In life, we often find ourselves trapped in situations that appear to be curses. These curses can come in various forms - be it toxic relationships, unfulfilling careers, or debilitating health issues. The weight of these curses can be overwhelming, leaving us feeling stuck and without hope. However, it is essential to remember that we have the power to slip away from these curses and reclaim our lives. To slip away from the curse, we must first recognize its presence in our lives. This requires deep introspection and the ability to confront the uncomfortable truths about our situations.
Paul gives the admonition to not grow weary, I believe, because the temptation is real. The effort required to do the right deed at the right moment for the right reason will sap your resolve dry. And doing good to my family of eight . . . and church of four hundred with a staff of five . . . and coaching my children’s sports teams . . . and holding a seat on the school board . . . and leading strong in all things and apologizing quickly for my many mistakes . . . and making time to run a few miles and do a few push-ups . . . and maintaining the side-hustle of editing articles and writing words is what I mean when I speak of the moments like water that pour and pour and pour while in vain I try to catch them.
But I left that night wondering if the Lord might have a word for me as well, even as I pondered the ways Christians have abused words from the Lord. In December, as I sing Joy to the World, I find comfort in the lines in the third stanza about how Christ comes to make his blessings flow, far as the curse is found.
This requires deep introspection and the ability to confront the uncomfortable truths about our situations. It can be frightening to acknowledge that we have been living under a curse, but doing so is the first step towards liberation. Once we have acknowledged the curse, we must actively seek ways to break free from its grip.
Five Writers
I hate grammar. I have been putting off this post, because I hate grammar. I used to be good at it. Now I’ve forgotten everything except the occasional comma rule. And capitalization, I’m pretty good at that. And incomplete sentences. (I’m really good at those.) And run-on sentences. And subjective vs objective pronouns. Okay, so I guess I remember more than I thought. But I can never remember the quotation mark rules. Or what the heck a semicolon is for (other than making a smirk – I’m also good at that.) Or what pluperfect is. And the people who know those things – the writers who know those things – they intimidate me. There I said it. Because writers need impeccable grammar. Right? I mean, that’s what I always thought.
Lillian Spears, 1976
Since I wanted to be a writer, I worked hard to be a whiz at grammar. And I learned from the best. Lillian Spears instilled terror in the hearts of every student at Beaufort Academy. She graded our papers with a red pen in hand. At three grammar errors she stopped grading and gave you a big fat F. And you didn’t graduate without passing her class. (FYI, just about anyone who ever took her class will tell you she is one of their favorite teachers.) We diagrammed the Pledge of Allegiance. We had a contest where we recited as many prepositions as we could in one minute. (I won. My Yankee pace completely overwhelmed my Southern classmates.) And you will never find a homophone error in a Facebook posting from one of my high school friends.
And then I spent 20 years in advertising. Where breaking grammar rules was not just a rite of passage, it was an Olympic event. (I have a couple of Gold medals.) And then I became a playwright.
As a playwright knowing your grammar is both a blessing and a curse.
The Blessing: Because I know how to effectively break the rules, I can use punctuation to tell an actor how to read a line. Let’s take this line from my farce Word War.
“Maybe they had this really big decoration – like a weather balloon – yeah, that’s it – and it fell off the ceiling and landed on the floor right in front of her and it was filled with . . . filled with . . . red food coloring and it splashed all over her dress.”
Okay, first of all, it’s a run-on sentence. It’s missing at least 3 commas (probably more) – but the lack of commas tells the actors that there is no stop or break or pause in the thought. Then we have a couple of dashes. These mean there’s a change in thought – sort of a parenthetical, but not. The ellipsis – my favorite punctuation mark by the way – (it is weird that I have a favorite punctuation mark?) means you just kind of trail off. Usually the character is thinking or perhaps they have just run out of words, I mean, you know . . .
They’re. Not. Real.
This is a line earlier in the play. Here the periods act like little tiny stop signs. It’s still one thought, one sentence. But you pause after Each. Individual. Word.
So those are the blessings. Knowing how punctuation works means I can manipulate the punctuation to communicate delivery.
The Curse: Once you know good grammar, bad grammar can never slip by. For me, bad grammar is like the sound of the dentist’s drill when it first makes contact with your teeth. I wince. I cringe. I want to throw my hands over my ears. “Her and me are going to the store.” “I got my nails did yesterday.” “She’s more smarter than anyone in the class.”
But people talk like this. Especially in my neck of the woods. So to write effective grammar, I sometimes have to use bad subject pronoun agreement, the wrong tense, double negatives. And I can’t. I mean, I can – obviously there are times I have to – but it feels so . . . I don’t know . . . like when people try to imitate the Kennedy accents. I’m always afraid that although the intentionally bad grammar in my dialogue sounds authentic to my ears, to someone who’s used to a real Boston accent, it just comes across as fake. Or I worry that people will think I am making fun of someone.
So, yes, using bad grammar can sometimes be smart. When it is confined to the dialogue. Write something like “Their are two chairs in the room.” in the setting or “Her and Joe exit.” in the stage directions and the reader will toss your script aside and pick up the next in the large stack on the desk.
But does grammar matter outside the worlds of writing or academia? A few years ago when I married my high school sweetheart – a fellow survivor of Lillian’s English class – I wrote a flash non-fiction piece for the wedding announcement. And I sent it to Lillian. When her response arrived, I opened the envelope with great trepidation half-expecting a myriad of red slashes across the page. Instead, her very sweet note included the comment: “Your well-written story deserves an A+.” With incredible pride I posted her comment on Facebook. And the congratulations flowed in from my high school classmates. Not for the marriage – but for the A+. So yes, several decades years removed from high school, people still care about grammar. Yes, they does. (Ouch!)
For the last two years, however, I’ve found a verse from the Lord in retrospect, by accident really—if you believe in accidents.
This may involve making difficult decisions, such as leaving a toxic relationship or quitting a job that drains our happiness and well-being. While these choices may be daunting, they are necessary to escape the curse and regain control over our lives. Breaking free from a curse also requires changing our mindset. We must let go of limiting beliefs and negative thought patterns that have perpetuated the curse. This may involve seeking therapy or engaging in personal development practices that promote self-awareness and positive thinking. By shifting our perspective, we can open ourselves up to new opportunities and possibilities. In addition to personal growth, seeking support from others can greatly assist in breaking free from the curse. Friends, family, or professional mentors can provide guidance, encouragement, and the necessary push to take action. Surrounding ourselves with individuals who uplift and inspire us can fuel our determination to slip away from the curse and create a more fulfilling life. While escaping a curse is undoubtedly challenging, it is important to stay patient and persistent in our journey. We may encounter setbacks and obstacles along the way, but these should be viewed as opportunities for growth rather than signs of failure. By staying focused on our goals and remaining resilient, we can ultimately slip away from the curse and find peace and happiness. In conclusion, curses can be perceived as formidable and impossible to escape. However, we have the power to slip away from them and reclaim our lives. By acknowledging the curse, making difficult choices, changing our mindset, seeking support, and staying persistent, we can break free from the curse's grip and create a brighter future for ourselves. It may not be an easy journey, but it is undoubtedly worth it..
Reviews for "The Curse's Grip: Breaking Free and Reclaiming Your Life"
1. Sara - 2 stars -
I was really excited to read "Slip away from the curse" as I had heard great things about the author's previous works. However, I was severely disappointed by this book. The plot was confusing and lacked coherence. The characters were poorly developed, and it was hard to connect with any of them. The writing style was also lacking, with awkward dialogue and repetitive phrases. Overall, "Slip away from the curse" failed to capture my interest and left me feeling unsatisfied.
2. Mark - 1 star -
I honestly couldn't finish "Slip away from the curse" because it was just too poorly written. The grammar and spelling errors were distracting and made it difficult to follow the story. The pacing was off, with slow and uneventful chapters followed by rushed and confusing ones. The plot itself lacked originality and felt recycled from other fantasy novels. I was hoping for an engaging and immersive reading experience, but unfortunately, this book did not deliver.
3. Emily - 2 stars -
I found "Slip away from the curse" to be quite underwhelming. The world-building was weak, with little detail or explanation given to the fantasy elements. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it hard to empathize with their struggles. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, which made the interactions between characters feel awkward. I also found the pacing to be slow, with the story dragging in several parts. Overall, I did not enjoy this book and would not recommend it to others.