Trying to be creative and writery.

So I’ve been trying to think of some ideas for writing an entry for the Red Planet Prize. Whenever I think of the Red Planet Prize I think of Mars Planets and then I think of Mars bars in general and then I sit and stare at the blank page dreaming of chocolate. This writing business will make me fat!

I should try harder to be serious. Maybe I should channel my past a bit and talk about being in care. I sure as hell have enough to say on that.

For the most part, my past is blurry. I don’t like to talk about what happened too much, but my dad died when I was 5. He took one swig too many from the whiskey bottle and I ended up in care. I don’t blame him though, life dealt him a bad hand, and he loved me to the moon and back. I spent a lot of time wondering ‘Why me?’ Life changed after that, I spent time flitting between children’s homes and a couple of foster families. I don’t remember much from the homes, but certain things stick out. I remember the garish clowns and cartoons painted on the walls, I remember that my bedroom was bright yellow in one home, and I remember hiding the hair clips that my dad had bought for me on a day trip to the seaside, so that no one would steal them.

The homes weren’t bad places, they just lacked continuity for me and I never felt as though I fitted in. I stayed with one foster family (Beryl and Eric) but ended up back at the home after only a couple of weeks. I never found out why I had to move back. I stayed with another foster family after that. I stayed for a bit longer but again ended up back at the home. I didn’t get on with their other daughter. I remember hearing something about her being jealous of me. I don’t think anyone’s ever been jealous of me since.

But that’s when Mavis saved me. She was definitely a little less loopy when she took me in. Still, even then she did things in her own unique way. She has a strange aversion to wax crayons that meant I never got to use them at home. She also never made me sandwiches for school, but instead liked to make me cakes and bowls of fruit. I very quickly got moved onto hot dinners by my teachers! As far as I’m concerned though, Mavis is the mother figure in my life, and I like to think I get my ditzy side from her.