Helen

About Me

EXCERPTS FROM MY LIFE: HONEY, raised on the southside of Chicago in a mostly Irish, Polish, and Catholic neighborhood called Canaryville, the eighth child of ten and my Dad’s first, only, and most anticipated brown eyed girl. He used to call me out to the kitchen whenever the song, "HONEY" came on the radio, and I would hop up on his knee and we would sing it together. Being the daughter of a carpenter, and a high spirited, compassionate stay at home mom who first learned to drive at the age of 48 was far from boring. She was so much fun to be around. She did some crazy shit sometimes like driving my two younger brothers and me around in the wee hours of the morning with windows rolled down and the radio turned up singing, “We will, we will … wake you.” My mom’s compassion for people was inspiring and refreshing. In fourth grade, while chasing a boy who stole my ball, another boy tripped me fracturing my arm. On the elevator of the hospital, a young woman with bandages around her wrists grabbed hold of my mom and begged her to take her home with her. Deeply moved by my mom’s concern and reaction of going floor to floor in an attempt to find the young woman to fulfill her request, and so many other acts of kindness she showed to young and old, friends and strangers inspired me to be more aware of people in need and to help whenever I can.---------------------------------------------------------------------------- With six brothers, practical jokes were something to keep your eyes peeled for everyday. A pesky sister who would do anything to hang with the boys, at approximately five years old, my brothers sent me to the corner store in nothing but my Dad’s underwear toting a handful of monopoly money and a list of items such as: twenty pounds of hot ice, an elephant’s ear, and Ralph Cramden’s nose hairs. A tomboy at heart, my biggest pleasure was playing baseball with the neighborhood boys, four of whom I was ‘going out with’ until they all broke up with me on the same day breaking my eleven year old heart because they said my hair was turning red. ======================================================== Before prom: I spent two treacherous months with my overzealous mom tearing through racks and racks of gowns only for my date to break his leg on a skiing exposition, and my mom to break free from earth’s reins and move in with God, a week before prom and a day before Mother’s Day and my Dad’s birthday. Devastated by my mother’s death, I vowed not to attend prom; but after some convincing, I ended up having an awesome evening with my exuberant brother, Bobby, who flipped me on the dance floor causing both my heels to break, and then afterwards, he dragged me on my tippy toes to a very smelly horse with loose bowels, and buggy for a breath-taking and stopping, hilarious gallop through downtown Chicago. ----------------------------------------------------------- At the age of eighteen, I started the New Year off watching my father beg for water, gasp for air, and pull tubes from his body until his tongue lay across his chin; but water, air, and tubes couldn’t keep him breathing and if truth be told, he really stopped breathing the day my Mom died. ---------------------------------------------------------- When my daughter, Melissa was fifteen months old, I was living the fairy tale. I landed a decent job as an insurance claims adjuster, and I met the love of my life, who I was sure felt the same way about me until two years into the relationship when I found a note in his underwear drawer that said, “… I had a wonderful time at the Sox game… Call me … (her phone number) … Kathy.” So, what else could I do; I called her, and found out that she had been dating him for two weeks. I decided that if he was honest with me and confessed that we could work it out. On a pre-planned dinner cruise on a beautiful, star covered night aboard the Star of Chicago, across Lake Michigan, he held me in his arms and as we stood on the deck, my back against his chest, looking up at the Sears Tower, I asked him, “Did you know that the telephone wire inside the Sears Tower could wrap around the equator twice? I wonder how many people are sneaking around on the phone in there right now with somebody other than their significant other. I can’t understand why someone sneaks around when they could just have the decency and consideration to end a relationship before they start a new one.” Well, anyway, that was the love of my life, and it was over. No truth. No confession. No hope. ---------------------------------------------------------- Now I enjoy quiet evenings at home, hanging out with my son and my best friend Bob, playing around on the computer, and writing. ---------------------------------------------------------- I started writing little poems when I was in kindergarten. As I progressed in school, my poetry also grew and expanded in depth. In college, I wrote some amazing short stories and essays. I have completed a screenplay which was the most amazing writing experience I have had so far. ----------------------------------------------------------- While I would love to return to school one day, the only things that give me sparks and make me feel alive, I have found, are the sounds of my children’s and my grandbabies laughter, and my stories. With all my experiences and learning over the years, I hope my writing will have me and my children laughing all the way to the bank someday soon. Okay, so maybe that was too much information. I love to write; what can I say? Well, that's my life in a nutshell!

Goal

My main goal is to inspire my children to be good, honest, hardworking citizens who have the integrity to always be sensitive to the feelings of others and to have the wisdom to know through my example that they can do anything they set their minds to if they have the motivation to succeed and the confidence to use constructive criticism to improve and learn.

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