Here’s the prompt:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “adverb.” Start your post with any adverb and just run with it. Have fun!
What popped into my head was something from my teen years. Early teens I think. Or younger. It was a little game we played of suspense with these lines:
“S l o w l y I turned. Step by step. Inch by inch,” one of us would say, drawing out the words with an evil look in our eyes, building suspense….. and then,
“GOTCHA!” We’d grab the other person, maybe tickle them or something. I guess it would work better in the dark, or candle light. A sleep-over with a seance. (Hey, I spelled it right!) I don’t think we ever had serious seances. Just lit a candle and spooked ourselves silly.
Speaking of suspense, I’ve been taking a RAD course (Rape Aggression Defense) like Jami wrote about in her blog.
There are four classes and they’re FREE at the Sheriff’s Department. I have one more class to go. The instructors who are sheriff deputies said the last class will include simulations where we will be presented with scenarios to practice our skills. It sounds like we are going to be pretend attacked by unknown actors who are really law enforcement people. We will all be wearing padding. And helmets. I’m a little anxious about it. The class is thorough and interesting. It has shown me how much I don’t like conflict. Most people describe me a calm. I guess I am mild-mannered. The RAD instructors, one in particular, seem to try to make us mad, so we will fight back hard. It feels foreign to me, yet once or twice, it sort of felt good to get mad. Like I have this secret dark side. (It’s not a secret to those closest to me who have seen me mad, though not often.)
So it should come as no surprise that I don’t like slapstick (unless it’s Steve Martin) or the three stooges cause they’re always hitting each other. But I got curious about that “Slowly I turn…” business and looked it up. It’s an old vaudeville routine. I found some videos with the stooges that I didn’t look at and thought the one with Lucy would be okay. Well, there is hitting. She’s so funny and gets triggered by the name of “the other woman.” I guess we all have our triggers.
Lucy was always such a good sport.
Yeah, so I don’t fit the stereotype about redheads and temper. But if I get triggered once in a blue moon, watch out!
PS. I should clarify that everything in the RAD classes is completely voluntary and there are plenty of check ins to make sure we’re okay.
PPS. Here’s my plan: practice the moves and cultivate CONFIDENCE.
…
For more on the SoCS, visit Linda’s blog:
https://lindaghill.com/2019/05/17/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-18-19/
Here are the rules:
1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.
2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.
3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.
4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.
5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.
6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!
7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.
8. Have fun!
May 18, 2019 at 9:24 am
Oh my, thank you for these memories! As kids we used to play the same “slowly I turned game.” I’m not sure I saw the Lucy sketch before. It’s hysterical. Here deadpan line, ” I’m sorry, I’m not well,” cracks me up.
I don’t think I could tolerate a RAD class – not that I have triggers, to rape per se, but to anger and aggression. yikes.
May 18, 2019 at 9:38 am
That line tickled me, too. I can imagine using it in real life. I didn’t know RAD would be so realistic and “hands on.” But I’ve come this far, so….. It also helps that the instructors kid around a lot with each other and are supportive.
May 18, 2019 at 9:43 am
Silly Lucy – silly games – silly me – aw, such fun memories for me were sparked by your post! Way to take that RAD class – we’ve all got that flight or fight in us, it’s nice to have learned how to control it and know what to do with the fight in us if/when needed.
May 18, 2019 at 9:58 am
Thanks for the encouragement! I’m happy to spark some fun memories. 🙂
May 18, 2019 at 9:48 am
I’ve seen the Lucy clip. A classic. Thanks for sharing it again. I also remember playing slowly I turn at sleepovers. Fond memories.
May 18, 2019 at 9:59 am
Those were the days….. 🙂 Glad to bring up fond memories.
May 18, 2019 at 11:10 am
I remember that phrase and using it a lot in our play. Never knew the origin. If I had seen the Lucy clip, I do not remember it. Thanks for another walk down memory lane.
Good for you for taking the RAD class. I like to believe in the good of people, but the news does its best to convince me otherwise.
Great post, JoAnna.
May 18, 2019 at 2:49 pm
Thanks, Maggie. Plenty of good people in the world. But it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.
May 18, 2019 at 12:12 pm
“Niagara Falls” is a classic bit that just about every comedian from the vaudeville days knew. The Three Stooges and Abbot and Costello both did classic versions of it. Lucy probably did it because Phil Silvers was on the show. He’s a classic.
May 18, 2019 at 2:51 pm
I did watch Moe do it after I wrote this What a great job and lots of fun, I’ll bet to act out.
May 18, 2019 at 12:49 pm
JoAnna, this is the first time I’m learning about the “Slowly I Turned” children’s game. I found your RAD classes of special interest. I don’t think we can really predict how we would respond to a male intent on rape. So much depends upon the given circumstances.
Slowly I turned. I came face-to-face with my sister-in-law’s husband. His eyes, so close to mine, betrayed his intent. I backed away, escaping to safety among relatives gathered in the living room. From that day on, I avoided being alone with him.
May 18, 2019 at 2:54 pm
I’m sorry that happened, Rosaliene. You’re right. There are so many variables. They do talk about that in the class along with the primary goal: to escape. I’m so glad you were able to do that.
May 18, 2019 at 2:35 pm
You watched the Three Stoggies!!!!! I say that saying all the time when I want to agrevate my husband.
May 18, 2019 at 3:26 pm
That sounds like fun. 🙂 I only watched a little of the stoogies.
May 18, 2019 at 2:45 pm
I love the ‘slowly I turn,’ act, so funny. I thought that Abbott and Costello did it. Costello would say something and trigger the other guy to get all menacing and start going after him. I would laugh so hard at that.
May 18, 2019 at 3:29 pm
They did one, too. There is something cathartic about watching someone get triggered and letting it happen instead of squelching the reaction.
May 19, 2019 at 1:53 pm
It is so funny to watch it unfold and we thought it was silly fun.
May 18, 2019 at 5:10 pm
I remember the slowly I turned…Fun stuff. I do love your pine tree picture. Reminds me of home growing up in South Ga.
May 18, 2019 at 8:24 pm
Back when fun was so simple. I’m glad you like the Carolina pines. 🙂
May 18, 2019 at 10:01 pm
I do remember playing that. I’ve seen the Lucy video before but it was great to see it again. I really like the notion of “cultivate CONFIDENCE” Good luck with the final class.
May 19, 2019 at 8:13 pm
Thank you!
May 19, 2019 at 4:45 am
I’m not a fan of Chaplin because he is so cruel
May 19, 2019 at 8:16 pm
That’s completely understandable and honorable.
May 23, 2019 at 12:35 am
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i saw your profile on (here) and it interest me to be your friend,
please write me by email(sgtmonics@g mail.com) for details of me,
thanks as i hope to read from you ,monica smith i am female
May 25, 2019 at 1:49 pm
Thank you, Monica. Do you have a blog?
May 25, 2019 at 3:15 pm
Thanks very much, Monica
May 25, 2019 at 4:36 pm
I got several identical comments from Monica. Uncomfortable to say the least.
May 25, 2019 at 4:39 pm
Thanks a lot. JoAnna. Needless to say, I didn’t e-mail her
May 25, 2019 at 4:48 pm
Good! I actually did email her or someone like her a while back. “She” wanted some personal info. No way!
May 25, 2019 at 5:03 pm
🙂