So Annoying!

by Nancy Casey

Water is essential for life. It makes up a big part of our bodies. We bathe in it and cook with it. Rain nourishes the crops that feed us.

Nothing is perfect, though. Today, write a page about how annoying water can be.

When has water made you (or someone else) grumpy or ruined your day? Think about that while you settle in to write and set up your page.

Get out your writing stuff. Arrange the things in front of you in a way that looks pleasing to you. Take a breath or two. Wiggle around a little to loosen yourself up.

Draw a line at the top of a blank page where your title will go. Set aside some space for illustration if you like. Start drawing or doodling in it if it helps your mind focus.

Water can be annoying when it is in the wrong place—on a library book, in your shoes, or dripping from the ceiling, for example.

Have you ever suffered from a problem that was caused by too much water? Do you have a story about a time when it rained at the worst possible moment?

Sometimes perfectly good water can be ruined when something gets into it—rust, microbes, or chemicals, for example. What annoyances does contaminated water bring about?

When water leaks, what are some of the annoying places it might go?

When water is in the form of a gas or solid, it can be annoying in ways that liquid water isn’t. Do you have a story of a time when water vapor, steam, or ice messed up your day?

As soon an idea or story about water being troublesome comes to mind, start writing about it. As more thoughts pop up, write them down, too. Try to fill the whole page without pausing. If you have to wait for your next idea to arrive, draw or doodle somewhere on the page. That will help you stay focused and open-minded at the same time.

When you get to the bottom of the page, look back over your work. Pause to add illustration or decoration if you like.

Do your ideas form any kind of a pattern? Do they seem to be about a bigger idea that you hadn’t really planned on writing about? If they do, maybe you can use that insight to think up a title. If they don’t, make up some kind of a title anyway and write it at the top of the page.

Put your initials or a signature on the page, too. And write the date on it. Here is an example of what someone could write.

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.

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Nancy Casey has lived in Latah County for many years. You can find more of her work here. If you would like some help with your writing, contact Nancy or the Latah Recovery Center.