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Articles
My Space (C) 2007
by Amber Leigh Williams
I have a problem with sharing.
Everyone I
have ever known can vouch for
this. When
I was thirteen, I had to share
a bed with
my nine-year-old sister when
we were living
in a rental house in Florida.
We both agree
it was the most challenging phase
of our
sisterhood. I have found it to
be much easier
to share a bed with my husband--and
our three
full-grown labs (thank you good,
sweet Lord
for the creation of the king-size
mattress).
We unfortunately have to share
a bathroom,
however. I say this is unfortunate
because
we are both mirror-hogs. We have
given up
trying to shower together to
save time: for
me, the water temperature must
be at least
scalding hot; for the freak I
fell in love
with, it must be ice cold. Early
in our relationship,
he bought a two-seater kayak
and we drove
each other crazy for hours negotiating-or,
more accurately, arguing-over
who should
be in charge of steering.
Fortunately, the freak-I call
him Jacob or
honey, depending on what I want-soon
discovered
after I moved in with him that
I would have
to have my own space to work.
He immediately
went to work carving out a section
of our
humble abode (where, alas, space
is limited)
just for me. This space has just
enough room
for my filing cabinet, a small
desk, a cushy,
rolling chair, and a large bookcase
my forever-helpful
honey built.
I share my space with a stackable
washer/dryer.
There is no door to separate
it from the
rest of the house so there is
no way to shut
out noise when we have visitors.
And visitors
are many when you live right
next door to
your in-laws and your spouse
is the second
youngest of six-my God, the nieces
and nephews
are endless! Thankfully, all
I have to do
to tune out the noise is fire
up the washer/dryer
and pretend to ignore everyone.
As an added
bonus, I get the laundry done
while I'm at
it! It just never gets folded
and put away
where it belongs.
In my space, I have created my
own little
personal world. My collection
of Nora Roberts
and Nicholas Sparks books is
close by if
I need a distraction. In my space,
John Mayer
is always there in my Windows
Media Player
when I need him to serenade me.
In my space,
there is a window that overlooks
a flowerbed
where my four rose bushes grow-in
spring
and summer months, my honey brings
me blooms
so the fragrance is always there
for me to
enjoy. In my space, motivational
quotes and
pictures of loved ones surround
me.
In my space, there is a printer
that has
become the bane of my existence.
In my space,
a feud breaks out between me
and technology
whenever this particular piece
of machinery
decides to have an attitude.
In my space,
I spend hours spilling my imagination
into
the pages of Microsoft Word documents.
In
my space, I worship the small
area of my
desk where my laptop computer
hums productively
every day, rain or shine, ready
to work.
I feel I must tell you about
this personal,
miniscule corner of the world
because, if
not for my honey's reverential
foresight
in making it for me, I think
I would have
mentally cracked by now. I have
nothing against
the man I call my husband or
the family members
that continuously march in and
out of our
home as they please. But I must
cite the
great Ms. Roberts to help me
explain: "Writers,
at least this writer, can be
moody, self-absorbed,
absentminded, and inexplicably
cranky."
There are times I must be separated
from
the people I love not just for
the sake of
my own sanity but for their personal
safety
as well. Without this tiny space
for me to
go to be these ugly things-and,
yes, sometimes
it does get ugly-I would have
become the
fanatical lunatic I fear everyone
already
thinks I am.
Thus, I-and, for all the doubtful
spouses
out there, my husband-highly
recommend a
personal space-even a wee one-for
every writer
to go for those times we feel
we must simply
get away.
My space is the greatest gift
my beloved
has ever given me.
Amber Leigh Williams lives in Magnolia Springs,
Alabama with her husband, Jacob, and their
three rowdy Labradors, Jerry Lee, Duke, and
Sassy. Her first published novel, Fox &
Hound, will be coming soon from Red Rose
Publishing! If you enjoy suspenseful capers
involving jewel thieves, retribution, and—of
course—love, this book is for you. Please
visit Amber at www.amberleighwilliams.com
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