a blog award!

Wow!!! I can hardly believe it. I got an award!!

Check out this post to read about it:

http://www.heatherhavenstories.com/heathers_blog_this_and_that

I am really shocked and flattered!!

Ants in the Bathroom

There are ants
in the bathroom
living off the toothpaste
Times are tough
for everyone

A day when no kid would be afraid

A few years ago, I had to use the bathroom while I was shopping for clothes at K-Mart. As I was washing my hands, two little girls came into the bathroom, close together and nervous. They looked at me, and I could see they were afraid!

Now, I'm not a very intimidating person most of the time. But I was an adult, and they were probably nine and seven, or thereabouts. (They looked like sisters.) It made me so sad that these two little African-American girls were afraid of me.

I left as quickly as I could so they wouldn't have to be afraid.

We teach kids to be careful of strangers, and what else can you do in this world? But I hate to see kids afraid....

I don't remember if I found any good clothes on that trip, but I do remember the looks on those little girls' faces. It makes me ache, those frightened children.

When I remember this, and it makes me sad. And I wish for a day no kid would have to be afraid.

Today I am reading Ray Bradbury...

...and remembering why I loved short stories in the first place, and why
I wanted to write them.

*happy sigh*

~A. M. Roelke~