In the News

If the Past Was a Highway

by latahrecoverycenter, posted in Uncategorized, Write for You Blog

by Nancy Casey

Sometimes we imagine the past as if it were a ribbon that always trails behind us.

What if that ribbon was a highway? What would it be like? Imagine that and give it some thought as you set up your page to write.

Draw a line at the top of the page where your title will go. Set aside some space for illustration if you like. You can always draw or doodle while you wait for a writing idea to come to mind.

Don’t rush the page set-up. Give yourself time to think about what it would be like if the past were a highway you could travel on.

Some questions you could ask yourself:

  • What kind of highway would this be? Narrow? Wide? Straight? Winding? All of the above and more?
  • How does one travel this highway? In a vehicle? On foot? Riding a drone that hovers just above the surface?
  • Are there other travelers on this highway—or parts of it?
  • What is the surface made of? Pavement? Dirt and gravel? Potholes? Stars or roses? Do different parts have different surfaces? Are there places that need repair?
  • What are the sights along the way?
  • Imagine some of the different things you can do along a highway: visit a scenic overlook, take detours, slow down for road construction, have a picnic, sing songs, turn around, speed up, slow down, ignore the signs, camp out for the night … The list is quite endless. What would you see and do if you were traveling a highway through the past?

Fill up a page with your highway thoughts. When you have finished, look back over your work. 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.

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

Raised by God: The Autobiography of Patricia Clayton is a new book that grew out of the Write For You program at LRC. It is the story of a person making herself new after years of trauma and addiction.