Betty Locke

“Why now?” My friends ask, “why spend your golden years writing kid’s stories? Is it because you are in your second childhood?”

“Probably,” I say with amusement. “I have to acknowledge that there is some truth in that.”

I start to think back to THEN and I recollect that I was enjoying stories fresh out of the cradle.

I pestered my parents for stories and bless them, t hey did their best but their repertoire was limited. Most children have heard all the old classics by the time they are six.

As an avid reader in my elementary school years I haunted library shelves.

There was no TV in those days and many of us, would hurry to get home from school in time to hear a story read on the radio. The Children’ Hour was the high point of the day. We would hungrily hang on every word with our ears glued to the box.

I loved to write compositions while most of my friends hated it. My imagination ran rampant while spelling went right out of the window.

Nearly always late for class I would walk the two miles reading a book. And I was known to come up with the most creative excuses for my tardiness.

“Well, you see Miss, I saw a turtle trying to get down into a storm sewer.
He needed water you see. I knew it would not be good for him to get into the dirty old sewer so I had to take him down to the pond. The pond was a long way away so that is what made me late.” Neither the turtle nor the pond actually existed.

Since then I have served time as a school teacher, a Sunday School teacher and various other activities involving Children.

In middle age my husband and I ran a farm and there were always children around.

“Tell us a story, “ they would beg. Then, “Oh No, we have heard that one. Tell us something different”

Making it up as I went along, it thrilled me to see how enthraled they were.

Then they would say “Tell it again” or “Tell us another.”

If there are children from this day and age, who, in spite of being steeped in video games enjoy my stories it makes me happy.

So I gladly admit to being in my second childhood but hey...Grandma Moses was well up there when she took up painting and I’ll bet she enjoyed every minute of it.