K.C. Sprayberry's Blog, page 100
June 26, 2018
Family Togetherness
Good morning and welcome to Tuesday Book Blogs. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about siblings and the things they say to each other.
Get the eBook of Go Away on Amazon
Teen siblings fight. It’s a fact of life. Sometimes, they say things to each other that might sound horrible. Those words might hurt. They might send off another round of fighting between the siblings, but no one expects the statement thrown out in anger to come true…
Blurb
Lainie’s older stepbrother, Mark, is the bane of her existence. He always embarrasses her. She swears she hates him… until a terrible day when she realizes just the opposite is true.
Excerpt
Glancing in all directions, I sneak toward where I live. He can’t see me. I can’t let him know that I’m home. Not until I’m safely inside.
“Hey, Lainie! Do your friends know that you dance in front of the bathroom mirror every night? Maybe I should sell tickets.”
Face burning, I duck my head, running up the stairs and the last few feet to our apartment. How can my jerk of a brother do this? Turning, I stand in front of the door and scream out my frustration.
“Mark, I don’t want you to live here anymore. You should stay at your dad’s this year. Like in never come back!”
Shutting the door with a loud bang, I head for my room. A slam and a bang tells me that Mark didn’t waste any time coming after me. He’s so lame. How can I ever live down this shame? Thank goodness, he’s leaving in a few days. Who would ever believe he’s my older brother? He acts more like he’s two.
An hour later, tapping on my door drives me insane. I can’t concentrate on the story I’m reading, and it’s really good. I get up and crack the door open. Mark grins at me.
“Wanna do some gaming?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“‘Cause you’re a jerk.” I can’t help myself. “I won’t ever game with you again.”
We are champs when we work as a team on WarCraft. He got me into gaming a year ago. It’s the only time he’s not a jerk, but I can’t forgive him so easily. If I do go downstairs and game, he’ll figure out something else to do that will make me want to sink through the floor in shame.“Ah, come on, Lanie. Nobody cares that you dance in front of the mirror.” His infectious grin widens. “Much.”
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities. A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email
June 25, 2018
Bullying
Good morning and welcome to Monday Blogs. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about school violence and exactly what everyone can do to curtail school violence.
One thing most people ignore when talking about school violence is bullying. We all know schools have promised to do their best to curtail this activity but the reality is that bullying exists and is going on every day at school. It’s almost a rite of passage for some kids. They attract those with a mean streak and most have no defense against the bully.
But teens aren’t the only bullies. Oftentimes, the bullied teenager has already experienced bullying in the home or neighborhood. They’re put down because they’re different—heavyset, skinny, pimply, quiet, shy, or just don’t have a filter on what comes out of their mouths.
There are ways for these students to overcome bullies but most are afraid to go to a teacher and/or administrator at their school. That would be ratting out the bully and things would probably go from bad to worse. A bullied student might speak with an adult they trust but most are afraid to admit their problem.
The solution might be even more obvious than most people realize. How many of you have watched a bully in action with someone else and thought, “I’m so glad that’s not me.” Do they stand up against the bully and tell them to knock it off? Do they seek out help from another person who might be able to counsel the bully quietly and bring an end to the harassment?
Most of the time, no one does anything to stop a bully. That’s how these people get their power—others are too afraid of being targeted to do anything substantive. Yet, you need to remember this—a bully doesn’t usually have a single target. Once they get bored with putting a beat down on one kid, they’ll move onto another person in their line of sight. Until they’re forced to confront their actions and accept that they’re wrong, they will never stop giving people a hard time.
Will stopping bullying be a solution to stopping school violence? No one is certain. All we know is that many of the teens who “snap” and terrorize their school have done this after years of being put down. They have other problems that being bullied only made more prevalent. They will reach a point where that boiling cauldron of strong, negative emotions will boil over and they’ll snap.
Does a bullied child have the right to terrorize a school? Do they have the right to kill innocents rather than the individual who has made their life a living hell? No, they don’t and they should pay the price for their actions. However, let’s not stop there. Let’s find the reason behind their actions and address the bully about their own issues.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities. A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email
June 24, 2018
Love on Both Sides of the Tracks
Good morning and welcome to Sunday Book Blogs. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about texting and driving.
Get Where U @ eBook on Amazon
Get Where U @ print book on Amazon
She’s poor and not popular; his family has money and well-loved. Yet, they come together as friends and their relationship deepens. Yet, this young couple may be doomed by someone who doesn’t think laws about texting and driving apply to him.
Blurb
Trea Jones has always known the bitterness of bigotry and abject poverty. Her half-Cherokee daddy disappeared thirteen years ago on the pretense of getting milk. Mama has done nothing but mourn his loss, and she blames Trea for that. Now that she’s starting her senior year of high school, Trea hopes for something better, but she doesn’t hold out much hope.
Until …
She loosens up on some of her rules. Her guy, Dave, proves to her that she is worthy of everything the others have. The last day of classes prior to the winter break, she’s ready to share some stupendous news with Dave, but tragedy intervenes when her daddy texts while driving a bus. Trea is left wondering if she can ever be free of a curse that heaps a lot of bad luck on her whenever good things happen to her.
Excerpt
Where U @
The text is from my guy, Dave Woods. It’s a code, a way for him to help me feel better about everything. Mostly, it’s his way of showing me that he cares.
Kitchen. I roll my eyes. Cleaning.
Want to come do mine?
His return text sends me into a fit of giggles. That’s something only he can accomplish.
RFS?
More code, and this one sends fear shivers up and down my spine. I am in no way ready for school, but I’ll have to go tomorrow, no matter what.
I text him back, slide my phone into a pocket, and open the door to a floor to ceiling pantry. To put away the last of the dishes, I have to step into a room that is narrower than a shoebox.
The same reaction overtakes me that I experience every single night, as soon as my foot moves through the doorway. Cold sweat rolls down my back. I can’t catch my breath, and the walls feel like they’re squeezing the life out of me.
I dump the dishes on their stacks and back out fast.
“I want to get on Facebook!” Mama screeches. “It’s my turn to use it!”
I race into the living room, the four steps seeming to take forever. My eyes widen in horror as I watch the laptop I’ve used since sixth grade swing back and forth between her and Granny. All three hundred pounds of my mama is putting up a darned good fight. Granny isn’t giving up, either, despite swaying and nearly stumbling as she tries to reclaim the computer that is supposed to be mine.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities. A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email
June 23, 2018
You Are Strong
Good morning and welcome to Sharing Saturday. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about school violence and exactly what everyone can do to curtail school violence.
Being a teenager in the twenty-first century presents many tough challenges. Most high school students today never knew the terror of September 11, 2001. It’s merely a day when people talk about the terrorist attacks; for you, this isn’t real because you didn’t experience the strong emotions. Your focus is on getting through school and into college or finding a job.
There are times when you think you’re going to go crazy with everything that’s expected of you. You think you’re not strong enough to handle anything you don’t expect. When the unthinkable happens, you’re sure you’ll fall apart and get hurt or killed.
Stop thinking like that. You are strong. You’re growing up in a world where war has been going on for your whole lifetime. You have friends talking about enlisting in the military after graduation. They’re talking about whether or not they’ll be deployed overseas and what they can expect. All you’re thinking about is getting into the college of your choice and how hard it will be living far from your family. You’re not focused on a problem. You don’t really care about anyone except yourself.
You are a typical teenager.
One thing you need to remember when everything piles up on you or you’re facing a life and death situation. You are strong. You can survive. You will not panic and end up in trouble.
It’s okay to be scared or cry. Nobody will fault you for that. It’s okay to think you shouldn’t have to experience this but you are and you’re stuck. Don’t shove those thoughts away. But don’t think for one minute that you aren’t strong because you are.
It takes a lot of internal strength to survive the teenage years. Not just now but throughout history. This is a time when you’re a mass of emotions but everyone expects you to accept that you’re not a kid any longer and to be more mature. You sure don’t want to finish that term paper but you’ll do it, even if you have to miss that movie you’ve been wanting to see. The movie will be there on another day, when you have the time to sit through it; the term paper has a deadline you have to meet. Be strong and remember this won’t last forever.
Oh, yes, that’s right. You won’t be a teenager forever. Once you’re past that time of your life, you’ll have expectations that have to be met—your boss wants you to perform well on your job, your landlord wants their rent, the utility companies want payment, everyone will want something from you and you’ll have to give it to them or face consequences. That’s called adulting.
So for now, relish the freedom you have being a teen. Be strong and survive your teen years with nothing more than a few bad memories to remind you that you got past them.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email
June 22, 2018
It's A Cold, Cruel World
Good morning and welcome to Friday Feelings. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about school violence and exactly what everyone can do to curtail school violence.
Today, we’re discussing the world around is. This is a fact—it’s a cold, cruel world and no one out there cares about your feelings.
Bet you’re furious and ready to blast me. Go ahead. I’ve heard it all but I’m not backing off. Time to slough off that sensitive nature and learn to thicken your skin, because your feelings are going to be hurt and often.
You may have received attention when your school was under attack. So did thousands of other teens going through the same thing at many different schools throughout the country. But to keep everyone focusing on you and your feelings isn’t going to work for long.
It’s not that we don’t care your school was the scene of a violent crime, but we’re now processing how to deal with the problem. Yes, we’d love to have you involved, but you have to understand that we’re not going to bow down to your beliefs as they’re a prophecy of the second coming.
Here are some facts you need to realize…
School violence is a problem that’s been around since 1840, law professor John Anthony Gardner Davis was shot by a student, Joseph Semmes in Charlottesville, Virginia. Mr. Davis died of his wounds three days later. Since that time, there have been many, many incidents of school violence. This isn’t a new problem and to work out a solution, we first have to find a method that will be best.
No overnight solution will work. That’s right. You can’t demand that a law be made and passed within a few days or even a few months. Any law passed that fast has no time for proper review and may be overturned very fast.
There are solutions, far more than you’ve thought of and preach about, decrying everyone who doesn’t immediately agree with you. If you want to be part of the solution, please jump onboard but be prepared to discuss solutions sensibly; not with shouting, screaming, and cursing. Everyone will stop listening to you at some point and you’ll be on the outside looking in.
For years, teens have been told their feelings are important. They are, to a degree, but remember this. Once you finish school and are out in the real world, it’s a cold and cruel place. Be ready to navigate those turbulent waters fast, or you will not go anywhere.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email
June 21, 2018
"SHUT UP!"
Good morning and welcome to Thursday Thoughts. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about school violence and exactly what everyone can do to curtail school violence.
Again, most people reading this post will probably be a bit upset. I’m speaking to the social justice warriors today, about how they can get people to listen to their impassioned speeches.
SHUT UP!
You heard me. I told you to shut your mouth. Because when you’re screaming and using foul language, no one is listening. We’re tuning you out because your message is one of hate, not a solution.
How do you get adults to listen to your message?
First of all, do your research. That’s right, I told you to sit down and check into the facts. Don’t spout that the current president has had more school shootings occur since he took office than the previous one. Look up the information and go further than a fact checking site. Google “how many school shootings have there been in the United States?” There have been a lot. From 2008 through all of 2016, there were a total of 298, or 37.5 per year. Since the first part of 2017 until May of 2018, there have been only 31, an average of 15.5 per year so far. That’s less than half of what happened in the preceding eight years. Still, this isn’t an acceptable number.
Marches are fine. Protests are fine. But you can’t and should never cross the line into lawbreaking to get your point across. In the minds of those who have been there and done that, you’re nothing but a troublemaker at that point.
Also, don’t tell me I can’t know how you feel because I’ve never experienced school violence. During my time in high school and college, there were thirty-one school shootings. Personally, I experienced school violence not once but twice in my freshman year of high school—two riots and the first included police shooting tear gas onto the campus to stop the rioters while the students not participating were locked inside their classrooms. So, yes, I know the sensation of being scared out of my mind at school. I know the feeling that I had to survive and get away. I know feeling of utter fear and no way to escape the madness. And I survived, returned to that school, and graduated in the top third of my class without benefit of people talking to me about my feelings.
Oh, and while I remember that time as clearly as if it happened yesterday, it has never driven me to demand that anything be controlled by more laws that are the same as old laws. Nor did I dare cuss adults and say they didn’t have a clue. Instead, I learned the signs of potential trouble, spoke with my parents and teachers about what I was observing, and moved on to have a full and productive life without leaning on the problem.
Instead of remaining the victim and claiming adults can’t solve the problem, become part of a real solution. Accept that you, as the student, need advice on how to go about making change and also accept the fact that you may never see the change you’re demanding but an equitable solution that addresses all issues might be better.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email
June 20, 2018
New Release ~ The Storm
Good morning. Today, we’re getting the first glimpse into a new novella for teens. Elizabeth Berg faces a storm of epic proportions in Galveston Texas on September 8, 1900. More than a century later, one of her ancestors, Calle Jenkins returns to Key West, only to find her home destroyed and her friends gone.
Get The Storm eBook on Amazon
Get The Storm print book on Amazon
Blurb
Following a series of devastating hurricanes in 2004, Calle Jenkins and her family return home to Key West. Finding nothing left but wreckage, her parents decide to start over. For fourteen year old Calle, starting over means finding friends who evacuated or rode out the storms, starting a new kind of school, and realizing that, for a while at least, life is going to be very different from what she expected. To help her cope, her mother gives her a journal written by a teenaged relative over a century ago.
Elizabeth Berg lives on Galveston Island in 1900, and despite there being some family troubles, doesn’t want to live anywhere else. To her, Galveston is heaven on earth. Until Mr. Isaac Cline warns them that serious changes are at their heels, and with them, the apocalypse. By then, there is no way or nowhere to run. All lines of communication and transportation have been destroyed.
Buildings were shredded and thousands perished as the winds howled and the sea rose.
For Elizabeth and Calle, life moved on.
“The Storm” of September 8, 1900 remains the deadliest hurricane in US history.
Excerpt
Home. My friends. Our house. I can’t wait any longer!
As Daddy’s fishing boat cut through the gentle waves, I leaned against the railing and trained my eyes on the horizon. Storm debris floated past the prow: dead fish, shattered planks, and limp, shredded palm leaves. Six long weeks ago my parents and I evacuated, and now were returning home. Four massive hurricanes, each more devastating than the last, had torn our state apart. Florida had never suffered anything so bad as Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. Or so I thought at the time. Now, as we returned to our home in the Florida Keys, my heart sank. I’d just seen our property.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email
[image error]
Don't Blame the Tool
Good morning and welcome to wwwblogs. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about school violence and exactly what everyone can do to curtail school violence.
An active shooter is on a school campus. Breaking news has everyone on the edge of their seat, wondering how many children will be lost in the next school violence episode. Immediately, cries for more gun laws or to take all guns owned by the general public rise. Social media devolves into a mass of bickering and outright screaming at those who don’t agree with either side’s opinion.
All the while, reporters are anxiously reporting over and over the same mantra, taking their listeners to a screaming peak of panic. People are glued to their news station, or are seeking answers on any of a dozen social media sites. Speculation becomes the order of the day, as there’s little to no real information coming from emergency responders who are on the scene attempting to restore order and take the person(s) responsible for the problem into custody.
This is a scenario that has become all too common over the last decade. No one has been able to come up with the perfect solution, because there really isn’t one. Each situation is different and therefore needs an individual solution. One of the main common denominators is that most of these situations involve guns. The moment this is known, right down to the make, model, and caliber of the weapon used, those with strong feelings on both sides immediately to into attack mode.
On one side, you have screams for more laws, more laws, more laws. On the other side, there is derision and commentary that guns can’t kill on their own. Okay, that is the truth but the way it’s bandied about when emotions are high only sets the flames roaring through a nation already reeling from the number of people who have decided they are going to be the next infamous school shooter.
So, let’s put away the snarky memes. Stow the commentary about new laws and derisive retorts that isn’t the problem. We all know even if guns were outlawed tomorrow, criminals would still have them. After all, they already break the law. Why would they obey this one?
There are going to be some comparisons here. Most you have heard of but bear with me. It’s important…
You’re overweight. Your doctor has told you to lose weight. Do you immediately go home and tell your utensils and dishes they’re at fault and toss them into the garbage? Of course you don’t, because you’re thinking clearly and realize you need to make better decisions.
You run out of gas late at night and all the stations are closed. Are you going to abandon your vehicle and swear it should have known to get filled up before you started out? No, you won’t. You’ll heave a deep sigh and figure out how to safely park and secure your car and find a way home.
The same thing goes for guns. They are an inanimate object that isn’t responsible for what happens when they’re used correctly. Yet, in the heat of reporters drumming the same information into our heads in a “controlled” panic voice, designed to push everyone to the brink of heart stopping fear, you’re seeking the easy and fast solution.
Except… there is no easy and fast solution to this problem. It’s a multi-faceted problem with many solutions that have to happen together in order to work. And this will require cool heads from everyone to work out.
My advice? Once you hear the reporter winding up for round ten of the same thing you’ve been hearing all along, turn off the news, get off social media, and hold your family close. Give it some time for the authorities to clear the area and be able to make a sensible statement on the situation before you come to a decision on anything.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities. A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email
June 19, 2018
Family Bullying
Good morning and welcome to Tuesday Book Blogs. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about the choices teens make.
Get the eBook of Inits on Amazon
Get the print book of Inits on Amazon
Bullying is talked about a lot. Seems like the more we talk about this subject, the more we hear about instances of this emotional assault. Oftentimes, the bullied child finds themselves receiving the same treatment at home.
Blurb
Alex Starkey is a normal teenager with unfortunate initials. Initials which have been his nemesis his entire life. Initials matter when all the kids call each other by them instead using their names.
If that isn’t awkward enough, there’s Payne, who’s made a career out of bullying kids he thinks deserve it. Alex’s inits make him a target. Alex can deal with that on his own, until Payne crosses the line and tries to force him into doing things with long-range consequences. That’s when Alex stands up and faces him down.
Excerpt
The first Wednesday in August arrives not with the promise of a day spent in the Recreation Center’s pool. No lazy afternoon will float past while I play baseball or football with my buds. Band camp ended a couple of weeks ago, so sleeping until noon is no longer a luxury I indulge in.
Although I know what day it is, I revel in a dream – where I’m Mr. America. I flex my muscles, strut around a stage, and blow away the competition. This is my victory, my way of showing everyone that I’m the best.
All the problems in my life fly away. No one gives me any kind of trouble about my inits, they don’t dare.
Nobody messes with Mr. America.
A foreign sound invades my dreams; a constant blaring that demands I respond to its call, telling me that my summer fun has ended. Here I am, fifteen, and my future holds no fun at all.
My sixteenth birthday comes next May, and it can’t get here fast enough. Sixteen means a driver’s license, after I con Mom and Dad into a learner’s permit. Then again, that might be a little hard to accomplish. My brother, Roger, had to renew his permit, after failing his driving test not once, not twice, but a grand total of five times. Seems old Roger, known as RAS, just can’t get it right when the examiner tells him to use his turn signal.
Total football hero, and he can’t follow directions. No big info reveal there! RAS never does anything the way he’s supposed to, unless he can’t get around it.
How does that affect my ability to learn how to drive? My parents believe that RAS needs to finish getting his license before I can start driving. Life just is not fair.
Then there is a teensy issue that I’ve been dealing with since Sunday School lessons began at the ripe old age of three. That particular experience happens every single day of my life, if certain people are around. Unfortunately, one of those people happens to include RAS.
The alarm clock starts its thing again, blaring out the most annoying beep-beep-beep.
“Aw, shut up,” I yell.
The noise continues, despite my efforts to get another longed for five or ten minutes of sleep, to go back to being everything that I’m not.
That darned thing listens as well as everyone and everything else.
I think about pulling the pillow over my head and hiding in my bed forever. No such luck there, my options are get up now or pay a price.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities. A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email
June 18, 2018
Fundamental Change
Good morning and welcome to Monday Blogs. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about school violence and exactly what everyone can do to curtail school violence.
One thing I’ve not seen discussed much is fundamental change to the lives of everyone involved with these school violence situations. Oh, we’ve all heard the statements, “Arm the teachers.” That won’t work if the teachers aren’t willing to carry a weapon on campus, and there are very good reasons why they don’t want to have a gun with them in school. There are far too many opportunities for students to get their hands on one and we will have another “Breaking News” situation.
Some individuals have cried out that schools need more cops on campus. Good idea, but as most people have noticed, the police don’t have many officers to spare for this duty. Oftentimes, the resource officer is assigned to more than one school and will only see students in XYZ High School maybe once a week. When this program was started—called the Cop on Campus in my day—an officer was only assigned to the high school. They were out in the halls, sticking their head into classrooms, and mingling during breaks. Yes, those officers were present all the time and miscreants were fast hustled in front of the principal before being consigned to in-school suspension or being booted out of the school for a certain period of time. Today, with financial resources so tight in many communities, these officers have to cover more than one school.
There are cries to hire veterans. Not a bad idea but many veterans are gainfully employed in a post military job they spent what little spare time they had preparing for. Those unemployed usually have issues that would make them unfit for working in a tense environment such as a school. Not that they’d turn down the job if asked, but it might prove to be too much for them, especially if there was no one to back them up in a bad situation. Yet others are demanding schools hire private security firms to protect their little darlings. Checked into the price of that lately? Believe me, you’ll know how much it costs when your property taxes skyrocket, and they will.
There is no perfect solution to this problem. Yes, I will constantly emphasize this, because it’s true. Every school in this country has different needs. Rural schools are far different from urban schools. The needs vary. The biggest way to prevent most of these problems is to be an aware parent and don’t always believe your child is the perfect angel.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities. A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google + Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email
