Still Writing the Words to Help Us Do and Feel Good Things

An author interview

Katharine Valentino

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Katharine Valentino at age 5
This is me as I would like to be remembered (photo taken by my mother a l-o-n-g time ago)

My motto

Do the best you can do with the life that you have, in the place that you are, with the time that you have.

(I’ve recently made the last phrase “with the time that you have left.”)

One fine day, you started writing. Tell us about that day.

One fine day I no longer remember, I sat down at my student desk to write an essay on …. Maybe it was about “Our Great President” (in 1954, that would have been Dwight D. Eisenhower). Or it could have been “Our Great Democracy” (in that case, I might have written about my parents voting for Eisenhower). Whatever it was, I know it had the word “great” in it.

Since I can’t remember the topic, I’m going to imagine it was “Our Great Air Force.” My father was a major in the Air Force who was in charge of everything the planes at the Albany, Georgia, air force base needed so they could fly.

The prize for the winning essay was certainly great! I got to stand 10 feet from the runway and watch The Thunderbirds doing somersaults and flying upside down in their Thunderjets, each plane not more than my father’s height from the others.

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Katharine Valentino
Katharine Valentino

Written by Katharine Valentino

Still trying for the words to help us do & feel good things. Owner of Reviews for Medium Featured Books. I write life stories & about politics / social issues.