Tucked under the wiper blade, the flyer for the 9th St. Louis Listen to Your Mother posed a question I had been asking myself anyway: What’s your story?
I liked the question, and I liked the old-timey typewriter, and I liked that they wanted a story that could be read aloud in under 5 minutes. People, that’s a short story.
I write whether I have a reason or not, though as reasons go, this was a good one. But it wasn’t just having a reason. It was having a deadline, limits and structure, and a central question. What is my story? More specifically, what story would I tell on stage in a show of readings in celebration of Mother’s Day?
For me writing is a way to cut through the noise to what I actually think, and whether it’s academic or artistic, personal or professional doesn’t matter. I hardly know anything until I spend some time putting words down on the page. I write my way toward myself.
For days the question was on my mind and eventually I googled “how many words are in a 5 minute speech?” for a ballpark estimate. With that word count in mind, I spent a few days writing and writing, knowing that most of it would end up on the cutting room floor. And on March 12th I sent in a story I could read in under 5 minutes. My story was short and honest and real.
I was invited to audition, and a few days later I was welcomed into the cast. It’s a true honor to be part of this production, which is full to bursting with stories of the bravery, resilience and miracle of motherhood. Tickets benefit local charities and are on sale now.