Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for the Slice of Life Challenge.
Today is the first day of March, and I decided I would take the plunge once again into the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge. This will be my 6th year doing this daily writing challenge. My purpose is completely selfish. I want to continue my connection with the wonderful, kind, and intelligent community of Slice of Life. After 6 years, I’ve made friends. And we stay in touch with each other through our blog posts.
I have been writing long enough to know that writing every day is a discipline that builds my writing muscles. I will be writing for myself. I’m not saying that I am not aware of my audience. I am. But I rarely look at stats. I have to say I do get a charge when WordPress sends me a notification “Your stats are soaring!” Who wouldn’t?
I begin today with a photo essay of a walk in New Orleans City Park on Monday with my daughter and her dogs, Abby and Mabel. In this section of the park, there is an old concession stand. Who knows why it was built! There are no ball fields nearby, only walking trails. A sign in the stand told this tale:
The Coven Bar
Built by hand in 1854 by honorable member of L. Clamput Vitus, Mary Jones Thicklebrush. This bar was erected after she and her Bernese mountain dog, Helmut, rescued a drowning man from an alligator attack in the river behind it. May her bravery and her thick callused hands be remembered for all of time.
The Coven Bar, New Orleans City Park
A Google search turned up nothing about this “bar” or any of the names mentioned. It seems The Coven Bar is a gay bar in Berlin. But that’s all I got.
Graffiti covers the structure. A green Grinch-like hand holds a pink telephone with the quote, “You Go Girl!”
In my opinion, this graffiti is both ugly and beautiful. While set in the midst of nature, grassy fields, draping oaks, bouquets of palms, this structure turns my attention away from nature to the irony of artistic expression.
What is the message here?
Is there any meaning in the artwork or the bogus tale of its origins?
I don’t believe the purpose here is political, but I may be missing something. The painting is quite clever. I wonder if it has any connection to the tale about Mary Jones Thicklebush.
We continued on our walk. Abby and Mabel both enjoyed off leash time sniffing, running, and meeting other dogs. (Abby is in the photo below. Mabel is much larger and still young so she was too fast to capture.)
This Slice of Life challenge makes me pay more attention. I look at the day to day and ask questions, wonder, write randomly. Some days I may come to some wisdom, but today is not one of them. Some days there are no answers, only questions.
Reflections on the Teche 
Margaret, I love the last statement because it goes so well with your walk. Wisdom sometimes come from the silence of our journey. While your walk was lively with your daughter and her dogs, you captured nature, provided a glimpse of the past and continued to wonder. We are so fortunate to feed each other’s souls with a window into our days.
Walking slices are some of my favorites. This was a glimpse into your world. Right now, mine is too snowy to take a walk in
So fun! I love photowalks and the idea of connecting it to daily writing. (Something tells me I’ll be stealing this idea later in the month.) I used to do a daily photography project and loved how much I slowed down and observed more.
The wisdom is in the “noticing” of the sign and the mural…and in the writing about it. Thanks for a great start from your part of the world.
You give us a good reminder that it is okay to be left with questions. ( In fact, I am leery of anyone who has all of the answers.) We should remind our students of this, also. It may be uncomfortable or unsettling to not have immediate clarification, however, giving them permission to not have an answer right away may allow them to grow in many ways.
So glad that you and Julieann and Tara are all back. It just wouldn’t be the same without you. Even though I wrote al,oat every day for a whole year and then some, this daily writing with this community is speacial and unique.
Love your walking around New Orleans….
Bonnie
This is a great model for my students to wonder about things they may pass every day. I love the call to pay attention. What a strange and interesting monument!
Love it! Writing every day since November has really built my muscle too. This is wonderful advice and mentor text. Kalo Mina (happy first day of the month)
I must say that is a most intriguing tale of the bar, and the name Miss Thicklebrush with the honored callused hands would make a terrific storybook. I guess it’s already part of a story, isn’t it? I’m glad you shared. Favorite tales come from venturing out.
Some day, I will make it to NOLA…but today I love immersing myself in the artistry of your perspective and your curiosity.
And sometimes not having the answers is OK. We have a lot of trains that come through my town and I am always amazed at the graffiti that I see. I always wonder how they have enough time to paint them on the side of a train car! Thanks for taking us on your walk today.
“Ask questions, wonder, write randomly.”…What a great mantra!
So glad we are writing together this month!
“Some days there are no answers, only questions.” And some days we enjoy walks in the park with our families! Thank for sharing this funky bit of New Orleans history.