You Win Some, You Tattoo Some

Vitality Stories

You Win Some, You Tattoo Some

And the winner is…

Two weeks ago, I shared my perspective on tattoos and how I was having a tattoo drawn for a character, WJ Sloan, in Tiger Drive. Like many tattoos are intended to be, the tattoo has special meaning to the character and having it extracted from my imagination and put on paper (or in this case, digital format) has made me appreciate this complex character even more, and as someone who has no plans to ever get a tattoo, I now also appreciate the work that goes into a tattoo. Continue reading

Tattoos and Tiger Drive

Vitality Stories

Missy Wilkinson

Author Missy Wilkinson by Missy Wilkinson

Tattoos and Tiger Drive

Do you tattoo?

Tiger Drive is written from the point of view of four characters, and the most challenging (and foul-mouthed) character is WJ Sloan. In 2011 when I first started writing WJ’s scenes, I’d make myself blush and cringe, often chastising myself, “You can’t write that! He can’t do that! What’s wrong with you–he can’t say that!” And yet he did, and I did. Again and again.

In fact, when Deborah Halverson, DearEditor.com, read one of my earlier versions, she came back to me and said something like, Continue reading

Dear Me by Lisa Manterfield

Vitality Stories


Dear Me by Lisa Manterfield Teri Case Vitality Stories Dear Me


Dear Me,

We need to talk about love. No one explains the full deal, and even if they did, you wouldn’t listen. The thing is, falling in love is like finding your dream car. The salesperson shows you the sleek new paint, the electric everything, the heated seats. Oh, those heated seats. They’re enough to make you sign on the dotted line right there and then. But you are a smart woman, a savvy shopper, and you’ve jumpstarted enough broken-down junkers to know a thing or two about love. So, you check under the hood. You take a few test drives. You look at the sticker price. And you decide: This one is a good deal.

But then come the extras. The hidden costs, the upgrades, the insurance, the maintenance. Because love needs more than a 3,000-mile oil change. The tires of love wear dangerously smooth. There are blowouts and dead batteries. There are flashing red check engine lights that won’t go off, even though from the outside everything looks fine. Love comes with personality quirks and in-laws, with unexpected health issues and financial snafus. Love ages and has changes of heart. It has bad days and good days, and then bad days all in a row. Love comes with death and fights and compromises you swore you’d never make. It comes with big dreams and giant rocks of reality. Love snores and has nightmares. It leaves dirty dishes under the couch. At 3 a.m., love pokes you in the ribs and says, “I can’t sleep. Are you awake?”

But don’t be put off. Because even when the paint has faded, the electric window sticks, and the wipers have more gap than blade, you can still count on love. And some days you find a gap in traffic and pull out onto the open highway. Then you and love roar down the road with the sunroof open, the A/C cranked, and the heated seats warming your skin. And with love still laughing beside you, it’s all worth it.

With love,

You


Lisa ManterfieldLisa Manterfield is the award-winning author of A Strange Companion, The Smallest Thing and I’m Taking My Eggs and Going Home: How One Woman Dared to Say No to Motherhood. Her work has appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, Los Angeles Times, and Psychology Today. Originally from northern England, she now lives in Southern California with her husband and over-indulged cat. Learn more at LisaManterfield.com.


Dear Friend,

How is it that I know so little about cars and yet I understand exactly what Lisa is advising her younger self about love? Because she’s right. I wish I could transport her letter — right now — to Me@15, just before I made the mistake of reading my first Harlequin Romance: Obsession by Charlotte Lamb. One hundred and ninety-two pages later, my naive heart thought 1) only love at first sight is true love; 2) the more jealous the man, the more he loves you; 3) sex = love; 4) saving my virginity was a must; 5) Never, ever wear makeup because being natural is most appealing; and 6) love is always exciting.

I know, it’s funny, but I seriously saved myself (no pun intended) for an idea, the wrong idea, and I would make a few unfavorable choices about relationships to boot. Fortunately, I’m much smarter now, and I have “true” love in all of its perfect imperfection.

And instead of reading Harlequins, I now read books that give me goosebumps for a different reason. I just finished reading Lisa’s A Strange Companion. Have you ever loved someone so much you are afraid to grieve the loss of him because the pain seems larger than life? Kat has, and when Kat least expects it, and when she is willing to take a chance and fall in love once again, her first love comes back to her, but not in the way you might think.

Have you ever read a book where days, or weeks, later, you can’t stop thinking about the characters, or something you see reminds you of the book? This is happening to me with Lisa’s book. Anytime I see a child or tomcat — which happens often — I’m going to be thinking of A Strange Companion.

Lisa Manterfield A Strange CompanionI am grateful to Lisa for writing her Dear Me letter and her wonderful novel. I’ve learned from both. If you read her book, let me know what you think. Hm…maybe I should start an online book club. And of course, let me (us) know what thoughts her Dear Me letter triggers.

If you have a letter you’d like to write your younger self, and in turn, possibly reach one person who it might help, please let me know.

As always, thanks for being you.

Teri

Previous Dear Me letters:
Dear Me by Bobbi Mason
Dear Me by Mary Jo Hazard
Dear Boobies by Teri Case

Click here to subscribe


Teri Case Vitality Stories

Click here to subscribe or Contact Me

#VitalityStories

Please share this newsletter, your thoughts, and even your vitality story or life lesson on social media using #VitalityStories #215weeks #DearMe

Dear Me by Mary Jo Hazard

Vitality Stories

Dear Me by Mary Jo Hazard Vitality Stories


Dear Me,

If I could have whispered in your ear way back when you were around twelve years old, I’d tell you that you’re perfect just the way you are.

Oh sure, you’re going to learn many things over your lifetime — you’re a work in progress, but you don’t need to be perfect. You don’t have to have the perfect report card, the perfect hairstyle, the perfect figure, or the perfect answer for everyone in every situation. It’s okay to mess up; it’s okay to say “I don’t know.” It’s even okay to say “I made a mistake.” Continue reading

I’m Opening A Gate

Vitality Stories

Teri Case Vitality Stories

I’m Opening A Gate

A journey awaits

Dan Blank’s Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience was released on Tuesday. I’ve had the honor of being a part of Dan’s launch team and have read a few drafts of this book. My one-word review: Amazing.

Book Description:
Many people feel the drive to do creative work, but get overwhelmed by the process of connecting with an audience. They follow “best practices” in marketing that never seem to pan out, don’t produce results, and make them feel lost and oftentimes, frustrated. Be the Gateway offers a powerful way to have an impact.

If you want to share your voice and inspire people with your writing, art, craft, or creative idea, you have to be the gateway for them. Instead of throwing “products” out into the marketplace, you open them up to a new way of looking at the world, of knowing themselves, and connecting with others. You unlock new experiences for them — not just through what you create, but through the unique way in which you share it with the world.

Too often we think about the creative process as being separate from the marketing process. Instead, view them as the same. Replace the inclination to “promote” with the desire to share and engage. How and why you create is a story — and is the best asset you can use to truly engage people. Be the Gateway shows you how to use that gift with joy and confidence.

I’m a Dan Fan. I met Dan in his online course, “Get Read,” in October 2014 and it’s entirely his fault, I mean his credit, that I started a website. I was so hesitant to start a website. What would I write about? Who cares what I have to say? I would feel so exposed. Dan gave me this advice, Continue reading

Dear Me@25, From You@45

Vitality Stories

Dear Me Teri Case Vitality Stories

I first wrote the following letter as a guest blog for a website that is no longer active. I’m going to be resurrecting my Dear Me series. Contact me if you’d like to write a letter to your younger self.  Serious or light, most lessons are welcome 🙂 Enjoy!

 

Dear Boobies, Continue reading

Are you listening to me?

Vitality Stories

dosomething.org teri case vitality stories

Are You Listening To Me?

Are you a Knower or a Listener?

Several years ago I was having a water cooler discussion with a man at work. He said, “I’m trying to become a listener.”

I asked, “You mean a better listener?”

“No, a Listener,” he said.

He then explained Continue reading

An Influential Journey

Vitality Stories

carlen-madduxAuthor Carlen Maddux

An Influential Journey

 

A Path Revealed

During my drive across the country, I read an advance reader’s copy of Carlen Maddux’s A Path Revealed: How Hope, Love and Joy Found Us Deep in a Maze Called Alzheimer’s.

Carlen’s wife, Martha, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease when she was only fifty years old. Fifty years old! I’m 45, almost 46, and I always thought Alzheimer’s was for the elderly, not someone turning fifty. Continue reading

It helps to have a sense of humor

Vitality Stories

Teri Case Vitality Stories

It Helps To Have A Sense Of Humor

Laughter is the best policy

I’ve learned a few things about moving over the past four years. I know that anything can get lost during a move, even a four-piece gigantic sectional sofa, and I can tell you the worst part of moving isn’t packing and unpacking, it’s going to the DMV and getting a new driver’s license and vehicle registration. Continue reading