Wednesday's Words on a Friday

The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.

If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along and read it.

This month the words are supplied by messymimi and can be found here.

This week's words are:

1. introduce
2. bawdy
3. insidious
4. outgoing
5. laborer
6. polite

and/or:

1. hall
2. conscious
3. ad hoc
4. sign
5. yarn
6. share

here is my story:

"I think it's very brave of you to make such an enormous change," said Joyce. "To introduce so much colour and texture."

"It's something I've been needing," said Marian. "I used to be such an outgoing person, but after marrying Doug I changed and didn't even notice it. His influence was so insidious, I was never conscious of the little things I changed in myself to accommodate his needs. Being polite, never meeting up with the girls for a bawdy night out sharing yarns of what went on at work and so on. There was no sign at all, until he died and I noticed everything. That elite circle we were living in, not one of them has been to visit since the funeral. Now that I'm a widow, I guess I'm one of the riff-raff again, just because I didn't have money when Doug married me. It doesn't make a bit of difference to them that I now have everything he left to me. I don't count, simply because I didn't 'come from money.'

"Well, I think you're a great person, just as you've always been and changing the look of this house now is a great idea. Pooh-Pooh to their bland ideas, their dull rooms with dull furniture, the beige everything, the whiter than white kitchens that never get cooked in. I love your new living room theme, the soft sage green walls, the rose coloured couch. What will you do in the entrance hall?"

"I'll hire a laborer to remove that ridiculous over-sized chandelier to start with," said Marian. "Then I'm not sure. Maybe some antique wall sconces to throw softer light and a few indoor ferns or something for greenery, definitely a chair to sit and take off my shoes the minute I get in, that's for sure."

Joyce grinned at that and said, "I know all about that. The first thing I do is kick off the shoes too and Barry does exactly the same when he gets in from work. I think it's far more normal than always being so perfect and so stiffly mannered all the time." 

"That was the worst," said Marian. "Never being able to laugh out loud at a joke or even tell a joke, making sure every dress I owned was wrinkle free and never wearing the same outfit twice in a season. Blah to all of that. I'm being me again."

"Good on you," said Joyce. 

"And I'm bringing the kids home from boarding school too," said Marian. "They're babies still. Five and six is too young to be away from me for weeks at a time. I never should have allowed that, just to please all of that crowd."

Comments

  1. Replies
    1. Grace; she needs to be her happy self again.

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  2. Vell written story. I feel sorry for her old me. I hope she won't overdo it and later regret.

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    1. Uglemor; she won't overdo it, he knows what she is doing.

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  3. Hooray for Marian reclaiming her self.
    Yesterday on the crisis line I listened to a story very similar to hers, and my heart ached.

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    Replies
    1. Elephant's Child; I'm sure there are many similar stories.

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  4. This is so weird, a woman in my daughter's circle is living this story, tho she is older, her dead husband would abuse her and in the past week she has blossomed and can't keep the smile off her face as she shares some exotic cooking, etc. Well done EC!

    XO
    WWW

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    1. Wisewebwoman; another coincidence. Marian's husband wasn't abusive though, just climbing the corporate ladder into high society and she lost 'herself' trying to be like the other wives.

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  5. Bravo for a great story and such a thought provoking story. At first I was very sad because Marian had lost herself in the course of her marriage. This rings true for too many women. We give to everyone else and there's usually nothing left to give to ourselves. I'm so glad Marian had the strength to find herself again and "to thine ownself be true." Hip! Hip! Horray!

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    Replies
    1. Mildred Ratched; welcome back and thank you. I almost lost myself walking on eggshells to keep my husband stable with all his mental health problems, but I eventually made him leave.

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  6. I feel for Marian - feel she is now acknowledging who she is not who her late husband wanted her to be.
    I've also met a couple of widows who decided to 'reclaim their lives' - unfortunately one was never really happy/comfortable with her decision constantly saying "I don't know what Jim would make of all this".
    You can find my WFW on my blog
    HERE

















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    Replies
    1. Cathy; I was much happier once I'd separated from my husband, he didn't die, I made him leave. His anxiety and depression along with paranoia and alcoholism was really getting me down and I was hiding my true self. I'll be over to read your story in just a minute.

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  7. Good for Marian! We all give up or change some things to be married, but we shouldn't have to give up everything or so much for so long.

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    1. messymimi; I'm glad she sees how much she changed and is now reclaiming herself. That high society life isn't for her.

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  8. Good story, River.

    My two roomies rules the roost here, too. Not letting me go out and play with my friends...dictating what I wear. Dictating what I should eat...so they can share in it!!!

    Cuddles to the lovely Lady Lola. :)

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    Replies
    1. Lee; thank you. I'm sure your two roomies don't cause you to hide your true self though.

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  9. Yes! Get those babies home from boarding school, and let them romp around the rose-colored couch barefoot, in the soft light of the sage green living room. You are great at painting a word picture.

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    Replies
    1. Val; definitely getting the babies home from boarding school and give them a normal home raising. Who cares what the high society mothers might think? Marian and the kids will be happier.

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  10. At first I felt badly for her but then I thought the false friends were gone but the one that counts, Joyce was actively in her corner and I'm sure when she gets her children back, she won't even miss Doug, his life style but may regret the time she wasted with him.

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    1. Arkansas Patti; Joyce is one of Marian's friends that doesn't belong to the elite crowd, she's a more 'normal' person. I think Marian will miss Doug, but not the life style.

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  11. Good activity; I am going to join you if I find some time. Thanks...

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  12. Good job with the WFW. Hooray for Marian.

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  13. Well done. I so admire your ability to write dialogue! It is always natural and so readable.

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  14. jenny_o; I say it in my head then write it, I'm happy it comes across as natural.

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  15. Great story. Unfortunately, lots of women really do give up themselves to please the men they marry. In Marian's case, her husband may have died, and she'll surely miss him, but in the process, the real her was born again. It's impossible to maintain a false front for the sake of other people over the long term, so she (and certainly her children) will be much better off. Not that those high-society folks would agree... but I'm not much for high society. :)

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  16. Good story EC. Enjoyed as always.

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