Saturday, April 30, 2011

Saturday Centus - Happy Anniversary, Man!

Jenny Matlock
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

This is week fifty-two of Saturday Centus.

That's just crazy, isn't it?

In honor of the date, I thought I'd tell you the story of where my idea for this meme came from.

Okay?

I hope you said 'YES', but I'm going to tell you anyway, regardless of your answer.

So there!

So...

It was a dark and stormy night...

Okay, it really wasn't.

But it was a sad morning.

About a year after one of my dear friends had passed away, I was talking to her daughter on the phone...a sweet, broken-hearted woman, who had previously found comfort in her life through her wonderful writing skills.

The daughter's sorrow was profound, and I had been encouraging her to start writing again as a means of expressing her emotions. When I asked her if putting her feelings on paper helped, in a very small voice she had told me, "I don't know. I can't. I just can't write anymore. I open a notebook and the whole page just stares back at me. I am frozen by the emptiness of the paper."

The next day I bought a pretty notebook and wrote a prompt on the top of 52 pages. Silly prompts. Serious prompts. Crazy prompts.

And I wrapped the notebook up and sent it to her.

After I mailed it, I realized that I would like to have a notebook like that, too. I would like to have a starting point for those days when words were difficult to transfer from brain to paper...a way to stretch myself in writing with different prompts and writing styles.

And I decided to try the concept on my blog. In this meme.

Cuz, yeah, it's always cool to go totally public with an idea you're not totally sure will work at all.

Sigh...

I was pretty sure that it was a dumb idea. That no-one would like to do it. And I would end up looking like a moron.

But!

You liked it! And you participated!

And every single week I would come out here and laugh or cry, be astonished or amazed and always feel like I had just opened the most amazing gifts. Because you all just dived in with no looking back and no complaining (okay, that's a total lie, but I'm trying to be nice here!)

And for some cheesy reason, it almost makes me cry. It's hard to believe it's been a year. I am honored to have gotten to know so many of you so well through the tremendous word crafting you share every week.

Thank you.

Thank you for not making me do this alone. Thank you for liking it! Thank you for participating.

And...

Happy Anniversary, Man!

Let me raise a glass to each one of you!



And here's this weeks prompt.

"Although the traditional gift for a first anniversary is paper..."

And as a special gift to you...not only do you get your usual 100 words...YOU CAN ALSO USE A PICTURE THIS WEEK IF YOU WANT!

I'm not kidding! Woo hoo! Let the partying begin!

And the rest of the blah, blah, in case you've forgotten is:

Please display link button or just a hyper-link back to Saturday Centus. Be careful to link your SC URL to the Linky and not just link to your main blog. Keep your post PG AND no more than 100 words.

Feel free to link up anytime between now and next Saturday!

post signature

28 comments:

Donnie said...

That is so sad and sweet. You are a wonderful friend to all of us.

Bookie said...

What a wonderful story! I had no idea how it began, but it has been something to look forward to for me! This morning I am off to help at a garage sale and tomorrow a road trip to see the newest baby so I am falling behind on writing anything. But I will get back.....

Terra said...

What a neat story Jenny, I am so glad you shared that with us! I love the idea too, I think I might steal it for a little someone I know! Hell you could market it!

As for todays Centus...I am not sure yet if I will play along - been so crazy around here I actually think I need to focus on real life today...

If something pops into my head as I work I will post!!

egbkid said...

What a neat idea! Happy anniversary! I love writing, let me think a bit and i might have to join you in writing!

Nellie's Cozy Place said...

Morning Jenny,
Happy Anniversary on your blog Meme.
It was truly a great idea, and I just recommended you to a friend of mine who we just set up a blog for a week or so ago, and she is frozen and doesn't quite know how to get
started, so I recommended she read your blog for a bit and she is she gets some ideas from your prompts.
That was a precious gift that you gave to your friends daughter, and I bet it helped a lot too.
Very creative and thoughtful gift.
Yes, I think having prompts would
help a lot of folks.
Blessings to you and may be have years and years of Meme's to prompt hon! Nellie

Nonna said...

What a bittersweet story !

You are a wonderful, creative friend and I am so happy I found you and all the other writers. Writing every week has been amazing for me. My long dormant creative talents/life has come alive again...Thank you Jenny !

Dazee Dreamer said...

What a great way to start a meme. I've tried, but mine do make me look like a dork.

Thanks for the opportunity to try my hand at writing. I'm loving it.

anitamombanita said...

OK, confession time. First off, thanks for your Saturday Centus. It's very cool. Second, the confession. I'm a photographer, not so much a writer. But I saw that my good friend Sue (http://grannysuesnews.blogspot.com/)was an SC participant and I needed a little inspiration for my Saturday shoots, so I decided to follow along in my own way. It's not always (OK, rarely) following your "rules" but it's been very fun and good for the creative juices. Hope you don't mind. I guess meme is the newest best form of flattery, no? Happy Anniversary.

Susan Anderson said...

You gave the perfect kind of gift to your friend. I love what you've done...for her and for us.

Hugs.

=)

Lynn said...

What a great gift, your your friend and us:@)

Viki said...

What a very interesting idea you came up with. Very meaningful to her I bet.

RNSANE said...

I have yet to write anything for Saturday Centus. It's about all I can do to keep up with my A, B, C's. I shall try some day.

Judie said...

Dear Jenny,

Thanks to you, we have become more creative. Thanks to you, we have made more friends. Thanks to you, we study more intently. Thanks to you, spell-check has more meaning.

Thanks to you, Jenny, for being an inspiration to us all.

xoxo,

J.

Ames said...

Yeh! What she said!!!

Really though, Jenny this is most fun I have had in years. What a wonderful thing you did for your grieving friend and for us too!

Happy SC bloggyversary!~Ames

Cheryl said...

I've been struggling to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard with so much sadness around me.

I'll give this one a go because, well, this brought a happy smile to my parts of my face. I'd like that to reach my eyes and brain too.

Thanks for sharing this story of how a bit of giving back can be so incredibly helpful in tough times.

Ms. A said...

Happy 1st birthday to your Saturday Centus!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Cheers to you, Miss Matlock! Congratulations on a year of wonderful instruction with this feisty bunch.
xoRobyn

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

Your creativity and talent are only exceeded by your love and care. (Geez, I'd need to buy a boatload of blocks to recreate that statement....huh! my new challenge.)

There is no one else even remotely like you, Matlock. Simply put, you boggle the mind. xo

21 Wits said...

Congrats on your first year with SS, and the goodness that arrived through a sad and difficult period, but I'm happy you created this and that I have met such wonderful and creative bloggers through your special 1 year old Saurday Centus! Hooray for Jenny and her great and powerful, and thoughtful idea!

Patti said...

I just discovered your blog and this meme. What a fun concept. I will definitely be playing along.

I do hope that the special gift you gave your friend's daughter was a healing balm to her as she grieved her mom.

Blessings,
Patti

noexcuses said...

I love the story behind Saturday Centus! What a wonderful gift to give someone! Congrats on your first anniversary!

Thank you for all of your lessons. You continue to inspire and encourage those of us who dream about writing!

Unknown said...

It's a great idea & I'm glad you shared it and even more glad I came upon it!

Tgoette said...

Happy Birthday Saturday Centus! And thank you Jenny for challenging us each week like you do and helping us to familiarize ourselves with the writer who lives within all of us.

Even if he is a bit strange at times.

Lets raise our glasses of wine and toast to our beloved teacher Jenny and her wonderful meme!

Cheers!

Bonnie said...

Happy Anniversary Jenny!

I've been feeling the way your friend felt. Not really inspired to write! I should take advantage of your Saturday Centus!

Leovi said...

Siento haberle molestado con mi participación en su blog literário. Lo he hecho porque en otros blog literarios me han invitado a participar. Mil perdones, no volveré a molestar. Retire mi link si lo cree necesario.

Leovi said...

Feel bothered Haberle Your participation in my literary blog. What BECAUSE Literary done in other blog I've been invited a part. A thousand pardons, I will not a bother. I withdraw my link if deemed necessary here.

Anonymous said...

This is my first day here. What a lovely story. I think I will love my stay here.

Jayne Martin said...

Congratulations, Jenny. First of all, what a thoughtful thing to do for your friend's daughter. I'm sure it meant a lot to her. I've read several of your prompt-inspired posts at other blogs and one of these days I plan to actually try writing one myself.