We never seem to grow up to be who we thought we’d be.
We probably should be thankful for that.
Author: David J Roman is cold.
David Roman lives in Michigan with his wife and dog. Their two kids are grown and live nearby. He’s been a runner for more than forty years, a writer for more than thirty years, a teacher for more than twenty years, and a weirdo his whole life.
Ok, this isn’t my typewriter, but I did learn on a manual.
This small cow is actually a dog. Her name is Tillie. She’s as sweet as a dog can be. The only thing she loves more than people is other dogs. She’s a rescue and is roughly a year and a half old. Which means this small wookie could get bigger.
I created a Halloween garden in my yard: graveyard, cornfield, pumpkin patch. Even a garden can tell a story.
My wife fed corncobs to the squirrels. The squirrels planted the corn. I let the corn grow. I fed it to the squirrels. It seemed only fair.
Writing allows one to see the world the way it should be…or at least see the world the way it is and try to understand why.
I used to work in the film biz and still take a lot of pictures.
I spent most of my professional life in the greatest career anyone could ask for—teaching! I worked with kids from grades seven through twelve and enjoyed every year. Building relationships and helping them get from “here to there” was inspirational. I told boatloads of stories over the years in my lessons and they often said, “Mr.Roman, you should do standup comedy!” I always presumed that meant they simply enjoyed the stories, but I wonder now if they were politely trying to tell me I should find a new career. Either way, connecting with those young, enthusiastic, and hopeful audiences makes you crave that connection more. I greatly miss working with students, but at some point you realize it’s time for a new generation of teachers to take over and bring their energy and creativity to a new generation of great kids.
Over the years I collected story ideas and since I left the classroom I have endeavored to write them. I taught students that story is all about conflict: give a character a problem and turn him/her loose trying to solve it. I guess, now it’s my turn to see if I can follow my own writing advice.
I write stories about other people, other places, and times. I still love those coming-of-age stories where a young person learns better who he or she is. I saw it unfolding every day at school. I still find “growing up” inspiring. It’s not just a chance for readers to see what a character is made of, writing is a chance for writers to understand the world from others’ perspectives. A chance to understand the world better and learn about themselves. I still have so much to learn—just ask anyone I know!
Stories shouldn’t just be entertaining, they should teach something. It’s an old habit, I guess.