Sunday, August 28, 2016

There already *IS* a Joey, Kap....

Colin Kaepernick gave a statement today, regarding his refusal to stand for the National Anthem.  As I read it aloud to my hubby, I thought to myself "WHY does this statement feel so familiar?!".  Then I realized, Kap's channeling his inner Joey.  Sorry, buddy, you're no Baby Kangaroo Tribbiani.



You don't *have* to love America....

A bit of bio: My husband, that sexy, mohawked, tatooed beast, is a USAF vet.  This colors my opinion of the situation, only slightly, as this would have enraged me before I was married to him.

Dear Colin Kaepernick:  ESPN called me yesterday to tell me about your decision to sit throughout the playing of the National Anthem before the San Francisco game.  This is your right.  My husband fought for your right to behave in such a fashion.  You don't have to love America.  However, the notion that you are being paid an alarming (conservative) estimate of $113 million dollars in a contract to play an American game and you don't love your nation, makes you a dick.  Feel free to give that money back (although, $61 million of it is guaranteed to you, God Bless America) or play for "free" and give that money to veterans' charities.  I understand your right to protest.  I, personally, will be writing letters to the NFL and to the 49'ers Front Office and to every.single.endorsement.source I can find until you are humiliated for being such a hypocritical piece of shit.  I have little patience for people who have made a great life for themselves off the backs of the past times of the American people and then disrespect this nation.  Every fan who has bought one of your jerseys or paid for a seat in the 49'ers stadium has helped make you who you are.  That includes the veterans who fought for your right to sit down, as a show of disrespect, for this nation.  My apologies, Mr. Kaepernick, we didn't realize you didn't want to go to college for free and make a living here.  Feel free to find a nation more suitable to your needs (though I would advise against any of those "great nations" where you are forbidden from protesting your government).  As one would expect your conscience to dictate here, that 61 million dollars will do a lot of good for charities and helping the poor people of your community.

With my sincerest apologies for all your "discomfort",
Eri

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried"

This will be my third work-through this book.  Each time I find some new passage, some new idea, something they carried, that struck me.  Today, it's the passage (P.S. I obviously don't own this, but I also don't have time, atm, to look up how to properly cite this).

The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien - page 21:

" They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die.  Grief, terror, love, longing --these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight.  They carried shameful memories.  They carried the common secret of cowardice barely restrained, the instinct to run or freeze or hide, and in many respects this was the heaviest burden of all, for it could never be put down, it required perfect balance and perfect posture.  They carried their reputations.  They carried the soldier's greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing.  Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to."

This is an amazing book, truly what will someday be (if it is not already, I don't always dwell in the most popular of literary circles) a classic for all the ages because, war as we all know, is timeless.  When I think about the things that I would carry to war, my heart almost trembles.  And that's why I've decided to write it....

To Be Continued.....

"Red"

I have a few current reading/writing obsessions.  I remain Poe-sessed and my fondness for Fitzgerald has never waned.  But, thanks to the joy of the intrawebz, you can now find little gems like 6 word stories (try it!) or even bits of prose where the author* is describing the color without naming the color.  I use these two trends as writing prompts daily.  Feel free, as always, to leave your own versions in the commentary (do NOT, however, feel free to steal my own work and pass it as your own...I will find you).  So, today, because I'm watching Red Sox baseball (DAMMIT.SOX.) and because it's been a whammer-jammer of a weekend, I present you with:  "Red".


"Red" Erica S. Rhodes (C)(2016)
It's the color of her favorite flower, petal after petal where she would whisper, “he loves me”, “he loves me not”. It was the color of the little drop of blood that would drop down if she snagged her finger on the flower's thorn. It was the color of the hearts she drew with their initials inside. It was the color of the lipstick she wore on their first date, turned to a softer pink when it smudged across his own lips. It was the color of the single flower he would bring to every date, her favorite flower, he always was a great listener. It was the color of passion, the color of her long feminine nails as she did decidedly unfeminine things. It was the color of the Ruby baubles he would buy to placate her, to distract her, perhaps to woo her. It was the blush to her cheeks when she realized she wasn't the only one. It was the color that darkened her soft grey eyes as she screamed and cried and lashed out. It was the color of the pills she took to stay in Wonderland and the color of the wine she chased it with. It was the color that dripped from her wrists and stained her bathwater, when Wonderland disappeared. It was the color that dripped across her skin. It was the color that was written on the white tile beside her body, “I loved you”.  ESR-8/21/


*Why yes, yes I am a published author now.  Thank you so much for noticing.  Those interested can read the response piece (To Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour)here (beginning around page 121, make sure you scroll to the end to read my bio):  The Leather Bound Journal!  My next three (!!!!) pieces will be available in the same creative magazine in the Spring of 2017.  Until then,  you may see me out and about the local NE writer's scene <3

Welcome!

Hello, and Welcome!  If you've come over from The Sistahood of the Travelling Chucks, then you know me.  At least a little.  Over there I blog about things that matter, namely, mental illness, parenting, family life, etc.  This is going to be a bit different.  Here, I'm going to unleash "Full-Eri".  You'll be "treated" to politics, personal stuff and namely, my own personal writing (all of which is under the sole ownership and copyright (2016) of Erica Rhodes).  I guess some ground rules may be in order:
1).  I swear, frequently.  It's been joked I use the "F" word like punctuation.  If this is somehow offensive to you, please don't bother me with a list of reasons why.  Just move it along, now.
2)  There will be a fair amount of politics here.  You are more than welcome to engage me in intelligent, reasonable debate.  The chances are good you're not going to change my mind (I was a liberal, long before I was the Evil Right Wing Nut Job we all know and love) and I assume I'm not changing yours.  I'll put up with a lot of your b.s. before I get itchy on that block button.  I will not, however, tolerate the belittling of any of my friends, family or readers.
3)  Oh right, and the stalking thing....That's so 2 years ago.  If I've put it out here for y'all to read, am I really hiding something?  Do not feel it necessary to attempt to frighten me or to threaten me.  For that I will block you fast enough your mf'ing head will spin.  Threaten my family?  Well, we'll just say you should assume I'm always armed.
4)  I'm relatively macabre and drawn to the morbid side of life.  I also suffer from mild depression, anxiety and PTSD.  None of these things makes me any less human or puts me or my family in any danger.  On the contrary, I have such a Class A team of head-people keeping my sanity in check, I wish I could send them 'round the world to fix it.
5).  If I find out you've stolen the work off this site without proper credit....Well see above about me always being armed.  My writing is my lifeblood, my connection to the world and it gives me a deeper and more personal connection to the citizens of Earth.  Don't.make.me.

So, sit down, let's talk.  Or you can read and go "omg, she is SO smart (as well as purty!)" or you can sit and think, "wow, I have never read such rubbish in my life".  The site will stay under construction for a bit, but start looking for regular posts.  Some may be controversial, some may be mundane, but hopefully, they'll all inspire conversation!

--Eri--