In One Month

by Nancy Casey

The afternoon sun is still pretty scorching and the days are still pretty long. The days are getting shorter, though, and the mornings can be quite chilly. In other words: It is August, technically summer, with many indications that fall is on the way.

A season begins to change slowly. Then it picks up speed. That summer-to-fall change is beginning now in subtle ways. In a month, many things will be different.

Your writing today will give you a chance to think about what is about to change with the season.

Leave some space at the top of the page where you can put a title after you have finished writing. Mark off an area of the page for an illustration or doodling if you would like to include that.

Perhaps you would like to take yourself on a short field trip to conduct some “research.” You can go outdoors and amble about for 15 minutes or so. Or you might sit near a window that gives you a good view. Maybe you prefer to travel in your imagination, remembering where you have been and what you have noticed in the past few days.

As you pay attention to the world around you, ask yourself, “What is going to change in the next month?”

You will probably notice many things in nature that will surely change over the course of the next four weeks. There are many changes a person might see. Can you imagine changes in smells or sounds?

What will change with the season in a city or town? Will the contents of shop windows be different in 30 days? Will stores and restaurants advertise for a new kind of “special” or sale? Will the people you pass on the sidewalk be wearing the same type of clothing that they are wearing today? Will the appearance of people’s houses and yards be different?

Think about your home and your own personal routines. Will the coming of fall change them? Will your daily schedule or your chores be different a month from now? Will changes in the routines of friends or family members bring changes in your routines as well?

Describe one thing that you know will be different in a month. Then describe another, and another, until you have filled the page.

When you have finished writing, reread your work. Make small changes if you need to. When you are satisfied with the page, give it a title and write the date on it, too.

You can share your work by posting it as a comment below. You can type it in, or take a photo of it and upload the image. Here is an example of what a person could write.

Nancy Casey has lived in Latah County for many years. You can find more of her work here. If you would like to do this exercise or others like it with a group of people, come to the Write-for-You class at the Latah Recovery Center on Thursdays at 5pm. Anyone can join. Just show up! You can attend just for fun or work to earn a writing certificate. For more information, contact Nancy  or the Latah Recovery Community Center.