WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING YOU KNOW: THE IMPORTANCE OF A MOMENT
IN TIME
By Romance Novelist Anna Patterson
It is kind of funny in a philosophical way that someone
outside tonight is shooting a few firecrackers off. They are days ahead of the
July 4 Celebrations but firework stands can sale these a few days ahead. Also,
it is against the law to shoot them in the city limits, but obviously, it
happens.
Tonight, I just can’t get something off of my mind, so I
decided instead to get something off of my chest as we say in slang language.
Years ago, I got a chance to join what was called “a Think
Tank”, we talked about problems we felt might be resolved to the benefit of
many people. I got to choose between being on one of two committees, and I
chose to be on the committee trying to begin a community dental clinic for
anyone who needed this. The other committee was one which would try to alleviate
homelessness. I didn’t know anything about this second one, and felt the dental
clinic was probably the most pressing need.
I am not going to even try to determine how many years ago
that experience was.
I do know that when I got the chance to write a fan short
novel with the G. I. Joe character something made me want to make my own G. I.
Joe a soldier who had wrestled with homelessness. He also had been a combat
soldier.
I saw a story or two about soldiers similar to this at times
on the news, but I had missed my chance to do something about it years ago, now
I was getting a second chance to try to do some good about something which I
knew was actually shockingly true, homeless veterans.
I argued with myself for some time feeling that this was
rather a sad story just by me choosing to do this, but I saw my chance and I
took it.
During my own birthday month, I saw my G. I. Joe: Vagabond
Soldier published as a short story in the Kindle World. All thirty-seven pages
were published April 30, 2014.
I dedicated this story to the people of all branches of service
striving daily to provide excellence in all things they do.
Somewhere near the end of the story the soldier’s friend,
Duke, admits he is proud when the vagabond soldier, a fallen soldier, gets up
to fight for what he believes in one more time.
