athena’s was a dog named Delilah. Christian got a parrot named Copier. They wanted to play outside and had a water gun fight. The end.

Story 9: Story by Ariel

One day Otto the otter went out for a stroll. While on his stroll, he met his friend Bob. Bob was also an otter. There were hundreds of Otters out for their Sunday stroll. Every Sunday, all the otters in Otterville went out for strolls. One Sunday, Otto went out on a bike ride. All the other otters were staring at him. He didn’t know what was happening. They started yelling at him to get off his bike. Otto forgot it was Sunday stroll day and not bicycle Monday. Otto was upset. He decided to become president so he could change the law. He made every day be a bicycle or a stroll day. All the otters thought he was so cool. He decided to do other things as president. He decided every day was taco day instead of just Tuesday. He built a huge pool for all the otters to swim in whenever they didn’t want to go to the lake. He also gave everyone a million dollars. The end.

Story 10: Story by Henry

Once upon a time a kid named Henry wanted a pet and his mom said yes. He was so surprised when there was a dolphin as a pet. He really wanted to order it, so he ordered it. It was three dollars. They bought it. The dolphin and Henry were great friends. They had a lot of fun. They played in a pool and had lunch together. Somebody was mad that they couldn’t get the dolphin as a pet. They took the dolphin away. Henry and Mommy drove to their house. Henry saved the dolphin. The end.

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Ten stories seemed like a good place to stop. Yes, we’re a little goofy, but I bet you laughed at least once! We’re still creating stories, so I anticipate there being more stories shared through my blog. I want Henry to be able to read these cute memories one day. Hopefully, he’ll have some sort of love for writing, reading, and storytelling.

I hope you lovely humans are taking care of yourself! Being a human is hard and you’re doing great!

Bullet Journaling – I’m back!

It’s me! Your local person who loves to do new things and then struggles to stick to them. Keep reading through a rollercoaster of emotions and eventually get to some bullet journaling content!

A few years back I bought a habit tracker that I found satisfying. It had a spot where you could list six different habits and there were little rectangle-ish spots to mark off if you completed each habit. I have an astronomically large collection of different colored pens. I chose the colors that sparked something in my heart and absolutely killed all my habits for the month of June 2021. Filling in the color wheel inspired me to try and continue. Something about a beautiful display of colors is motivating.

Unfortunately, the next month my heart experienced a bit of crushing due to a family visit that did not go how I expected but also exactly how I expected. The coloring off of each habit decreased significantly and ceased about two months after I started.

A little over a year later I found myself deep into my still present TikTok obsession. (I swear if the government gets rid of TikTok, I will lose it). I started following people who did bullet journaling and began a subsequent obsession. As I wrote in my past bullet journaling blogs, I found a motivation to start bullet journaling out of a desire to help one of my youth clients while working at Child Protective Services. I liked how the bullet journaling concept combined nicely with the habit tracker that I used a year before. My kiddo needed inspiration during a hard time, and I did as well. I figured it would be something we could work through together.

Unfortunately, again, crisis after crisis impacted my kiddo’s ability to keep working on her journal and my life fell apart around me as well. I won’t speak to my kiddo’s personal life, but I can speak to mine. 2022 led to huge changes at work and I lost people that were very important to me. I started to gain weight. I couldn’t control my eating. I threw myself into online dating to try and feel something and that crashed and burned with the complete disasters of people that I met.

Nothing seemed to help. Therapy. Medication. Writing. Reading. A Cruise. I felt empty.

I drafted pages and pages of different bullet journaling concepts. I tried to get back on track with this concept that had inspired me in the past. My therapist constantly encouraged me to bring back color in my life. I could see it in his eyes that he knew my eyes were missing their light, their color. He knew how much I loved to design the pages and do something semi artistic. I knew it as well, but nothing in me could get back to that colorful place.

In February of 2024, my life took a turn that I never expected. I made the decision to move from the place I’d been living for about eight or nine years and head back to my home state of Kentucky. I won’t go into the reason behind the decision in this blog as it’s not fully relevant to accomplish what I would like with my words. Anyways, in May of 2024, we were back in my hometown.

About four days before writing up this blog post, I felt inspired. I wanted color back in my life. Being home with my mom and realizing I hadn’t felt dread in months brought me a wave of joy. The inspiration may have also had a little to do with a Hallmark movie I watched with my mom the night before. The movie is called My Dreams of You. I won’t go into the whole concept but basically it followed a woman who dreamt of being a published author.

My mom hinted at the movie being a sign for me to start writing again. It had been months since I wrote anything with substance. Complaining in a journal, every once in a while, doesn’t give me the same energy as writing a blog, writing towards my novel, or writing something more creative. Something about the movie and my mom’s consistent encouragement of my dreams kicked me into gear. I grabbed a bullet journal and created a “writing” page within minutes.

I also picked out a book that happened to be in the same tote as the bullet journal. A “reading” page popped up just as quickly as its companion. The next day I started reading my book choice, wrote numerous journal pages, and created three additional bullet journal pages.

Now, here I sit, writing this blog, and guess what. My mom and another Hallmark movie inspire me. This movie is called Junebug. Guess what, again. The movie is also about an inspiring author. I’m starting to be a little creeped out by all the signs…

I told my mom I couldn’t go to bed without writing, because I wanted to color something besides red on my “writing” bullet journal page. I watched Junebug while starting to work on this blog and I’m still here long after it’s over.

There is no doubt in my mind that had I stayed in Texas, I would have stayed in the depths of my dread. I can’t picture when my life would have produced the joy I feel now. I don’t know that any color would have come back to my life. I know I have many things that I still need to work on, and it has only been a couple of days, but I’m hopeful. I still have a dream to be a published author, and I hope these small changes will be impactful in this journey.

This may not be what you thought you would read when seeing a title about bullet journaling. I dived straight into a deep pool of emotions. I appreciate y’all hanging in with me. I will now add comments about my experiences with bullet journaling compared to when I started in 2022 to add a less serious tone to this blog.

If you go to my blog post “Bullet Journaling – Post Two,” you will find a list of what pages I created in the past. I genuinely liked the concepts of the pages, but now I feel like it became too much for me and overwhelmed me. I do like the creativity in designing the pages but a few of them I had to do every month, and past Ariel could not find the energy to create new pages that often. Now, just because I couldn’t find the energy, doesn’t mean you can’t! I encourage anyone interested in bullet journaling to consider designing new pages as often as your heart desires.

I also decided instead of creating a page to write about my days in the bullet journaling, I would save that for my regular writing journals. My past water page also didn’t feel necessary because being home with my mom has made it easier to stay hydrated. I don’t feel like I need to track it because I’m not finding myself questioning the last time I drank water very often.

For all you lovely humans who struggle being kind to yourselves, I would recommend adding a bullet journal page, like I had previously, where you list something nice about yourself each day. While I loved doing this, eventually, it became repetitive, and I couldn’t come up with things that fit nicely in the little boxes I designated for this task. You may find yourself in this boat eventually as well, but I think it’s good to get yourself in a “kind to yourself” mindset for at least a month or two.

Currently, I am sticking to yearly pages. I want to be able to color in little boxes with the colors I’ve chosen and feel joy again. It’s also easier to stay motivated as I don’t have to create new pages very often. I think the five pages I have, at the moment, make the most sense for me. The pages are:

1. Writing
2. Reading
3. Emotions
4. Wake Up
5. Steps

I think the first two pages and the steps page are self-explanatory. The fourth page is helping me with waking up on time. I tend to hit snooze a million times and then end up cutting it close getting to work.

The third page is my favorite and I did it like this in the past as well. I created an emotions page to track how I feel about each day. In the past I used the colors and names of the five emotions from the movie Inside Out. Since I created this page, Inside Out 2 has released. In my current emotions page, I used the colors and names of all nine emotions from the new movie.

I would recommend heading over to my Instagram page to see all the pages! While you’re there, comment any suggestions for things I could possibly track with another yearly page!

Present Ariel is hopeful that no gut-wrenching event will happen to kick me out of my current state of happiness. I hope to complete these yearly pages in their entirety. I’m thinking I might post an end of month update each month on my Instagram to keep me accountable with y’all!

Thank you for reading to the end! Thank you for supporting my dreams when they’re actively being pursued and when they’re not. Life is hard. Being alive takes a lot some days, but I’m happy you’re here!

Here is a link to the habit tracker I used back in 2021. I bought it from Amazon. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it if you’re not up for creating your own bullet journal pages and are trying to habit track.

https://a.co/d/2jkq8aK

I will also add a link to the bullet journals that I purchased that I like the most. The ones with rings make more sense to me when I’m trying to design the pages. I don’t have to worry about holding the cover or previous pages down. The price is also fairly reasonable for a three pack! I also bought these from Amazon.

https://a.co/d/5JMSqqJ

Happy Bullet Journaling, everyone!

30 Questions to Ask Your Partner, Part 2!

I’m bringing back a post idea from the past! I’m known for asking many questions and being the one to want to know everything about new people I meet. I’m also the one in a relationship that finds it fun to ask new things we may not know about each other.

I came up with 30 new questions to ask your partner. They’re weird and goofy and make you think in a perspective you may not generally.

I’ll post the questions and then go back and put my rationale for why I think they’re fun. Enjoy this silly post!

1. What is your favorite sound?

2. Which shoe do you put on first?

3. How do you make Mac and cheese?

4. Have you ever waved back at someone that wasn’t waving at you?

5. Would you ever go skydiving?

6. Do you have a least favorite school picture?

7. What is your favorite trinket?

8. What is your favorite Pokémon?

9. Do you prefer cats or dogs?

10. What is something strange you’re kind of obsessed with?

11. What is the weirdest food combination you’ve made and liked?

12. What is your go to dance move?

13. Do you have a favorite mug?

14. Do you prefer home made or store bought Christmas stockings?

15. What is one clothing item you have the most of?

16. Do you like having pictures taken of you?

17. Do you have a scar story?

18. What is your opinion on stuffed animals?

19. Who is the odd relative in your family?

20. How many blankets do you own?

21. What is your opinion on stickers?

22. Do you prefer cold or warm weather?

23. Do you prefer fake or real flowers?

24. What time do you normally go to sleep?

25. What’s something you would want named after you?

26. Do you ever turn off ceiling fans?

27. What is your favorite creative outlet?

28. Do you prefer hot or cool showers?

29. Do you peel a banana from the top or bottom?

30. What would you say is the coolest thing since sliced bread?

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Did any of these questions make you feel as if the answer to them would be the key to knowing if someone is your soulmate?

Probably not, but here’s a bit of feedback on them:

1. What is your favorite sound?

How random, right? I think of popping popcorn or my son’s laugh but my real favorite is going over the bumps they have on bridges. This is one to get your partner thinking.

2. Which shoe do you put on first?

Another one to make you think. Do we pay close enough attention to what we do on a daily basis? Probably not. I’m a left shoe first person.

3. How do you make Mac and cheese?

I mean… do you want to be with someone who doesn’t have the boxed directions memorized? Maybe your partner adds a unique ingredient. Maybe your partner is only a home made Mac and cheese person. It’s good information to know.

4. Have you ever waved back at someone that wasn’t waving at you?

Oh, so you don’t have an embarrassing moment like that one? Lucky. If not, what is an embarrassing moment you remember?

5. Would you ever go skydiving?

It’s a no go for me. I’d probably pass out and that wouldn’t be good. It’s good to know how adventurous of a partner you have because this may become a conflict for y’all in the future.

6. Do you have a least favorite school picture?

Something to make you think! Mine is when I had braces and a unique mouth insert thing. You can see the impressions of the mouth insert in the photo. It was also the year I cut my hair short for the first time. It’s not terrible but not my favorite.

7. What is your favorite trinket?

This one is hard for me. I have a bunch of random trinkets I love. A lot of these questions make you pay attention to yourself more. Mine is probably the Christmas giraffes I have where they are wearing scarves.

8. What is your favorite Pokémon?

If they’re not familiar with Pokémon they might be too young (or old) for you or are boring. Haha, kidding (sorta). Mine is either Togepi or Cubone.

9. Do you prefer cats or dogs?

This could really be a deal breaker for some. You have to think of what your home dynamics will be like. Maybe your animal hates other animals. It could be tough. I’m a cat person but also love dogs. I simply don’t have the time to give love to dogs like they deserve.

10. What is something strange you’re kind of obsessed with?

Mine is Pearl TikTok. I love watching random people open the clams and getting the pearls out. It’s so satisfying and I don’t know why. This question could potentially lead you to find a quirk about your partner you didn’t know.

11. What is the weirdest food combination you’ve made and liked?

Mine goes all the way back to high school. I was visiting my dad for the summer and was left to figure out my own lunch. I put together a salami and peanut butter sandwich. It’s actually quite delicious. This could also be one where you find something gross out about your partner.

12. What is your go to dance move?

I’m more of a head bobber and a little bit of hip shaking. I can’t dance, let’s just get right out and say it. Your partner may like to go dancing and your abilities may impact what activities you’re doing with each other.

13. Do you have a favorite mug?

Who doesn’t have a favorite mug? I’m not a big coffee drinker and don’t tend to use mugs but for some reason mugs are so cute. I have a square one that is Anger from Inside Out. It makes me smile every time I see it. Honestly, it’s in my fridge and holds my son’s cheese sticks.

14. Do you prefer home made or store bought Christmas stockings?

This could bring you into a whole discussion about Christmas. It’s an important topic because you may not have the same traditions and that could be a deal breaker for some. I enjoy getting the typical red and white stockings and then putting your name on in glitter. I haven’t done that in a few years though.

15. What is one clothing item you have the most of?

The pastor at my church shared his obsession with socks one day and I thought that was hilarious. I realized I have the same obsession. My socks and underwear drawer are definitely filled to the brim. This could be an important question to know how much space your partner may take up in a closet or dresser.

16. Do you like having pictures taken of you?

It annoys me when people say they don’t like having pictures taken. Why do you love ruining memories? Just take the picture and let your family enjoy having that record of you. Your children or grandchildren will likely love to see those pictures of you!

17. Do you have a scar story?

If you don’t, that’s pretty cool too! You must be much more coordinated than most. I have a beach story I like to tell.

18. What is your opinion on stuffed animals?

This could be a deal breaker. I definitely have a slight obsession with stuffed animals. I have more stuffed giraffes than most. Some have found that odd. That person wouldn’t be one that would work with me so that’s good to know.

19. Who is the odd relative in your family?

Let’s face it, we all have one random relative that we make a slight concerned facial expression when we talk about them. Maybe you’re the odd one out. Either way, it’s a good conversation starter.

20. How many blankets do you own?

Is your partner prepared for a random ice storm that knocks out power for days? Wait, is that only a problem for Texas people? Maybe not. So, it’s good to know if you’ll stay warm during an emergency. It’s also good to know if your partner has a blanket obsession.

21. What is your opinion on stickers?

Um, you don’t have a filing system of stickers in your home? Just me?

22. Do you prefer cold or warm weather?

This could be a deal breaker depending on where you want to set up shop for your family. I prefer a warmer location because snow stresses me out. It’s beautiful but it can make you feel a little trapped.

23. Do you prefer fake or real flowers?

This is good to know for surprise gifts for your partner. I don’t like receiving real flowers because it makes me sad that they’ll die in a few days. I love having fake flowers in my home because they’ll likely last forever and it’s fun to keep gifts your partner gives you.

24. What time do you normally go to sleep?

Do you like to cuddle before you go to sleep? This is a good answer to know so you know how your evenings will go together. It could be a deal breaker for someone whose love language is physical touch if you don’t go to bed at the same time. That’s not mine, so I’m not fully sure, but it seems logical.

25. What’s something you would want named after you?

I’ve always thought it was romantic when someone named a star after someone else. That’s so cute in my opinion. But what’s that random thing that it would be cool to see named after you? I think a flute brand would be dope.

26. Do you ever turn off ceiling fans?

Nope. Never. I really should probably clean those now that I think about it.

27. What is your favorite creative outlet?

Everyone needs an outlet to express themselves. Creativity is a good skill and I love to see it in my partners. I love to journal, write stories, paint, and do other miscellaneous craft projects.

28. Do you prefer hot or cool showers?

I like my skin scalding hot when I shower. I also think it’s cute to shower with your partner. It would be sad for a partner to like cooler showers.

29. Do you peel a banana from the top or bottom?

General curiosity. I’ve found peeling from the bottom much easier lately.

30. What would you say is the coolest thing since sliced bread?

I might have to come back to this question. I love my flute so that could be my answer but there’s probably something cooler that I’ll think of later.

——————

I hope this blog post got you thinking a bit about yourself. I hope it made you laugh. This can also be a fun list for when you’re hanging with friends.

When I was working on this list I asked a few coworkers for ideas. They went a little more wild with their ideas. It could be fun to add to this list and come up with your own conversation starters.

Thank you for reading this far! Let me know what questions you would add!

Updated Bucket List

If you were following along last year, you’ll know that I crossed three items off my bucket list!

18. Go on a cruise

I went on a cruise! How lucky am I? I went with two of my friends from work, one of their parents, and my son. We had a blast! I feel privileged to say I’ve crossed this item off. I didn’t think I would do so as soon as I did after making my first bucket list blog. Check out my blog post “Bucket List #18 and #35.”

35. Own a robot vacuum

I’m such a goof. I love this being on my list. This was definitely a tax return purchase. It isn’t one of the crazy expensive ones, but still a purchase I didn’t want to splurge on without extra money. I don’t use it as often as I’d like, but I’m still pleased with my purchase! Check out my blog post “Bucket List #18 and #35.”

39. Ride on a train

I accomplished this early on in January. The 14th to be exact. It didn’t go how I expected, but I crossed it off the list! Go check out my blog post “Bucket List #39.”

——

There was an item that should have been on my list but I forgot until the moment it happened.

Get on a jumbotron

My best friend invited me to a basketball game. I wore my favorite sparkle dress from Swan and Sparrow Boutique. I received numerous compliments on the outfit. Then my time to shine finally came. My best friend and I made it on the jumbotron! I tried to capture the moment with my phone, but I missed it.
I later found an app that searches for the jumbotron moments and was able to capture it and save the awesome memory. Thank you to my friend for helping me cross this item off my list.

——

I partially accomplished a couple of items but I cannot fully cross them off the list.

Walk on the side of a road when a car drives through a puddle and get splashed by it

I almost wrote a blog about this one because I was so excited about it, but I couldn’t get the wording right, and it started to seem silly. Anyways, my air conditioning busted in my car in 2023. I typically drive with my windows down now. One day after a rainstorm I had my windows down and drove towards work. Shortly after pulling off from a light, I got blasted with a wave of water on the driver’s side. How wonderful! I cracked up laughing. I loved it even though I was a little wet for work. I knew this was likely the most probable situation that my bucket list item would come true. I would likely see it coming any other time and I liked the surprise of this situation.

Fill at least 100 journals with my thoughts

I started writing in one journal a month. I wrote in 11 of them and felt fairly accomplished towards this goal. I didn’t fill any of them up but I’m going to write in each again in 2024 and keep moving.

Become fluent in Spanish

I bought Duolingo at the end of 2022 and spent all of 2023 practicing Spanish. I reached a 400-day streak recently and I’m planning to keep moving forward. I’m nowhere near fluent, but I’m still working on getting to a point to hopefully be a better resource for my clients.

Have a picture with all eight of my siblings

I didn’t get a picture with all eight of my siblings but I did with three of my older siblings and that was a huge accomplishment. I would still love to have all of them together one day but we’ll see if that happens!

I also wanted to add a few more items to the list.

Catch a foul ball or a home run ball at a baseball game
Write a blog a week at least one year
Be on a game show
Indoor skydive
See the aurora borealis

I’m up to 57 items on the list! I’ve crossed off four! 53 to go!

I’m not sure if I feel any differently about the bucket list this year. I have no plans to accomplish any of these items yet. I do feel that my motto for my life and my son, “Adventure Awaits,” is as important as ever. I wish I had more confidence that I would be able to complete more items more frequently. Unfortunately, the money aspect is an issue. Most of my items cost money. I’m working on saving money so I can plan more trips. A few of my friends helped with the items from last year, so I will probably start tag teaming some friends in to see what we can accomplish together.

I think I’m going to shoot for these items this year:

1. Pet a Giraffe

16. Go horseback riding

56. Indoor Skydive

There are lists on google with thousands of items on them. I wonder if having a huge list like that would be better or if keeping it smaller is the way to go? I guess a long list or a short list can be equally as unattainable. I can’t even begin to imagine a life event where I would meet any of the famous people on my bucket list. I think having dreams is a good thing but having a thousand items would get overwhelming for me. I’ll stick to my short list with a few likely unattainable items. To each their own.

This blog is short and basically just updating y’all. Nothing super interesting. Thank you for reading anyways!

Remember, your dreams are important. Do whatever it is that makes you happy. Take risks but also don’t be afraid to stay in your comfort zone. Getting out of bed every day is hard enough. Don’t make having a bucket list drain you if you do not accomplish anything on it. Be proud of yourself for getting through each day! You’re loved and valuable regardless of what you do in life.

It’s 2024!

It’s once again the time everyone considers new year resolutions. It’s a time some use to start fresh on goals that maybe they did not accomplish the previous year. While in reality time doesn’t magically become any different, but the freshness the new year brings is kindly symbolic.

I know not everyone cares and there are enough memes out there about being the same person as the previous year, but I enjoy the concept of resolutions. You’re welcome to check out last year’s blog on the same topic. I achieved some halfway and completely ignored others. I didn’t accomplish any of my goals in their entirety, but I gave it the best shot I could.

2023 was as average of a year as some I’ve had. I kept the same job. My son and I celebrated our birthdays. My car had a few repairs needed as it seems to need every year. I continued to live in my lovely apartment. I gained a few unwanted pounds. I continued my journey to becoming a published author. Most importantly, I survived. I made it through each day even on the hard days. Luckily, there weren’t too many of those.

I did lose the one person in my life that felt like would always be there. My grandpa passed shortly before the new year. Something about him made one believe that he would be around forever. I loved my grandpa more than most. He had the best heart. My therapist once asked me who in my life I would consider loved me. The first thought in my head was my grandpa. He always showed up for me. When he ran his grocery store, he would always be there to teach me the ropes. He always encouraged my goals and said I could do anything. He always played with my brother and I and made us laugh. He taught us how to be creative and make unique items one wouldn’t see anywhere else. He taught us to love those around us. He always showed up on Valentine’s Day with a chocolate rose and told us he loved us. He was a constant in life and even as I got older and moved across the country, he still had a presence. I knew he was asking about me and checking in on how my life was going. He never had an attitude of “I told you so.” Regardless of what happened in life he would simply listen and then move on to what was next. He was the best storyteller. He had some of his favorites he would share consistently. He had some humorous ones and ones that were simply mesmerizing. He could draw in anyone who met him. He would always help those in need and never ask more from someone than what he knew they could give. I loved him so much and losing him is the one completely horrible part of 2023.

As we move into 2024, I hope to honor my grandpa with the life I live. I want him to know I’m continuing my dreams and hopefully write some things that he would be proud of.

In 2024 I have a few resolutions. Here is my list:

Fill in journals with my thoughts.
Continue writing my novel.
Go to the gym at least once a week. (Gotta start small)
Eat more vegetables.
Support my son’s needs at school.
Try to start up my book club again.
Try to convince my mom to move to Texas.
Drink the daily recommended amount of water.

Last year I was able to write in a journal every month at least a few pages, except for the month of December. I had a journal for each month, and I swapped them out on the first of each month. I hope to use the same journals and continue writing in them to hopefully fill all 12 up this year or at least in a few years.

I continued to refine some of the pages I’ve already completed towards my novel last year. This year, I hope to write more original content and add it to the work already done. I would love to get a rough draft completed, but we shall see.

I was fairly consistent for a good half of the year towards my gym goals last year. I slacked off towards the end of the year and want to get back into the habit of gym attendance. Even if it’s just walking on a treadmill for an hour, that’s more than I was accomplishing towards the end of last year.

I honestly couldn’t tell you a time I truly ate many vegetables last year. I felt accomplished when I would add lettuce and tomatoes to a chicken sandwich at a drive thru. Who are we kidding though, I would almost always pull of the tomatoes when the texture would get to me and a few lettuce strips a year isn’t going to cut it. I truly need to work on my eating habits and hope to add more veggies to my meals in 2024.

My son struggled with kindergarten in 2023. He was new to school and hasn’t adjusted well. I’m hoping to get some services set up for him in the new year and ensure he has what he needs to be successful.

Last year I fell flat on my book club goals. I couldn’t find the umph I needed to post as much as I wanted and reading the books would sometimes be me shoving them in the night before we were supposed to meet. I want to consider doing one book every two months to see if that takes off some of the pressure. I hope my friends are still interested in joining me!

My mom has been caring for my grandpa for a number of years. Since he passed, she may consider moving. I have always wanted to live with my mom again, but she loves living in her current home. I don’t know that she would want to stay without my grandpa so I’m trying to convince her to live with me. Texas is lonely without my mom and having her around would be so peaceful and enjoyable. I hope she’ll consider it!

I LOVE water. Aside from milk and juice every once in a while, I only drink water. I know water is good for your health. I want to stay hydrated and reap the benefits of having enough water in my body.

Just as I said last year, even if you set resolutions and don’t accomplish them, you’re still amazing. It’s always worth trying to accomplish your goals but you’re not any less worthy if you don’t in the timeline you hoped, or even if they’re never reached.

I also plan to reach more goals toward my blog and website. I would love to get updated photos and make the site a little more refined. I would like to post more blogs in general to keep a consistent flow of words out to my readers. I would love to know if there are any topics y’all would be interested in reading about. Feel free to comment, email, or reach out to me on my Instagram.

The ideal situation would be to write a blog a week, but I think I’ll likely accomplish at least one a month. That’s what I’m shooting for. I appreciate those that continue to support me, especially my mom. Thank you for reading my blogs. I hope to interact more with y’all in 2024!

Tucker’s Grocery

To the man that taught me what love feels like. To the man that would give the shirt off his back to those that need it. To the man that served the communities he belonged to for his entire life. To the man who helped build a beautiful family with many generations still growing. There will never be anyone like you on this earth. I hope this short story in honor of you will be a small token of the love I have for you. Thank you for being the best grandpa!

This story is inspired by the grocery store my grandfather owned for all of my childhood and one of my favorite stories my grandfather would tell us.

—–

For about 20 miles Derek drove past nothing but cows, trees, and the most beautiful grass you will find in the entire country. He traveled to visit his aunt and uncle who lived in a small town in Kentucky. When he received directions, he learned the saying “if you blink you will miss it.” The churches he passed were as plentiful as the farms. It appeared to Derek that southern people really like beef and Jesus.
Derek still had a good 45 minute drive before he reached his aunt and uncle’s home when he drove up on what appeared to be a diamond in the rough. A small white sign with black letters read “Tucker’s Grocery” on the front of a two story building. Derek usually tried to make trips to see his family without stopping but the urge to use the restroom and grab a snack made this place seem irresistible.
He pulled into a large gravel parking lot and parked next to, what had to be, every Dodge truck that existed. Derek mentally added another item to the list of things Southern people like. Dark gray horizontal wood lined the building, similar to that of a log cabin. A cork board, larger than the one window on the front of the first floor, held random signs and business cards. A charity auction flyer, a local tire shop business card, and a few carvings that said things like “James and Samantha 4-ever” and “Jody wuz here,” were the stars of the board.
It did not take Derek long to realize the grocery store only occupied the first floor of the two story building. Based on the floral curtains on the top floor’s one window, he figured the upstairs must be where the owner lived. Derek walked around in this small country store and awed at how many things could be shoved into one space. The list included a deli selection, an aisle of basic grocery needs, a fridge and frozen food section, a room in the back that held three spinning shelves of movies, dog and cat food, shelves of sodas, buckets of nails and screws, and this store also happened to be the local post office drop off. Derek used the entirely too small bathroom, grabbed a Ski from the fridge, a package of powdered donuts, and a turkey sandwich before deciding to sit for a few minutes at the small seating area.
The older man sitting in the only chair not physically attached to the tables gave off the energy of a store owner. Derek quickly learned his name to be Keith and became internally disappointed that no one here was named Tucker. Derek also made the observation that no women were in the store. Every seat at the 12 seater table held a body, except for one, which Derek sat in. Keith started a new story as Derek removed the Saran Wrap that clung perfectly around his turkey sandwich. The story was about growing up in the West.
“Growin’ up out west was so nice. Ya never had to worry about not having a job,” Keith started with a calm demeanor. The other 11 men seemed to grunt and nod along like Keith was a god and only his words mattered in this store. Keith continued with a shocking statement of: “We always had a job digging the Grand Canyon.”
No one said anything and, like robots, continued to nod along. Derek cleared his throat, and whether he was a god or not, decided to correct Keith. “Wasn’t the Grand Canyon a natural phenomenon?”
All 11 heads turned to Derek as Keith said smoothly, “That is what we want people from the East to think so they’ll come spend their money.”
Derek considered this statement for a moment and then, with a smirk, asked, “Well, what’d they do with all the dirt and rocks?”
Keith didn’t skip a beat and immediately asked, “Have you ever heard of the Rocky Mountains?”
Derek turned to his sandwich which, at this point, he had only taken one bite of and began to focus fully on the task of eating so he could get back on the road as quickly as possible. The other 11 men did not seem bothered by this conversation at all. They all began to share random stories, eat their food, and there were even a few card games that had started.
At this store, you paid for whatever you ate after you ate it. Keith ran this store alone and was the one behind the cash register when Derek headed out to leave. Derek had never seen a man with such mischievous eyes. Although mischievous, he radiated kindness and even stated Derek could take a drink to go on him if he wanted. Unsure why, Derek felt he would listen to anything this man said, so he took an extra Ski, considering you can only get them in a few places in the country anyways.
Now back in his car, Derek moved to put his seat belt on as he thought about Keith’s strange story. Derek felt 99.9% positive that Keith had made the story up as a joke but the story was told with such confidence it made Derek doubt himself. Derek got back on the road to his aunt and uncle’s home and had a feeling he would always remember Tucker’s Grocery and its interesting owner.