Sunday, December 17, 2017

What I Would Change was Beyond My Control, by Diane Scott Lewis

When I was a little girl, more decades ago than I care to count, I was skinny as a string bean. If I were a child in school today they'd probably worry I was Anorexic. But I ate like a field-hand, as my mother would say. I loved all sorts of foods, exotic and otherwise, salads, tempura shrimp, desserts, pizza, anything.

The boys teased me relentlessly, one calling me Bird Legs every time he saw me on the recess yard. (maybe he had a crush on me...?) Back then girls had to wear dresses to school, so my stick legs were always on display. I grew up in California, where fifty degrees meant winter, so no hiding my limbs under thick tights and tons of sweaters.

Then if that wasn't enough, at age twelve I had a huge growth spurt. Not out, as I wished for, but up. Other girl's were developing into shapely teens, I was becoming a narrow tower. "How's the weather up there?" I'd hear.

My best friend's mother, who stood maybe four-foot ten said I needed to stop growing and she was going to have my mother tie a brick to my head. (if only that worked)
 
When I entered high school I was five-foot-nine, (3/4 inches was yet to add itself on), and still skinny as a needle. I longed to be 'willowy' but 'gangly' applied. I wasn't the tallest girl in school, but all the others had meat on their bones. Where were my hips and other womanly shapes? I resembled my dad who was six-foot-four. Two bricks please! I still gobbled down plenty of food, but to no avail.
 
I planned to join the navy at nineteen, I loved to travel, but I didn't weigh enough for their height/weight ratio. For weeks I had to stuff myself and barely slid by.
 
I met my husband when I was stationed in Greece, and while most of my friends went through unhappy marriages and divorces--and ours wasn't always a piece of cake (yum, did anyone say cake?)--we've been together for over forty years, and that's one thing I wouldn't change.
We have two sons and two beautiful granddaughters.
 
I came to terms with my gangly body and in my mature years accept things far better than I used to. I've shrunk a half inch, and I finally got the fat I wanted. Unfortunately, it's only around my middle.
 
My experiences made me stronger and resilient. I rarely back down (but I do wish I could go back in time and have a long "talk" with Robbie-who labeled me Bird Legs).
 
I also love writing, starting in kindergarten. My pens and pencils never cared how boney I was. Well, those implements are long and skinny, too. The way I prefer historicals, I should be using a quill pen.
 
My latest novel, On a Stormy Primeval Shore, part of the Canadian Historical Brides Series, is available for pre-order, (link below) release date: January 1, 2018.
 
Blurb: In 1784, Amelia sails to New Brunswick, a land overrun by Loyalists escaping the American Revolution, to marry a soldier whom she rejects. Acadian Gilbert fights to preserve his heritage and property—will they find love when events seek to destroy them?

 
 
 
Pre-order HERE
 
Diane Scott Lewis grew up in California, traveled the word with the navy, edited for magazines and an on-line publisher. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband.
 

8 comments:

  1. Everyone wants to be tall these days. Not fair is it? I remember envying the girls at school who seemed so cool and together when I felt a bit awkward and shy. Nice to learn more about you.

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  2. After years of wanting to be tall I just accepted I never would be and just wore high heels. Looking forward to your Bride book.

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  3. I'm not very tall but I do remember a few growth spurts that made my legs hurt. Growing old is fun, huh?

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  4. Haha wonderful post, Diane. Love your sense of humor - congrats on the 40th anniversary! Dave and I have 8 more years to get to 40 ... hope we make it, too. Congrats also on the book. Looks great!

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  5. I tottered about on high heels, than gave up. Besides, hardly needed them. Though in the navy you do have to wear heels.

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  6. Best wishes for the new novel. I've never had to worry about being tall :) But my husband was tiny until he hit adolescence - the smallest child in his elementary school classes. Now he's average height. My middle daughter had huge growth spurts these past few years - she could always tell one was coming because she'd throw up. But it was worth it for her because she's taller than I am already :)

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  7. Thanks everyone for your comments. I have one son who is six-foot- -three, and my youngest is five-foot-ten. My husband is just under six feet. If I wear heels, I'm taller than he is.

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  8. Shows the oddities if life. I hated being small. At barely 5 feet and very late at maturing. I hated being referred to as kid and baby. No one ever wanted me on their sports teams I was always the “you take her” person left over. Eventually I grew to 5 foot 2 and endured years of that song. It isn’t cute when you long to be taken seriously. And then came middle age and the realization that all the weight I wanted in certain places had decided to settle right around my middle. So hilariously funny to reflect on the fact that while I was longing for those inches you were longing for bricks to take them away. I love finally being at the age where it all works out no matter what we thought we wanted. Jude

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