Leslie Writes
Bio
Another struggling millennial. Writing is my creative outlet and stress reliever.
Stories (161)
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Struggles of a Would Be Minimalist
Our little family of three is nearing the end of its long slow crawl to home ownership. As we begin to pack up our belongings, I pause to take stock of these things that have survived all the phases of our lives so far. There's stuff from the past seven years since our daughter was born. There’s a bunch of junk from the six years my husband and I were married, but still childless. And I can’t forget the crap we brought into the mix as singles.
By Leslie Writes4 years ago in Confessions
The Freedom to Learn and the Path to Peace
My daughter recently overheard a conversation I was having with my husband about Ukraine. You’d be surprised what kids pick up on and what they are curious about. We started talking about it in the car on the way to the store. I remember my parents broaching difficult subjects while stuck in traffic. Likewise, I’d occasionally ask them some difficult questions from the back seat of the car. There you have a captive audience.
By Leslie Writes4 years ago in The Swamp
Saint Patrick’s Day: Expectation vs. Reality
Here’s to the cavalcade of holidays that get us through the cold months: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentines Day…And this is where it begins to lose momentum…Saint Patrick’s Day. As a kid, March 17th meant nothing more than loaded baked potatoes in the school cafeteria and getting pinched for not wearing green. I'd also be reminded that I am somewhat Irish and formerly Catholic, but now not particularly religious on my father’s side. That was basically it. American Saint Patrick’s Day is a bit of a sham anyway, like Cinco de Mayo, a holiday with real significance to an entire culture turned into an excuse to get drunk.
By Leslie Writes4 years ago in Proof
Diamonds Give Me Heartburn. Top Story - February 2022.
I think I was nine when my Nana took me to get my ears pierced. She might have been more excited about it than I was. She even bought me a little pair of diamond chip earrings to switch into once I was healed. “These are very special and expensive,” she said, placing the velvet box into my hand. “You have to take good care of them.”
By Leslie Writes4 years ago in Confessions
Hawk Out
The pizza guy knocked and said “you’ve got a hawk out here.” “A what?” This was supposed to be a contactless delivery. He sounded serious. I leaned out of my apartment to check. Sure enough, something flew back and forth over our heads. I live at the top of a three story walk up with tall windows on both sides. Poor thing bonked itself against the glass several times. I’ve seen birds and insects get confused before, but never one this large and this confused.
By Leslie Writes4 years ago in Confessions
Tipping Point
The customer had on what appeared to be a real floor length fur coat and one of those Russian style fur hats. I had never seen one of those in real life. I had to stop myself from reacting because she looked so out of place. I greeted her as she put two half pound bags of deluxe overpriced trail mix onto the counter, about twenty dollars worth of mixed nuts and dried cranberries. I zapped both bags with the price gun. “Happy Holidays. What kind of drink can I get started for you?,” I recited my line with as much enthusiasm as I could manage between the chaos in front of me and the mayhem behind the counter.
By Leslie Writes4 years ago in Fiction
The Coat
The weather is constantly in flux here. Sure, we get all the seasons in the correct order, but there is no certainty of when they will begin or end. Some years you sweat on Halloween and the snow waits until March to make an appearance. That’s why the instructions from the scout leader to “dress your child warm and in layers,” are open to interpretation. I immediately start overthinking.
By Leslie Writes4 years ago in Families
Sweetie Boy
As Tinder dates go it wasn’t bad. He paid for the drinks and made the appropriate small talk. He joked about traffic and raised his concern over growing economic inequality. Then he tried to convince her that he knew where to get the best tacos in the city. He seemed nice. He was a standard looking white guy, brown eyes, blond hair, a hint of stubble on his chin. Nora liked him enough for a hook up, but not enough for tacos.
By Leslie Writes4 years ago in Horror
