Carthage TX

March 8, 2005
Today I visited the Bulldogs at Carthage Jr. High in Carthage TX. The kids there were so cool and had great questions about writing and poetry. I think this is because they had all read some of my poems before I got there and many had written their own poetry. Even though everybody (and I mean EVERYBODY) had to choose of one my poems and write an essay in response, they didn’t act mad at me for being the root cause of their homework hand cramps, for which I was VERY grateful. Mrs. Johnson took me to lunch at a homey little restaurant called the Texas Tea Room that had homecooked food. I think if I stayed in Carthage very long I would gain weight for sure.

Basically, I worry about gaining weight all the time. I don’t know if this is pressure from TV or magazines or just some sort of bad habit I picked up early in life and decided to drag into my adult life like I didn’t have enough other stuff to worry about. Please note, while this worry makes me do illogical things like wash brownies down with diet soda, it does not make me eat less. Go figure.

To one of the girls who came up to show me poems at the end of the writing workshop, you know who you are: Sweetie, you have been on my mind all day. Please, if there is anything else you want to discuss about your poem, write to me. Or if you don’t write to me, talk to some other grown up. Some worries are no joking matter and too big to drag around by yourself into adulthood.