The topic past week at Oh Get A Grip! was “an acre of barren land.” The explanation was thus:

Mark Twain once wrote a funny story about a dispute over an acre of barren farmland that never produced a profit. Later, he bragged that he made more money from the story than anyone ever did from the land itself. What is your barren acre (bad relationship, dead-end job, disappointment of any kind) that inspired a successful story, novel, poem or play?

Intriguing topic, isn’t it? I thought so, and yet I struggled to find something to write about. Finally, I realized my barren acre was someone I’d been carrying around for a long time:

I didn’t think I had a barren acre. I mean, I’ve had bad relationships and huge disappointments like everyone else, but nothing I’ve written about. At least, nothing I thought I’d written about. Earlier this week while I lay wide awake listening for the baby to cry, I realized my barren acre: a girl I once loved. The first girl I really fell in love with. Only I didn’t know it was love.

I’ve written about this girl so many times I’ve lost count. I think there are only two stories that are specifically about her, that hold enough details of real experiences to be considered about her. But there are at least a dozen other stories that are haunted by her. Memories pulled out in the middle of the night, turned over and over like worry stones, then tucked away for safe keeping.

You can read the rest here: The Girl I Once Loved

It’s an interesting topic and inspired some fascinating columns. Do you have a barren acre?

Posted by Kristina in Writing at 02:11 PM Permalink