"Not on My Bucket List" by Wendy A. Miller

– boldly go.
Touch this plant. Shout. Experience the rhythms of the jungle.

 –  boldly go

Touch this plant. Shout. Experience the rhythms of the jungle.

 

Wendy A. Miller lives in Portland, Oregon. She is a member of Taste Life Twice Writers. Her stories have appeared in the Personal Story Publishing Project anthologies: Luck and Opportunity, and Trouble, and featured in their 6-Minute Stories podcast. Other work has been in Sweet Tree Review, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Quail Bell Magazine, and Grown and Flown, where her essay ranked 14 in their "Parent Best Posts of 2020." Tiny Seed Literary Journal: Anthology Forest and The Weekly Avocet have published her poetry. Her website is www.wendyamiller.com

Author’s Talk

Wendy A. Miiler

The blank computer screen intimidates me. I need to ease into writing, like stretching before a workout. When I wrote “Not on My Bucket List,” the jungle animals and smells poured from my memory onto my computer with uncharacteristic ease. Boom. Done. I sent my first draft to my Taste Life Twice Writers’ group for their comments in record time. 

It is a myth that writing happens in solitary. The pages of acknowledgments printed in any book prove it requires a team to publish a good story. Almost three years ago, fate smiled when I met Tanya E.E.E. Schmid and Mary Clements Fisher in my first online writing class at Stanford University. Tanya had already been working with Akira Odani when our group formed. Suzanne Cottrell, a poet, joined us shortly after, and blogger Casey McClung completed our group.  

The six of us edit each other’s work, share educational information, meet monthly on Zoom, celebrate our publications, and encourage each other through our rejections. I’ve learned that swallowing critique requires trust. Seeing my writing through discerning eyes feeds my imagination to improve a piece.  

The initial feedback I received suggested “Not on My Bucket List” read like a travel journal—yikes, like watching a living room slide show. Cringe. Gratitude for their honesty soon soothed the hit on my ego. Reflecting on our family’s trip—why we went, how I felt about traveling to a jungle, and what I found engaging in the experience provided clarity. But I had difficulty answering that all-important question—how did it change me? Suzanne asked, “Do you have a souvenir from the trip?” I zeroed in on the white-knotted bracelet with the brown beads. Touching the intricate knots conjured images of the two soft-spoken Woorani women who inspired me with their courage to share their stories with my family.  

Six or eight drafts later, I submitted my essay. What a thrill to see my words in print and read on the 6-Minute Stories podcast. I hope the story sparks curiosity for the Amazon jungle and its people—perhaps motivates a computer search to learn more, or a trip to the jungle. Empathy, compassion, and understanding created through storytelling impact the human spirit. Those connections motivate me to return to the dreaded blank computer screen. Thanks for reading, and you can connect with me on my website www.wendyamiller.com or @wendyamiller35 on Twitter. - Wendy A. Miller