Alternate Realities 1
We all form our own ideas of the world, and those ideas inevitably form our creative endeavors -- our writing. And every so often a little shake up of the brain box is good.The trip, for instance -- different landscapes, for sure. Huge distances before the horizon (which I like and having travelled in the west a lot, am used to. Get out of Denver a few miles and you have those distances). There was a lot of cactus, and that I'm not used to. A different landscape will definitely slant anyone's life and story (we'll talk about landscape as character someday).
A different way of thinking -- I'm used to upscale yuppy restaurants where if I ask for tea, I usually get a little basket of Celestial Seasonings (they're local) herbal teas. I like the caffinated stuff (and we won't go into hotel tea, conference tea -- which is worse than conference chicken -- or the general abuse of tea drinkers in this country). So when I'm out in Denver, I usually say I'd like some "hot black tea." Then I usually get at least a Lipton, Farmers Brothers, Earl Gray or Celestial Seasonings English Breakfast tea. Earl Gray has bergemot and Constant Comment has clove in the tea, but if I'm desperate....
Well, a few miles outside Pueblo, we stopped at this place Mom knows. I asked for hot black tea. The waitress came back, confused. They didn't have "black tea." I said just to bring me tea. I got Lipton's, all was ok. One morning at a McDonalds (Mom is comforted that their coffee is the same everywhere), I asked for a medium tea and the server immediately went for iced. Didn't know where the hot tea bags were. Didn't know the price of hot tea... So, yes, these showed me a different way of thinking where "tea" meant only one thing to each of these servers, and you wouldn't get a Tall, Light, Mocha, Latte either.
Then there was the rhythm of life at the horse ranch. No worry about excercise, of course. Hearty meals because physical work demands lots of calories. The day revolved around the horses -- the feeding of them, caring for them, and that was a good change of reality, too. BTW, I'll be taking the disposable cameras in today to get the film developed, then you will see photos of horses.
And, like I've said before, just taking your laptop and writing somewhere new can change attitude and outlook.
May your writing take a fresh slant today.
Robin
posted by FantasyAuthor RobinDOwens | 5:24 AM
3 Comments:
Ah, Robin, I feel your pain. I was always a mild tea drinker, but my months in Australia and New Zealand turned me into an addict. There, they treat tea drinkers right. If you want tea, they pour you a cup from a freshly-brewed teapot. And if you want more, they refill your cup from the teapot, just as they do with coffee drinkers here.
Australians dirnk coffee as much as tea, but they aren't liek the US where it's all coffee, all the time, but Kiwis are more tea-ish.
Coming back to the US after getting used to that was a shock.
Ah, those were the good old days.
I reside in the northern Appalachians running through eastern Ohio. If you ask for tea, you get whatever generic brand the restaurant has.
I like green tea hot or cold.
And I'm an avid coffee drinker.
Well, I didn't mean to go off on tea, and I still haven't said nothin' about conference tea, but will save that for another day. Tea while travelling in England is a wonderful adventure if you ask for the house brand.
Robin
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