Thank you to the ladies at Two Writing Teachers (www.twowritingteachers.wordpress.com) for hosting the March Slice of Life Story Challenge!
Skipping
The older you get, the more deeply words affect you. Think of the word “skipping.” When you are young, you learn to crawl, walk, and skip. Skipping is happiness. Skipping is innocence. Skipping is laughter.
Then you grow into adolescence. You’re a rebel. You don’t follow rules; you try activities that prove you are independent. Skipping is hiding (in the school bathroom — “cutting class.”). Skipping is fiddling. Skipping is secrecy. The connotation of the word shifts to a more negative tone than in the “good ol’ days.”
As an adult, skipping becomes more consequential. Skipping work equals unemployment. Skipping a red light means high-cost ticket. Skipping is illegal. Skipping is corruption. Skipping is guilt. I’m sorry I skipped out on posting yesterday. Another failed day of the challenge, too tired to stand up, too busy to write.
Skipping is bad news!
Reading Teacher Writes 
March 21, 2015 at 11:47 AM
Interesting word work on positive and negative connotations. Perhaps as adult we should skip more in the positive way. Great exercise, too. D 🙂
March 21, 2015 at 11:59 AM
What a clever way to track a word through the stages of our life. You can always revisit the skipping out of pure happiness. Who says we are too old to skip down a hallway? Perhaps not typical, but gosh, I miss it. It was because you were skipping through life yesterday that you skipped your post. I can’t think of a better reason. Thanks for skipping into our thoughts today; I enjoyed your piece!
March 21, 2015 at 12:11 PM
Yesterday was a hard day for us, too. We are all “guilty” of giving ourselves a break when we know we need it.
Thanks for sharing.
Darla & Jen
March 21, 2015 at 12:29 PM
It’s best if you return to the skipping of your youth. 🙂
Some days things have to slide off the plate, but you are right back at it. Good for you!
March 21, 2015 at 12:55 PM
The perspectives of one word through the years is an interesting exercise. I have been known to skip as an adult. Although breathless in a short time, it brings joy.
March 21, 2015 at 2:12 PM
I love this. I love the distinction you made for each phase of life in regards to one particular words. You may have skipped a day, but it made for a great post and an interesting read today! Way to turn lemons into lemonade! 🙂 (Or more appropriately due to the SOLC picture – turn oranges into orange juice!)
March 21, 2015 at 2:33 PM
I’ve skipped a few days of the challenge, but continuing on is even more powerful for me.
March 21, 2015 at 3:04 PM
It’s human to skip – but so glad to see you back at it today!
March 21, 2015 at 4:02 PM
I’m glad you skipped right back!
March 21, 2015 at 4:06 PM
I really appreciate the layers of meaning you add to different times in a person’s life. Thankfully, I thought of the positive connotation of skipping first 🙂
March 21, 2015 at 5:41 PM
I never thought about ‘skipping’ like that until your post!!! How clever. xo
March 21, 2015 at 6:34 PM
I’m glad you’re back!!! Skipping back into the challenge! 🙂
March 21, 2015 at 9:24 PM
I love your thinking! Luckily if you skip a day, you can get back your rhythm! Nice slice!
March 21, 2015 at 9:40 PM
Thanks! I cannot believe how popular that post was! I did feel guilty, though. I really wanted to win the challenge this year!
March 21, 2015 at 9:56 PM
i am totally going to harness my childhood notion of skipping the next time I feel hard on myself for missing or skipping something. I love the way you played with the way our sense of a word changes alongside our experience as people. What other words would this work for? Hmmm…