Kathan's Scrapbooking Prompt

This is Kathan's writing prompt from the book "Take Ten for Writers" called Scrapbooking

Fill these out …they are your “scraps”

• A description of the last person you saw

• The number of words you wrote today

• A smell you like

• A song that often repeats in your head

• A sport you dislike

• A favorite teacher’s name



Then write for 10 minutes, using the following:

• 1 scrap as title

• 1 scrap as first word or phrase

• 3 scraps as parts of the body

• 1 scrap as last word or thought

These Are My People

The small older lady was holding tightly to the arm of an equally older gentleman. They both had beautiful white hair and proud smiles on their faces. I was walking hurriedly through the mall, but this sight slowed my stride enough to look at what they were standing in front of. It was a billboard advertising a wrestling event at the local high school. On the billboard were two wrestlers set in the starting stance with a referee ready to start the match. I smiled as I passed the couple and they nodded in response.

I was on my way to a lunch date with three of my best friends, and I was late as usual, but not too late to stop at the florist advertising red roses by the stem for $1.10 each. I dug through my purse to come up with the $3.30 I needed. It was just a token to give to these three friends, who were my favorite people.

After I finished with my lunch and conversation, I walked back the way I came, slower this time to scan the storefronts. The older couple was still standing in front of the billboard. As I approached, the gentleman turned to me and explained that these were their people – their two grandsons. They were very proud of Tyler and Nolan Helm.

As I looked closer at the gentleman and listened to him continue to speak, I recognized something in the smile and in the cadence of his voice. He looked like my eighth grade teacher, only much older.

"Mr. Helm?” I asked.