“The Essentials” by Catherine Parisio
– How could we have been so stupid?
We revised our travel plans to reflect our new reality.
Catherine Parisio spent nearly two decades living overseas and teaching at international schools. From South America to Africa to the Middle East, the insights and challenges of expat life, as well as the wealth of travel opportunities available, give her a lot to write about. Living in Oregon at present, she and her husband are adjusting to life as empty-nesters and are eager for their next adventure. When she is not out on the trail with her hiking buddies, Catherine works as a freelance book editor, and she writes.
Author’s Talk
Catherine Parisio
The story of getting robbed at the La Paz bus station is one I have told countless times, but even though I was keeping a journal at the time (in fact, I had been writing in my journal right before the robbery occurred, which is why, thankfully, my journal was not in the stolen backpack), I never actually wrote down what happened.
The first draft of this story came to me in its entirety as I was sitting in the Portland airport, waiting for a flight to Las Vegas. Desperate to write everything down before the idea disappeared, I opened a Google Doc on my phone just before boarding. Settling into my seat, I started writing. I was sucked into the vortex of the story and by the time the plane landed, I had poked out a 1200-word story using only my index fingers.
Now I faced a challenge. I had to whittle my 1200 words down to 800, which I accomplished with the help of my dear friend and fellow PSPP author, Wendy Miller. Filled with trepidation, I sent the final version to the Personal Story Publishing Project for consideration.
The constructive feedback I received was extensive. The suggestions encouraged me to reconsider the focus of my story and shift from a detailed recounting of the robbery to a deeper reflection on the aftermath. I have to admit, I resisted at first. I struggled through the first revision, and sent it back, not convinced there was any improvement. Within a few hours, I received another lengthy email, encouraging me to do more. I was on the right path, but I hadn’t reached the destination yet.
With the deadline looming, I took a deep breath and jumped into the revision work with two feet. I was merciless. I cut whole lines. I “cut my darlings,” as Wendy says, and discovered it didn’t hurt as much as I imagined. I dug out my journal and reread the entries written after the theft. As my story shifted from a story of getting robbed to a story of making the most of a tough situation, the message I wanted to convey became clear. The ending, which had sounded so awkward in the first draft, came together smoothly. When I sent this final draft, I no longer had any doubts. This story was what I had wanted it to be all along.—Catherine Parisio
