Port Wine Stain: A Short Story

Writing was always a shit sandwich with very thin bread that I was force fed. I always was wishing I could find more bread. I was ten to eleven years old; I was small but not skinny or fat, but rather filled in. Since the day I was born, the right side of my face has been adorned with a peninsula shaped Port Wine Stain, named so because the color of it is very similar to port wine. For the longest, time I hated writing; I despised it. When writing, all I could think of was school, and the fact that I must complete the assignment promptly and correctly the first time or else I will lose points. The looming sharp and jagged clawed shadow monster of stress was the only thing with me when I wrote. Then one summer’s day, thanks to one man, I found

A voice with a hint of a rusty, grating, and raspy sound. Most every story begins with the same words, "Well, it 's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, my hometown, out there on the edge of the prairie," and every story ends in the same words, “That’s the news for Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.” His storytelling is very unique Keillor uses very simple language, but he uses it in such a way that I can see the town and hear the people. Some of the topics in his stories made my body feel like ice and a flood of pure sweet primal fear would rush over me. Other times a wave of joy and giggles accompanied by river of happy tears would come from his words. No matter the subject matter though, I could see it all; it was

Writing no longer seemed like the skyscraper, long clawed, person eating shadow monster it once was. It was no longer a shit sandwich with thin bread. Writing had become a fellow human, a friend even. Writing no longer seemed forced it seemed more like speaking. I still listen to Keillor, and sometimes it is while I am writing. While I listen to his stories I draw inspiration from his word play and creativity, and use this inspiration to make my writing better. Thanks to Keillor I don’t find writing to be a shit sandwich any more but rather a peanut butter and jelly, I still don’t want to eat it all the time but at least when I have to it doesn’t taste like