She Hasn't Repressed This One, Careless Memory #11

A Glimpse into a Writer's Life
When my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, had graduated from high school, she started dating a lad named Matt. (That's it? You don't remember his last name?) She doesn't remember his last name at this time and doesn't have a yearbook (whatever that is) on hand to look it up. Matt was a funny guy who could draw cartoons very well and made her laugh.

Anyway, one afternoon, Sandy and Matt were sitting in the living room floor watching some movie in her parents' house when her father returned from a hunting trip. With his shotgun in hand.

Sandy thought nothing of this because her dad had been a hunter for as long as she could remember. Matt, on the other hand, freaked out. Sandy didn't notice, but heard stories from several of Matt's friends later.

Now, Sandy's dad is an intimidating man without a gun in his hand, but saw this as a perfect opportunity to put a little fear o' God into the lad dating his daughter. He proceeded to sit down and clean said gun in front of them. (This, too, was in the stories Matt told his friends, and which his friends recounted to Sandy.)

It's sometimes difficult to tell when her father is serious and when he's in jest. One evening when Sandy had endured several hours of divorce mediation stupidity, Sandy informed her parents that the day had "not gone well." She wasn't allowed to give particulars, but they were as disappointed as she was that the mediation hadn't resolved what it was supposed to resolve. Her father's response was, "You tell (insert name here) that your dad is looking for him." Now, coming from that man, that's just unsettling. I'd like to go with him if he starts hunting.

But to finish our current non-repressed memory, Sandy ended up breaking up with poor Matt for a variety of "space" issues, she says. The poor guy thought they should be in love and married and having a family. Sandy thought she should be going to college and getting a degree and looking for someone reliable and mature. She succeeded with the college and degree part…

Maybe Amanda and I will help her find the rest when she's ready.

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, writer's life, dating, shotgun, Careless Memory