Lesson # 3 Part 1

Assignment Part one:

Think of a time when you [or a character in a story] had an epiphany---a moment when you believed, finally and absolutely, that you had the answer to something... but it turned out to be the wrong path and you had to change the circumstances.
Examples of common epiphanies

Yes, this is the man/woman I am going to marry.
I am going to be a professional sports star, actor, etc.

1.Write down the events that led to your epiphany, [what you were doing, where you were, etc.]

2.Now write the morning after by describing the moments of doubt and uncertainty that followed your realization of the false epiphany.
Also, the moment does not have to be the actual morning after; our false epiphanies are often proven wrong years later. 1

If you choose to use a character for this assignment I would like to have you write the scene as a story, with a beginning, middle and ending.
If you choose to write of an experience from your own life you may write it as either an essay or a story.

When posting this part of the assignment label it as "Lesson #3 part one"

I re wrote this from a blog challenge.



"Lani Jean!" he thundered breaking into my flow of words.

What is it with people that they have to use both names I mused. And why was Ron mad? We were watching a cheesy family sitcom. I said something to that effect.

"You are going to still be here with your books, your fantasties and your dog when I am married with 2.5 kids and a house in the 'burbs!" Cue door slam here. And that was the last I saw of Ron my first serious boyfriend.

Okay what the hell happened? It took me a few days to puzzle it out. At dinner, we were sharing dreams and discussing marriage. He wanted the middle-class fantasy of Leave it to Beaver. I told him I wanted to backpack across America or Europe with him. I wanted to write novels and poetry. My nursing career was just a job. I laughed at our differences, but I was sure we could work them out. Ron didn't know about my rise from Project trash to able to support myself. And I wasn't ready for the alien, middle-class lifestyle. When I mocked the sitcom, I mocked his dream. What a mistake.


What does this have to do with the epiphanies? Everything and nothing. I was determined that no one was going to ever write my life story, but me. Unfortunately, I was not a good story writer of my life. My job was stagnant. I had no friends outside of work and I no purpose now that I had risen out of the Projects. That had been my lifetime goal. A sense of failure and depression covered me, before I gave my life to Christ. He gave me love, purpose, direction and a sense of family I had never had before then. He wrote a better story for me than I could for myself. It is not always comfortable, but serious change and growth involve some pain.

I did travel. And I had adventures and made friends. So where am I now? Sitting in front of a computer in the 'burbs of a different city with a dog at my feet waiting for my hubby to come from a road trip. How humbling is that? And how sweet it is.