Your Writing Mentor

Mary Knippel

Imagining an Emma & Gertie Adventure in honor of National Tell A Story Day

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In honor of National Tell A Story Day, I’m sharing a little fictional piece I did some time ago featuring characters based on my Grandma Emma and Great Aunt Gertie. The picture below is of the real Emma and Gertie here along with their other sisters Lena, Madie, and Martha. I’ve used some real details, but this is a story purely for entertainment and is totally made up.

Enjoy!

(l-r) Lena, Emma, Gertie, Madie and Matha – Meurer Sisters

Emma and Gertie, the widowed sisters, were in their 60’s, but as naïve as schoolgirls about the ways of the world. They’d lived all their days in the same little town, just down the street and across the railroad tracks from each other. Gertie had lost her Frank almost 20 years ago now. It had been 25 years since Emma had buried her Isaac. They had grown children, still living with them, who didn’t understand this need to gallivant across the country. And it was a big adventure going from Adams to Duluth. It meant traveling several hundred miles away from home.

The Plan…

“We could go on Tuesday and be back Thursday evening,” Gertie suggested hopefully as she perched on the geranium red genuine imitation vinyl chair in her sister’s kitchen. Emma busied herself taking chocolate chip cookies off the cooling rack and placing them on a serving plate.

“Strictly fresh,” Emma announced putting the cookies on the table in front of Gertie.

“Well?” Gertie demanded an answer. Emma stared into the black coffee as the cream made brown spirals in the cup.

“I don’t know if I can go,” Emma hesitated. “I have Unit this week.”

“No, we don’t,” Gertie chided her older sister. “You know perfectly well, St. Margaret’s Helping Hands Unit doesn’t meet again for two weeks. And besides, it’s Lena’s turn. What about our plans to see Duluth and what it would be like to really go there?” Gertie challenged.

Fashion magazines would describe Emma as having an “apple” shape. Gertie, however, had been stooped over for years as a walking advertisement for the after osteoporosis photo. Her “apple” frame was, therefore, distorted.

Gertie determinedly trotted her round frame, over to the phone. “How much would it be to go? How often do they go up there?” she asked seriously into the phone, then hunched over the table, she dutifully recorded the information on the back of a bank envelope using a discarded pencil stub.

“We’ll go the last week in July,” Gertie announced to a stunned Emma. “Everyone else will be gone too.” the Senior Sojourner declared. “Bernard would be at the lake fishing. Veronica and her boys were going to be in New Ulm. Betty Ann and Marilyn would be in the Cities. It was all set!” and she smiled at how they would soon be on the road to adventure.

The Journey…

July 26 they arrived at the Trailways Bus Station. Dressed in their Sunday best pint dresses, orthopedic hose and sensible shoes, Emma and Gertie boarded the bus clutching their tickets.

“Oh my,” Emma exclaimed in alarm, and watched the pine trees breeze past.

“Oh my,” Gertie exclaimed in excitement and looked out as cars, houses, and people whizzed by.

Emma produced a lunch from the crumpled lunch bag. “Bacon sandwich or chocolate chip cookie?” she asked her sibling “No,” Gertie was too excited to eat. “Well how about some coffee from the thermos?” Emma offered. It came out brown just the way it swam in the green Melmac cups at home. Emma had added cream just after she’d poured in the coffee.
The bus lumbered up over the hill and Duluth lay before them. The sprawling harbor town. The water against the sky all blue and clear. Lake Superior, so big, so deep, so cold.

Their double room, at the elegant Holiday Inn, had a partial view of the lake and also offered hermetically sealed plastic glasses, matching floral comforters on queen beds, and thirsty towels in the bath. Wasting no time Gertie consulted the list of local attractions. The next tour of Glensheen is self-guided at 1 PM.

The Adventure…

“We’re really here,” Gertie gushed as they rode down London Road in the yellow cab and turned into the mansion’s manicured grounds.

Although described as a self-guided tour, the sisters were chaperoned everywhere. Each room, landing and entrance of the gorgeous house and gardens were patrolled. Guardians to answer questions or to secure the grounds from marauding intruders, their behavior behind their green polo shirts gave the two women no clue. The house stands depicted as it was during the 1920’s.

An observer would have caught Gertie and Emma comparing their simple small-town lives to the Congdon’s in 1920 without a favorable balance. But there was no hint of the elegant home’s shadowy past, of how Elizabeth Congdon lived and died in the house.

Emma stood in the heavily draped and carpeted magnificent dining room, wearing her best white eyelet dress, support hose and beige orthopedic Sunday shoes reading the guidebook. Studiously intent on learning about where she was.

Gertie spotted her sister busily reading and threw her blue wave set head back announcing defiantly to everyone (and Emma in particular) “I’m not going to read any book, I’m going to look at everything.”

Elizabeth lived here…

Emma continued to study the guidebook. “You can read at home!” she admonished Emma, as Gertie’s complexion became as red as her burgundy pink dress with matching lace collar.

But Emma evenly replied, “I won’t know what I’m reading about.” So the older sister read and the 14-months younger sister looked. Later in the kitchen, Gertie heard the kitchen sentry mention Elizabeth.

“Did Queen Elizabeth stay here?” She eagerly inquired. “No,” she was told by the long-suffering green-shirted attendant. “Elizabeth Congdon lived here. This was her house.

“If you’d read the book,” Emma spoke up triumphantly, “you’d know that!”

Wondering About Who is this Somebody I Used to Know?

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s.p.u.n.k with Writer Unleashed

You know how you can have the radio playing in the background and never “tune in” to all the chatter? Suddenly, your ears hone in on a phrase, and you can’t get it out of your head. Well, that’s exactly what happened to me with a song by an Australian artist. The simplicity of the intro notes invites you in, and the lyrics keep you engaged. The Belgian-Australian musician, Gotye, sings about a past lover and the nature of love, but I find myself envisioning looking in the mirror and singing to my reflection.

As we celebrate Informed Woman Month, the image I see as I listen to these lyrics resembles somebody that I used to know, with glimpses of a brand-new me emerging.

Do you ever feel like that?

Who do you see when you look in the mirror?

I look at my reflection, and I ask:

Where did the little girl go with her Toni perm curls framing her shy little smile?

Where did the fiercely independent young woman go who could have been a stand-in for Marlo Thomas’ “That Girl” TV character with her perky attitude and brunette flip?

Where did the PTA mom go who volunteered for everything from baking cupcakes to writing the booklet for the fundraising auction and racked up more miles than a Daytona 500 driver as a stay-at-home mom?

Oh, she’s still here. She’s somebody I used to know who is reinventing herself.

Yes, strange as it may sound from someone who is receiving AARP solicitations, I am reinventing myself.  I’m reinventing myself on a daily basis. It’s downright exhausting at times! And it is so exhilarating!

After two breast cancer episodes and now a third last year, two unsuccessful start-up companies, and moving halfway across this continent for gainful employment, I’ve acquired some coping skills to help me in my healing process as well as diffusing my stress level. Whether we are aware of the slow erosion or not, stress takes its toll on us on a daily basis. Tapping into my creativity is the way I keep my stress level down. Writing in my journal, playing with beads or paper crafts, and giving myself permission to explore new ways to create…create my own happily ever after.

When I look in the mirror, I see somebody I used to know…and so much more.

I see that same twinkle in my eye of the mischievous child. I see the same grin of the perky young woman embarking on her career as a secretary. I see fingers grasping a pen or flying over a keyboard with words tumbling over each other everywhere and hear an inquisitive voice asking insightful questions culminating in an amazing body of work.

I am no longer the child, young adult, nor the young mother I once was. I see an articulate, compassionate, curious, playful, creative and wise soul. I cherish my past.

I’m thrilled to be living my purpose of helping Transformational Leaders discover their unique stories and become authors through my mentoring programs and co-author series.

I’m even more excited about my future because of what I’ve yet to create. It is full of wonder and possibility!

When I look in the mirror, I see somebody I want to know.

Who do you see when you look in the mirror?
I understand what it’s like not to recognize yourself in the mirror because everyone else in your life crowds out your own reflection. That is the reason I encourage you to pick up a journal and create a sanctuary for yourself within the pages. Writing offers you ways to reconnect and co-create with the person you want to see in the mirror.
The time to unleash the writer in you and get acquainted with that Somebody You Want to Know in the Mirror is NOW!
I’d love to meet your reinvented self! Won’t you introduce me soon?
 photo credit:  EAOverland

Words are just below the surface of… Friday-five minute writing prompt

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Words are just below the surface of…

Friday five-minute writing prompt

Take out a fresh sheet of paper. Natalie Goldberg uses a “fast-writing” pen. I suggest using your favorite writing instrument and an unlined piece of colored paper for fun. I use a fountain pen with purple ink. Some folks opt to use their computer. If that is your preferred method to write, then just open a new word document on your computer and go for it. The point is to keep your fingers moving for five minutes and not stop. I want you to experience how much writing can be accomplished in a short period of time.

If you get stuck, repeat the writing prompt Words are just below the surface of…
Or any other phrase that is comfortable for you. Do not stop to edit, correct spelling, look up a better word, or rearrange a sentence. Do not question what comes up in the five minutes: this doesn’t make sense, where did that come from, or what a crazy notion. This is a timed writing exercise so be sure to set the timer on your watch, phone, microwave, computer, or kitchen stove. Whether you use an egg timer, a No. 2 pencil and spiral notebook, your iPad, or even your iPhone, the theory is the same. Keep your hand and/or fingers moving and have fun taking dictation from your unconscious self. Make a list, hum a tune, write a poem, or create a short, short story. This is your time to explore and experiment.

photo credit:  SeduisantPortraits 

Are you telling the story that matters the most?

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What do you think is the story that matters most? Great literature? A cherished spiritual document such as the Bible, or Tora? Those volumes and many more carry great significance. I’m referring to something only you would know.

Do you know the story that matters the most? 

The story that matters the most is Your Untold Story!

Recently, I was having a conversation with a colleague who confided that although she was confident other people had a story worth writing, she didn’t think there was anything that someone else would find interesting or exciting in her story. Her perspective was (and I’ll be willing to bet there are lots more like her) that she’d never been written up in Who’s Who,  received awards from her business community, or achieved some athletic recognition, all contributed to her assumption that she didn’t have a story worth sharing.

Can you relate to her belief?


More Information & Register for Discovering My Untold Story Here.

When I was in high school, we were assigned to write a research paper on three careers we were interested in pursuing. I wrote about going to college to study acting, becoming a famous actress who could do comedy and drama with ease, was a darling of the London and New York stage and had conquered the silver screen along with television. I wrote about becoming an accomplished dancer who traveled the world performing for sold-out crowds at every venue. I wrote about writing stories that touched the hearts of those who read my words and writing in exotic parts of the world.

Although neatly typed and turned in on time, I received a C+ for the project because my career choices were judged unrealistic. I was a shy, quiet 15-year-old girl in a small Midwestern farming community. How could I possibly aspire to be an actress, a dancer, or a writer, for that matter? I had never taken a dance lesson or shown any particular talent for the stage. My writing was confined to my journals and never shared with anyone.

I had been challenging myself to follow my dreams. Speech class just about gave me heart failure. I not only actively participated in class, but I also took part in the school district Speech contest for extra credit. I managed to be part of the cast of six in our class play, The Spiral Staircase and didn’t die before, during, or after any of the five performances. 

I married a very nice boy and helped him earn a college degree. However, I never gave up on my dreams of what I believed my future could hold. 

One Untold Story…

I quit my secretarial job and became a full-time college freshman a week before my 30th birthday. I wanted it all…family and career. A college degree would be that first milestone just for me. I would have new career options because I’d discovered a passion for writing and would do whatever was necessary to achieve that goal. I no longer was that shy, insecure country girl. I was a young woman eager for new challenges and ready to tackle what life had in store as long as it came in small doses.

No one can share your story from your perspective except YOU! And there is someone waiting to hear your story. 

And I’ll say it again:  the story that matters the most is your untold story!

It’s time you discovered Your Untold Story! I created a 90-minute hands-on virtual workshop to help you do just that. Somone is waitng to hear your untold story. They need the wisdom you have gleaned from the greatest story you have never told…your untold story.


Let’s Do This! Register Today for the April 26 Workshop.

Telling My Untold Story Workshop

April 26, 2023

1 p.m – 2:30 p.m (PST)

2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. (MTN)

3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. (CTL)

4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. (EST)

 For an investment of $97 you will walk away with a strategy to finally get your story out of your head and onto the page. I’ll use my 35 years as a journalist to ask you questions. All you have to do is show up and listen as your soul gives you the answers. 

photo credit:  caronmodernmedia 

What about a self-care audit?

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Hearing the word audit, do your thoughts turn to the familiar April 15 deadline and the number crunching for the Internal Revenue Service? That’s not what I’m suggesting you focus on here. No, the audit I’m referring to is a more personal audit –  a decidedly different kind of Internal Audit. I’m asking you to consider all the resources we deplete to the state of exhaustion and have such a difficult time replenishing. Don’t know what I’m talking about?

Do you ever skip breakfast and substitute a giant cup of coffee or tea, along with a bagel or jelly doughnut?

Do you ever grab a candy bar for lunch? Or rationalize that a power bar is as good as a turkey sandwich?  Do you ever skip lunch entirely and inhale the contents of your refrigerator standing up when you get home from work?

Do you ever feel as if you could sleep the entire weekend because you are exhausted from the stress of the week?

Now, do you have an image of the “resources” I’m talking about?

Your personal Internal Audit involves a notebook, a pen, and you sitting quietly for 15 minutes to answer the question: How do I build up my resources? Or, what is my plan to nurture myself to avoid depleting my valuable internal resources?

Make a plan right now to decide what you will do when faced with life’s challenges – because we all know that despite our best plans, sometimes we have to go to Plan B or just punt – so figure out what you want to do BEFORE facing those challenges.

  1. Have a quick breakfast option handy for those get-out-the-door-fast days, such as a baggie of mixed nuts or a protein shake/bar ready and waiting in the freezer or on the pantry shelf.
  2. Make your lunch for the next day while you are putting away dinner leftovers, and in the morning, all you have to do is grab and go.
  3. Choose one night a week to go to bed an hour earlier than your usual. Give yourself time and space to soak in the tub, read a book for pleasure, or catch up on those magazines that have been piling up next to your bed.
  4. Keep a journal and pen next to your bed to list at least five things you are grateful for each day.
  5. Choose another journal to start sharing your thoughts about the day so that you can unburden yourself before you try to sleep. You’d be amazed at what can happen when you spend even five- minutes doing a brain dump of things that are on your mind.  Getting it out of your head and onto the page may be all you need to let it go. Or, it may be what you need to free up space in your head to receive the solution to that nagging problem you have been wrestling with.

Photo credit:  Canva.com