Lane Morris Buckman's Blog, page 10

You Guys Are Awesome

Now that the dust has settled from that last post…whew! People, thank you for the kind responses you made, and those of you who contacted me privately with your own stories, thank you for trusting me. Please, don’t carry things like that alone. Find someone you trust, or find a stranger (because sometimes that’s easier) and unburden yourself.

I think what you’ll find is that sharing your story not only helps you, but also creates opportunity for others to heal.

With that said, I’m going to pu...

24 Years, 3 Feet, and 100 Hours of Therapy

I have written before about my date rape experience, and why I support rape crisis centers. I’m pretty much an open book when it comes to all that. I don’t mind talking about it because I’ve worked very hard to heal the damage done, and because my voice might mean the difference between hurt and health for another person. I also don’t mind talking about it because Raped is not who I am. Rape is only something that has happened to me. Lots of things have happened to me, and believe me, 90% of...

Those Who Can, Do. Those Who Can’t, Don’t.

In my head, I am a really good skater. I could tell you exactly what you need to do to accomplish intermediate moves, exactly which muscle groups should be lighting up as you execute them, and where your center of gravity should be at all times. But, put me in the skates and I’m really good at going forward and backward, and look like Bambi trying to do anything else.

Nah, I’m better than Bambi because I can stay on my feet, but I do tend to sling my arms around a lot.

I’ve been thinking a l...

In the Event of My (Un/Timely) Death

First, I have no intention of dying any time soon. This is not a goodbye note, or a cry for help. Just putting that out there so I don’t end up getting sent to the school counselor again. No, Betty Draper’s instructions to Sally, and one of my LTYM castmate’s essays put me in mind of it, so I figured I’d take a load off my family and let you all know how I’d like to be celebrated in the end*.

1. Cremate me. Cremate me as cheaply as possible. Please make sure I’m good and dead first because it...

Hungry

Family lore has it that a post in my great-grandparents’ fence was marked by hobos, to indicate a soft touch. During the Depression, down on their luck people knew they could stop by the Williams’ dirt farm and get something to eat. There wasn’t money to give out, but Jim and Lola always made sure there was something to eat. They didn’t have much, but they shared what they had.

Lola and Jim, with their daughters, Mary and Ettie.

Jim and Lola’s daughter, Ettie, would go on to marry my grandfat...

When I Was a Happy Manatee

A few years back, a friend invited me to a Korean spa. At the time, I just didn’t have time. Then I didn’t have the inclination. Then, when a new spa (SPA CASTLE) opened up about ten minutes from my house, I started eyeing it with wary interest. After hearing good things from trusted acquaintances, I decided to give it a go.

The main draw for me was the fact that there are napping rooms at this spa. You can go and just take a nap. There is no down side to that. In fact, the only down side to...

My Kid

Every day, since that most wonderful one of Thor’s arrival, has been Mother’s Day for me.

I don’t know how I lucked into this kid, who is as easy to like as he is to love. He is smart, he is funny, he is compassionate, and he is always up for hugs. He’s too big to burrow into me like he did as a toddler, but he’s found workarounds. Every day I tell him how much I love him, and every day I am rewarded with the same. I take none of it for granted.

If I’m doing my job right, eventually this magi...

In Which I Use the Word “Asshole” Repeatedly

I’ve been getting my panties in a wad over a variety of news articles in the past few days. I finally decided on one to rant over in my blog. I have chosen to be openly angry about the shooting at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas. I am angry at two sets of people: People who bully and bait, and people who take the bait and try to turn tables on bullies with weapons.

You know, the world would be a better place if we could all live by the rule: Don’t be an asshole. Just don’t be an a...

Marvelous

You know, I could spend twenty minutes on the one thing I didn’t like about The Avengers: Age of Ultron, but who cares? It was fantastic! I loved it. I loved it from happy, smiley Thor, right down to sad, [spoiler spoiler]. James Spader’s voice was brilliant. Joss Whedon’s voice coming out of everyone was brilliant. The only thing I would change surprised me, given how boring Thor is as a character, and how much I love Black Widow and Hulk. See, I would have cut all the BW/BB romcomdrama, and...

Who Tells You?

When I was very, very small, I can remember reaching up to pet my granny’s velvety jowl and tell her, lovingly, how much she reminded me of my favorite animal: the bulldog. I meant it as a compliment. I loved my granny’s face. It was beautiful and soft, and the skin fell into gentle draping folds at the jawline. Granny was tall and lovely, redhaired and lightly tanned, and to me she was one of the prettiest women in the world.

My bulldog comparison hurt her feelings, and it was a long time be...