Down the Rabbit Hole

The Showing and the Telling

30 Day Blogging Challenge
PROMPT May 2nd
Remember bringing something from home for “Show and Tell” at school when we were little? Today, I want you to do the same in your blog. Pick an object that means something to you and describe it. What does it remind you of? How did the object come into your life? Does it bring you comfort? What is the story behind the object?


I am a little later to the party today than usual but I threw my back out, or tweeked it, or otherwise messed it up and so I've been laid up for most of the day with the dogs and my heating pad.

Show and Tell was one of my favorite school memories. We would sit in a big circle on Ms Poirot's Picasso-colored rug, each of us clutching our treasure of the week and waiting for our moment in the spotlight. I distinctly remember my mother reviewing every potential show and tell item to be absolutely sure it was acceptable and would not embarrass her in any conceivable way. Other kids parents were not as over-reaching, which made for some memorable shares...

If we got to do real, adulting versions of show and tell...there is a multitude of potential items that come to mind and none of them would make my mom's approved list for sure! Life is short, best to make it interesting. My share might be my first ever publishing cred which happens to have been in an erotic horror anthology cheekily titled, "Nailed" for example. It is special because it felt like a coming out moment for me...a throwing open of the curtain and crying "yup, here I am!".

More than likely though, I would share something sentimental like my grandfather's pipe which has graced every mantel in my home since his suicide. It serves as a reminder of love and forgiveness. It reminds me of a man who, despite his gruff exterior, made me feel special at a time when I felt unseen. Or, the pawprint impression of our first rescue puppy that we lost too soon to cancer. Our big, beautiful Shepard mix Ricky Bobby, who stole all of our hearts and taught me that saying goodbye is sometimes the greatest gift we can give to them.

As I am writing this, I realize that blogging is really a lot like show and tell. Each day we come to share a piece of ourselves. we read the prompt, reflect and then we craft our moment. We put it out there. We "show and tell" in our words and our electronic ink.