Hello
to all my fellow A-Z Challenge Bloggers!
This
was my first A to Z Blogging Challenge and I was determined to
finish. I kept my pace slow and steady, as I only did one A-Z post a
day and took Sunday’s off to recuperate. That seemed to have worked
well for me.
“Hats
off” to the encouraging A to Z Team. They were available, if
needed, to answer questions.
I
didn’t get to visit as much as I would have liked, even
participating in the A to Z Road Trip. I will participate in the A
to Z Challenge in 2014 and I encourage you to participate, also.
Fellow
Challenge Bloggers were very encouraging and supportive. I loved
getting their feedback and comments.
I
would like to share a short story with you that I got a lot of
feedback on:
B
is for Bashful Betsy
April 2, 2013 by D. B. Mauldin
Betsy
had been dreading college. She was very bashful. She did not enjoy
meeting new people. She had argued with her father to go to Breman’s
College. Betsy had chosen Breman because it was the farthest college,
away from home, her father would agree to. She was, also, trying to
overcome her bashfulness and clumsiness. Being clumsy and bashful was
not good. Her clumsiness always put her in bashful situations.
Finally,
the big day came. Betsy’s father and mother drove her to the campus
and helped her get settled in. There were lots of hugs, lots of
reminders, more hugs, and then Betsy found herself alone in her new
dorm room. She sat down on the bed and wondered what her roommate
would be like.
Betsy
fit right into college life on the big campus. She was able to blend
in, learn, and observe. Her grades were good and she had time to
write every day. It was near the end of the 1st semester of her 2nd
year of college and her thoughts were full of final exams. With her
mind full of thoughts and her natural clumsiness, Betsy ran into the
corner wall leading to the staircase. She blushed with embarrassment
as her books fell to the floor and scattered. Betsy felt a stab of
fear pierce her stomach as she saw Roland walking toward her with the
purpose of helping her recover her strewn books.
She
had developed a huge crush on Roland the first day she had seen him.
It was her first year of college, second semester, and one of her
classes was World History. She had spotted him going into the door of
the class just ahead of her.
He
looked up at her from the scattered books on the floor, his large
blue eyes locking with hers. She felt an ache in her heart. Her
bashfulness caused her to blush even more.
“Here
you go”, Roland said as he handed the books to her. Betsy managed
to mumble, “Thank you”, as she quickly turned and fled up the
stairs. Betsy bit down on her bottom lip, upset with herself for
acting so bashful. She feared her bashfulness would never go away.
Betsy
was rushing to her last class of the day when she noticed Roland up
ahead. She slowed her pace so that she wouldn’t run into him.
Roland went up the steps of the building ahead of hers and Betsy
hurried on to her building.
After
class, Betsy headed to her dormitory room, but heard someone calling
her name before she got there. She stopped and turned to see who it
was, then froze in fear as Roland jogged toward her. “Hey! How are
you doing?” Roland asked. Betsy stared into Roland’s blue eyes
and became dizzy as she was consumed with bashfulness. Roland reached
out a hand to help steady here and asked, “Are you okay”?
The
touch of his hand on her arm stabilized her. She was no longer dizzy,
she just felt bashful. “I guess it was the cold” she said while
shaking her head up and down.
“Well,
let’s get you out of the cold first and then talk” Roland said as
he placed his arm around her protectively and led her up the steps of
her dormitory house.
Once
inside, Betsy shrugged out of Roland’s arm and with her back toward
him began to take off her coat and gloves. “What do you wish to
talk about?” she asked bashfully over her shoulder.
“Well,
for starters, let me introduce myself” said Roland. Betsy turned
around and took Roland’s extended hand into her own. “My name is
Roland Barrett and I’m a senior majoring in English.”
Betsy
gave him a bashful smile. “I’m Betsy Robertson, a sophomore
majoring in English” she said.
“Well,
imagine that, two ships pass in the dark, both majoring in English.
What do you plan on doing with your major, Miss Robertson?”
Betsy
didn’t have to think twice. “I’m going to be a writer. Maybe
teach some high school English and write on the side. What about
you?”
“I
want to be an English teacher and write on the side” Roland replied
grinning.
That
grin brought Betsy’s attention to his mouth. What a beautiful
mouth, she thought. Before her thoughts could go on to how kissable
that beautiful mouth looked, Betsy roused herself.
“Seriously?”
she asked.
“Seriously”
Roland responded. They stood for a moment, both feeling that they had
just met their soul mate. Roland broke the reverie.
“I
know we have just met, but I have watched you often from afar. I feel
like we are old friends. Anyway, I wanted to ask if you had a date
for the Valentine’s Dance yet.”
“No”
Betsy replied as she felt a blush rising to her cheeks.
“Well
then, I would like to ask you to be my date” said Roland.
“Yes.
Yes I will.” Betsy said bashfully.
“Great!
I will pick you up here at 7:00 pm. Until then, I will see you
around.” Roland left before Betsy had a chance to reply back.
Betsy
sat down in the lobby of her dorm house. “A dance,” Betsy
groaned, “How will I ever make through a dance with my bashfulness
and clumsiness?”
***
I am a professional writer, aspiring to publication. Wife; Mother to 3 beautiful daughters; Grandmother to 5 (soon to be 6, and just found out a 7 is on the way!). My grandchildren are my world! I’m a Certified Aromatherapist with an Associate’s Degree in Human Services. Writing has always been a part of my life. My passions are writing, reading, helping others, gardening, nature, and spending time with my grandchildren. My blog is Mama Bear Musings.
