Experience #9 Search for Inspiration

This Saturday I attended the eighth annual Jubilee Writer’s Conference. Though I’d wanted to attend from the first time I heard about it, there was always some reason or conflicting event that arose. I love listening to authors speak for I find their passion for writing and telling a story contagious, and it always inspires me to write something or finish something that I’m working on.

It was exactly what I needed this year, at this moment. In the last year, I’ve found myself unable to complete a project. I go back and forth between several projects I’m working on, and I’m unable to complete any of them with my indecisiveness. At first, I was still able to get excited about an idea, but in the last eight months I couldn’t even manage that.

So when I made the list out for the year, I added the writer’s conference to the list in search of that inspiration to get me out of the rut that I’d fallen into.

Of course, I also realized that the rut was due to emotional turmoil more than anything else. A story must have emotions, and you can’t create feelings when you yourself are numb. But in the last month or so I’ve realized that the numbness has left, for emotions, and not all the nice ones, have returned.

So I went in search of inspiration, and I found it. Authors like Deborah Leblanc and Lisa Jackson all spoke and encouraged attendees to consider ebook publishing, for that’s where the future of books would be headed.

I worked for a long time on my novel, Muddy Bayou, and after many submissions and rejections, it made it all the way to a publisher’s desk where I never heard from it again beyond a she was still interested email. Yet, I still want to tell this character’s story. I still want to entertain others with her sarcastic wit and her unending ability to get into trouble while putting herself in places she doesn’t belong. But what was the use of writing the second story in the series if no one would ever be able to read the first one? So I’d tried writing other stories, but my heart still wanted to tell Raleigh Cheramie’s story (Yes, I’m one of those crazy people who think of her characters as real people.).

So after listening to the authors all day, I thought that this would be the way to do it. For all I really want is to tell a story to an audience. And that’s exactly what I would be doing. So now I have a new goal: to create an ebook. I have no idea how to do it, but I’m sure it will be like everything else. I won’t stop until I figure it out, and when I do, I’ll be sure to tell everyone about it. I’ll be the one shouting excitedly that someone besides myself can read my story.

Experience #8 Sushi

Anyone who knows me knows that I will never be a food connoisseur. To come within ten feet of that definition, I’d have to be willing to try new foods.

I’m not. I’m more of the, I’ll stick to what I know because I don’t even like most of the foods I force myself to eat due to nutrition. (Candy does not have nutritional value, unfortunately.) Why add more items to that list of foods I won’t eat?

I wouldn’t label myself picky, per se, but there is a running joke at my mom’s house about fine china needing to be made as divider plates because I don’t like my food to touch. On Christmas and Thanksgiving, I can be found eating out of a Styrofoam divider plate because there are too many types of food to try, and they can’t fit in a plate without touching each other. My mom always makes sure she has them on hand, though sometimes she tries to use her china in her china cabinet.

My mom also reminds me that when I was a teenager she’d make real, homemade hamburgers for everyone, but she’d have to take out a frozen soy burger for me since I wouldn’t eat the ground meat.

The list of food I don’t like is very long, so when I added sushi to my list of experiences for the year, I knew I’d need a little push. Perhaps someone to shove it down my mouth while I closed my eyes and attempted not to breath until the experience was over.

So I was introduced to sushi by an expert, someone who lived in Japan for a long time and was very good with chopsticks and quite patient with my lack of coordination.

And I have to say after all that, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. No gagging or eyes closing there. I’m not saying that I’m going to rush back, but every now and then might not be so bad.

Surprisingly, I found some of it, like the eel, to be very good, but others like salmon didn’t go down very well because of the texture.

The biggest obstacle was chopsticks. If I had to eat with those every day, I’d be half the size I am now and starving. If I ever choose to diet, I’ll impose chopsticks on myself and losing weight shouldn’t be an issue. My instructor was kind and patient though, and maybe if I practice for eight years I’ll get the hang of it.

All in all, it got me thinking about what else I need to try this year. May have to revise my list again. I always tell my son he won’t know if he likes something until he tries it. Maybe I need to take my own advice on this one. But I can’t promise anything.

Experience #7 Mardi Gras Experiences

In Gheens, Louisiana there is a tradition that after the parade each year, the “Mardi Gras” come out and whip the children and many adults with switches. If you wish to not be whipped, you must kneel down and say “pardon.” (And be sure to put your French accent on that.) I know the tradition has been in place for at least a century. My uncle tells stories about how when he was young, the girls would go to school the next day with welts on their legs from the switches.



My childhood friend as a "Mardi Gras."



The “Mardi Gras” remain along the highway, and visitors looking to witness the spectacle must line up along the road to wait their turn to be whipped by the “Mardi Gras” who travel by the trailer full.

I stayed a couple of times when I was a child for this tradition, and I have never remained after the parade when given a choice since. Imagine scarring a child like that?

When I was young, there were fewer rules in place than there are now. Back then, they ran down the streets, through your houses, and didn’t stop until they caught you. One year, I spent the entire time praying “pardon” as the Mardi Gras chased down and whipped my cousins vehemently.

The last time I remember being there for the yearly ritual, I spent the time locked in my nanny’s bathroom listening to the “Mardi Gras” rampage through her house trying to get through the locked door.

No surprise that I haven’t remained since I was a child. Whose parents subject them to this?

I thought this year I’d be brave and maybe stand halfway up the street and watch. My son who NEVER tries anything, walked all the way to the front to watch. I joined him in the front to make sure he knew what he was getting into, and he insisted he wanted to stay. So, of course, I had to at least be as brave as an eight year old, so I stayed.

I have to admit that when they got closer, I did step back from the road, oh, I’d say about one hundred feet or so. I did not take off running though. I can at least pride myself in that.

My son on the other hand took off running when the “Mardi Gras” jumped off the truck and chased the group of boys he was with and left his mom in the dust. He managed to outrun the “Mardi Gras” half way down the street and hide from him behind my cousin’s house.

I, on the other hand, was whipped by a childhood friend in his full Mardi Gras get up. I could remember when we were children that he was forced to the ground with all the “Mardi Gras” piled on top of him. It must be nice to eventually be the one with the power to whip others.

A lady never kneels, so I took the whipping bravely and even posed for a picture with my assailant.

So it wasn’t so bad after all. No need to be afraid for all those years. (Well, honestly when I was younger it was much rougher, so I probably did have reason to fear back then.) It was all worth it just to see my son try something new. Maybe these no fear experiences are rubbing off on him. I can only hope.

Scott's Story Unraveled

Okay, so this is veering off of my story a bit. I've been told several times in my life that I have inspired people. Usually, I don't see the outcome of that inspiration. My cousin Scott has hit a low point in his life, and when he was there he was inspired by the stories that I tell, and he asked that I share his story  in his own words with our family and friends. So here's his words. Words that I hope we can all learn from, for at some point in time everyone reaches a low point, and it's those people who listen who help us reach upward instead of stay at the bottom.

To everyone who’s been wondering where I have gone to or what has happened to me, I’m asking my cousin Jessica to publish this story for me. I know I have changed over the last couple of years and for those that this has affected, I’m sorry. I’m especially sorry to my wife Lacie and my two lovely sons, Nathan and Kaleb.


I have learned much over the last week where I’ve been staying and working on myself. The main thing I have learned is that I never want to be the person I’ve become ever again because it has caused me to lose everything that I’ve cared about in my life. First my family then my friends and possessions.

I was always one to be the strong type and not to reach out for any help even though I needed it. Go figure I would wait until it would be too late, the story of my life. Like everyone else, I’m not perfect. I want all my friends and family to know that I have taken that first step and feel like I’m making progress.

I’ve been having a drug problem on and off for the last several years and this also led me to an anger issue. It took me recently losing my best friend and lovely wife Lacie Dominique and not being able to see my two wonderful sons Nathan and Kaleb to realize this. I didn’t want to see the problem I had. Maybe it was because I was too scared to reach out for help or because I’d wonder what people would think of me.

I never thought I could feel the way that I have felt in the last month. I was at an all -time low in my life and thought nothing could bring me back. I zoned out everyone and everything around me. I did not get out of bed for a week and did nothing but sleep. I did this because while I was asleep, it just didn’t hurt so bad when I couldn’t think about it. It wasn’t because I had no one there for me because my wife was after me to get help for a while; I just wouldn’t listen. My parents were also pushing me to go to work and move on so I wouldn’t lose my job, but none of that mattered anymore. My friends would call, but I’d just ignore the calls and text messages.

Finally, I decided to get some help. It’s something I wish I would have done a long time ago. It’s something I wish I would have opened my eyes to a long time ago because like I said it cost me the most important things in my life, and trust me there is nothing worth losing your family over. A little suggestion to anyone with a problem like I have is don’t wait until it’s too late to get some help or reach out to someone. There are no words that I can say to tell you how it feels to lose your wife and kids. It nearly pushed me completely over the edge, to rock bottom. With the help of family and friends and some people with the same problems, I’m feeling like I’m going to be able to overcome this and move on with my life. So I’d like to say thanks to everyone who has been there for me. “Getting help doesn’t mean you failed. It means you have support.”

-Scott Dominique