I started acupuncture last week in an attempt to look after my physical self. Several events kicked if off. A very good friend of mine had some last year for a physical illness and there had been a positive impact on both his physical and emotional state. My knee is still causing me problems after two, what at a stretch could be called, running sessions. I am becoming quite wary of the onset of my menopause and listening to possible medication options being offered by the medical profession. Finally, I tried to get my husband to have some earlier in the year and history has shown me that what I propose for him is probably my own needs. All this combined with rising anxiety levels, lack of sleep filled nights, a need for my writing to flow again and apprehension of dealing with some life stuff, set me thinking about it. So I did what any good recovering addict should do and took action. I also booked some time in with my sponsor to make some progress on my Step 8 so that I didn't think I could shirk the emotional work. It was an amazing experience, we spent a lot of time taking my medical and emotional history which always feels indulgent and then set about with some initial treatment. Apparently, one of the common problems for people with my condition is that heat becomes trapped in parts of the body so the first job was to dissipate this with several needles inserted along my spine. What happens is that the needle taps into the heat and allows it to disperse, what you see is a red circle forming in the skin around the needle which then disappears as the heat goes. Some occur very quickly and some take a bit more time, took about 30/40 minutes for all of mine to go. Following some pulse checking I then had a couple of needles briefly inserted into my hands before I was all done for session one. The effect has been quite interesting. I did feel different straightaway, calmer more together. However, I have also had three sleepless nights which have pushed me into decaf coffee, and while slight improvements have been made I'm still very tired. Session two tomorrow, so will let you know more then. Very aware this is exercise week so I better get on.....
Exercise 15 - write a section in which you describe what your character looks like. Aim for two things: economy and detail. Not a police photofit, concentrate on the small telling things that make a character live for the reader.
Choices, choices. Frankie or Mac? Mac or Frankie? Now or then? Given that I've probably described Frankie a couple of times, now and then. I'll write about Mac in the present, having aged since we first met him. This is going to be a bit of a challenge because Mac is based on several people and I really need to decide what he's going to look like.
Mac had aged well and comfortably. His thick dark hair had developed several grey strands, which added an air of dignity to his easy going manner. He had that way of looking at you as if you were the only person in the room, his green-grey eyes welcoming you into his world. The receptionists at the surgery were constantly apologising for his timekeeping, as almost all of his patients' owners shared more than their concerns of their pets with him, leaving appointment schedules to go awry. But for all his easy going outlook, he kept himself to himself with most of his colleagues knowing little of his family life. He valued privacy and self reliance, that should he have any troubles, they were his to know about, his to own and his to resolve. And without knowing it, this was probably what had aged him most, for this he kept to himself, and who knows, if hadn't, perhaps life would have taken a different turn and there would be no story to tell.
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