Every Town

WriteOut Why I Write: National Day on Writing

Yesterday, October 20th, I participated in a twitter chat for #writeout  #whyIwrite  and #NationalDayonWriting activities that are port of the WriteOut program activities. The National Day on Writing is sponsored by the National Writing Project and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) to  share #WHYIWRITE. Everyone is invited to take this one step further by writing outside as part of the Write Out partnership with the National Park Service.

Question 6 asked this: “As we enter the final days of Write Out, share with us one thing that was most exciting for you or that you plan to do tomorrow or this weekend?”

Here's a final question for tonight … Q6: As we enter the final days of Write Out, share with us one thing that was most exciting for you or that you plan to do tomorrow or this weekend? #writeout #whyiwrite pic.twitter.com/oR1SGZpW2m

— Writing Project (@writingproject) October 20, 2022

I shared one of our favorite things– to hop in the car and “look for sunshine” — we follow the break in the clouds or smoke until we find the sun and then enjoy the local area, take-out restaurants, parks, small main streets.

#writeout #whyiwrite A6 a little off the wall: One of our favorite things to do is to hop in the car and "look for sunshine" — we follow the break in the clouds or smoke until we find the sun and then enjoy the local area, take-out restaurants, parks, small main streets

— Sheri Edwards (@grammasheri) October 20, 2022

#writeout #whyiwrite We always do– little towns we've never been in with local parks and histories in public view to learn about. Very fun. One town — Lind, WA doesn't know how their town was named– they can only guess!

— Sheri Edwards (@grammasheri) October 20, 2022

pic.twitter.com/7iG8B0FQRV

— Sheri Edwards (@grammasheri) October 21, 2022

Look for Sunshine

On September 1, 2018, we probably did just that– hopped in the car on a cloudy day and drove to find the break in the clouds and sunshine. We found it in Lind, WA where we stopped to enjoy the park and history in the center of the town. The plaque explains “The Dawn of A New Century” with a bit of the past and and hope for the future. Notice– they town does not know how it was named, which is unusual.

It was a beautiful bit of sunshine and an enjoyable drive and walk.

And so, today’s poem:

Poetry

Every Town

Every town, a history
a memory of how it began
places so we don’t forget
a future that was planned
stories told of struggles then
and how the town survived
so we know in life today-
together, we will thrive.

Sheri Edwards
10.22.22 297.365.22
Poetry/Photography

And Why I Write — a remember of pasts and hopes for the future — that together we can build the dream of this country:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Declaration of Independence

Over the years, we as Americans– that is most of us– have taken those words to heart– that all of us are equal with rights as human beings. No matter who you are, your beliefs, your gender, your culture– as person, each of us has the right to choose these. May American continue, in all its diversity, to believe in this, and to live and let live. I can’t think of anything more important. This is the sunshine to carry us through in life in a democracy.

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This post is part of the October WRITEOUT adventure of the National Writing Project and the National Park Service — a STEAM-powered Write Out 2022. Organized as a public invitation to get out and create, supported by a series of free online activities, Write Out invites educators, students, and families to explore national parks and other public spaces. The goal is to connect and learn through place-based writing and sharing. Learn more and sign up: https://writeout.nwp.org

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