The older I get the more things confuse me.
“How’d they get that up there?” I asked my sweetie pie.
“What?”
“That crane.”
“In pieces,” he answered in a voice that said, Isn’t that obvious?”
In pieces.
I couldn’t help but recall the weekend he put the pre-fab shed together in the backyard. He stood there proudly opening and closing the sliding doors, while I stared at the shocking number of left-over metal bits and pieces that remained on the ground.
I looked up again at the crane. “What if some of the screws are missing?” I felt an irrational desire to flee. “What if they didn’t put the parts back together correctly.”
Then, I got my car insurance bill. “Hey! How come I’m paying so much more? Did your bill go up too?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I’ll call Vickie and ask,” he said.
Ryan returned from his chat with our insurance lady. “You’re old.”
“Pardon me?” I raised both eyebrows.
“Vicky said your rates went up because you’re an older woman.”
“But I haven’t had a ticket in almost thirty years,” I sputtered. “And, in my life, I’ve had one fender bender.”
Ryan shrugged. “That’s what she said. You’re in an age group that causes more accidents.”
I looked into the issue and found that as people age their vision, cognitive abilities, and reflexes tend to dull. I also learned that old people increasingly die in car crashes because they’re “frail”. Frail! No one has ever accused me of being frail.
Eieee!
Then, I got a letter telling me that the high blood pressure drug I’ve been taking for years might … gosh … cause cancer. “But don’t stop taking it!” the message emphatically stated.
Wait!
You want me to keep taking a drug that could give me cancer?
Recently, I went to a high school football game. I arrived early, since I was serving as the referee. I had contacted the school ahead of time, as I always do, identifying myself and my crew mates and the time they could expect us to arrive. I was escorted to the officials dressing room where I faced a sign that was prominently displayed on the door. No Females Permitted in the Locker Room after 4:00 PM. No Exceptions.
I paused. It was 5 o’clock.
The older I get the more things confuse me. But one thing that isn't confusing is my novel. I hope you'll take a moment to peek into it.
Rose Madsen will do anything to keep from being married off to one of the men in her Fundamentalist Mormon (FLDS) community, even endure the continued beatings and abuse of her mother. But when her mentally handicapped baby sister is forced to strangle the bird she loves at the behest of the Prophet, Rose frees the bird and runs away.
Adan Reyes will do anything to escape the abusive foster care system in Phoenix, even leaving his good friends and successful high school athletic career behind him. Ill-prepared for surviving the desert, Adan hits the road only to suffer heat stroke. Found by a local handyman, he catches a glimpse of a mysterious girl—Rose—running through town, and follows her into the mountains where they are both tracked and discovered by the men of the FLDS community.
With their fates now intertwined, can Rose and Adan escape the systems locking them into lives of abuse? Will Rose be forced to marry the Prophet, a man her father's age, and be one of dozens of wives, perpetually pregnant, with no hope for an education? Will Adan be returned to the foster home where bullying and cruelty are common? Is everyone they meet determined to keep them right where they belong or are some adults worthy of their trust?
BUY LINKS
When she can, Anne indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, football refereeing, and playing her guitar.
Learn more about Anne Montgomery on her website and Wikipedia. Stay connected on Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.
Thank you for sharing my story, Sloane! ;)
ReplyDeleteAnne, you had me laughing out loud. And so true. Sometimes I thik it's not us, but the rest of the world that has it wrong. :-)
ReplyDelete