This section contains non-fiction – which includes articles on various topics, essays on topics ranging from spiritual insights to general thoughts on life, or memoirs about actual people and places. All the non-fiction pieces with links have been published by various magazines, newsletters and book publishers. Click Here to view a list of the Non-Fiction Story pages.
I’ve lived a life full of travel, experiences, critters and people whom I love. These will stay alive for me by keeping photos and writing down the details before I get to the point that I start “forgetting”, which happens to us all. I don’t want to forget the “rotten apple wars” with my siblings – especially the look on Bunny’s face when I got her with a really gushy one, or the surprise birthday party in Louisville, or way my baby daughter’s hair smelled as I sang and rocked her to sleep.
When I write, I choose what to remember and what to cast off. Bad stuff tends to linger anyway…but chasing after an escaped goat through a suburban neighborhood with 11 other kids strung out behind me is something I don’t want to forget. I want to remember my friends, my canine
companions and my pet guineas – not just their existence but their personalities and quirks. Nor do I want to forget any of my siblings…we are still the Krazy Kern Kids.
My father, Vitus Francis Joseph Kern (aka: Sonny) died over a decade ago, but when I have a hard time getting myself to sleep I think about how as a child I might fall asleep on the couch in the evening. Gently he picked me up and holding me he quietly carried me upstairs to bed. Through the fog of slumber I still felt warm and loved as he tucked the covers around me.
On school days Mom’s cheerful voice rang up the stairs…”RISE and SHIIIIINNNE!” We’d grumble as we got up and dressed in our school uniform skirts and blouses, then tromp downstairs to a bowl of cereal or oatmeal. Mom was always there with at least 10 slices of bread across the counter – slathering peanut butter on half, jelly on the other half then slapping them together. She wrapped them up and slid them into brown paper bags, adding money for a carton of milk we would buy in the cafeteria. Then out the door we’d race to the bus stop, or if it was a sunny day we’d all jump on our bicycles to ride the three miles to school.
The bicycle rides had me (the oldest) leading. I’d stop at the intersections to make sure there was no cross traffic and then ride across with the younger ones behind me. Bunny, as 2nd oldest brought up the rear. She was a natural caretaker and would make sure the smaller ones didn’t get left behind.
We always had a dog in the house. Lady dominates my memory. She had a fiercely protective attitude towards us kids. She would have conniptions when we played football in the back yard with neighbor kids. I’ll always remember one evening though, when the family had gone to see a movie at the drive in. As we pulled into our driveway we noticed the front door of the house standing wide open. Lady was sitting in the doorway wagging her tail. I can only image the look on whatever person had tried to break in as they encountered a snarling 120 pound German Shepard on the other side of the door.
Lady, Buttons, Penny, Ginger, Joe, Honey, Masha, King, Sophie….my canine companion-protectors.
