Whatever happened to Kim?
Seeing as this month is all about getting started, I thought I’d mix it up a little and suggest you try something a little perverse! No, not that! What I mean is starting with the end in mind. It’s a phrase or belief often used in coaching and it’s designed to help you know where you’re going before you start.
A good example in the physical world would be the sat-nav in a car. You programme in your destination before you leave home, it calculates a route and talks you through it as you drive along. Today, I’m giving you a last line and you have to tell me what happened to get to that point.
You can write it as a series of bullet points, a plot summary, or you can flesh out the last page, stanza or paragraph. The only rule is that you have to include the last line as it’s written below as your LAST sentence. To help you along I’ve included a song from Jimmy Buffett, helpfully titled ‘The Last Line’. Happy listening.
And the line is:
I often wonder what happened to Kim and whether knowing what we know now might have made a difference.
As usual, if you want to share your thoughts and writing I’d love to read it, and so would my lovely readers. Alternatively, share the prompt with a friend and see what you each come up with.
My effort is below:
When I think back to those heady youthful days I’m reminded of how happy and carefree we all were. It’s a truth often mistaken as a trope that school days are the happiest of your life. Whilst bullies and teachers might make life harder than it need be, the lack of responsibility and relative freedom from being the one who keeps a family running are points often missed by rebellious teenagers. Although she was the same age as us she carried responsibilities it’s only now, in my dotage, I have a glimmer of understanding. I often wonder what happened to Kim and whether knowing what we know now might have made a difference.
(Image by Kevin Phillips from Pixabay)
Thanks Linda – this is a very poignant piece. Young carers are real heroes – most of the time unsung and there but for the grace of God go we. When I was at school I never thought to wonder if any of my classmates were in the same position,
I agree Iain – I think there are so many of my classmates from way back when who had challenges that were not spoken of.
They are indeed Iain and it’s easy to forget that they often shoulder a burden many adults would baulk at.
I wasn’t there the night she walked out,
at half-time, her guitar still propped in her
corner of the stage.
I wasn’t there the time they pulled her
from the roof-top, where she’d gone to
watch the Leonids.
I wasn’t there when she slept outside
in the snow, half-naked and wrote letters
full of fire.
I wasn’t there the day she went swimming,
full clothed, her hair wild, she laughingly
reaching for the other side.
I wasn’t there, when she stood in the subway,
leaning over to look for the monsters that
haunted the tunnels.
I wasn’t there, when the first scars were
carved, in the school corridors after
the final bell.
I was beside her, but I wasn’t there inside
where the neurons misfired and synapses
stalled…
I often wonder what happened to Kim,
and whether knowing what we
know now
might have made a difference.
That’s wonderful Lesley . Very moving.
That is incredibly powerful Lesley and speaks to that which we often slide under the carpet in the hopes it might not become too big a hump we end up tripping over it.