Characters

On first read through, there's nothing likable about "Carol" at all.  And in a weird way, it's refreshing; I like having to really dig into her to find empathy for her.  She might be the first character I've come across that I don't have any (none) empathy for; none of the: well, she did this because of such and such...and she must have, but I don't care to hear it.  Yet.  It's my job to find it.  To justify her actions.  Is she leading or following when she sets out to destroy him?  (Granted, he's not a likable character either.)  What would lead you to just annihilate someone else?

As far as Spoon Rivers go, I guess it went better than I was thinking it might (for me.)  Better than Sunday.  The whole set up was cool: a "congregation" of sorts, each member getting up to speak their truth in front of the group and sitting down again.  My biggest regret is that I didn't sing my whole song, which had meaning for me, for my character (Frankie Goes to Hollywood, The Power of Love.)  I followed other people's examples instead of my impulse, not wanting to stick out, to "show off" (ah, not wanting to "take up too much space"...got it) which it really wouldn't have been, the words meant something and I needed to say/sing them to him.  I need to do what's right for me as opposed to following.  The two people after me sang entire songs, which I appreciated.  I appreciated that they did what they had set out to do, what they needed to do.  (And everyone else probably did too...I just need to do what's right for me, and not be intimidated if what's right for someone else is different.  I don't have to be them.  It's okay to stick out.)  I did force myself to keep the accent, good or bad, whatever, I often chicken out.

It's raining hard again.  The drain outside the basement is backed-up, the basement will flood, and the ants are streaming in to get out of the water.  (I didn't bail it because I needed to catch a bus.  The landlord never did fix the gutters on the roof, and so they pour excess water into the basement drain.)  Almost 60 degrees.