Mediocre
Making Fun of Life
by
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“Story Telling”
We celebrated Paulie’s birthday over at the Burton Clanhouse with lots of food and lots (four generations) of family.
The subject of movies came up and a cousin asked me why I have so many (over 1,500).
My usual answer is that I love storytelling, which is why I also have so many books.
Instead of saying that, though, I said, “I have a theory about that. I think that if I didn’t have so many movies, I’d be spending a lot more time with Paulie sharing, uh, marital relations. But whenever there’s a break in our schedules and I’m thinking of this subject, a new movie magically appears and Paulie’s saying to me, ‘Look! Look! I just put in a new movie for you!’ and to me, that’s like a shiny object I’ve just got to stare at, so I forget the whole reason I hunted him down in the first place.”
To my right, I see Paulie looking very uncomfortable for bringing up this subject matter at the dinner table (but nodding his head nonetheless), when I heard, on my left, his octogenarian grandmother choke on her drink.
When she could breathe again, she was laughing.
God, I love this family!
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About the Book
Drawing on a lifetime of experiences, author Julie McCulloch Burton shares a compilation of short stories and vignettes that reflect her self-deprecating sense of humor and her positive outlook on life, turning ordinary moments into meaningful lessons.
Including personal photographs of a wide range of subjects—food, flowers, animals, people, landscapes, seasons, studies in lines, and studies in water movement—Mediocre also presents a varied collection of writings, many of which originated as e-mails to family and friends. Burton offers narratives relaying the realities and absurdities of humorous, everyday situations; accounts of what it’s like to live with multiple sclerosis; favorite family recipes; philosophical thoughts; poetry; and reflections on moments in life when you wish you had thought things through just a little bit more.
In Mediocre, Burton provides enlightenment about an ailment that does not define her, entertains with the humor that does, and teaches that the object of this game is not only to do your best on your best day, but also to do your best on your worst day.
About the Author
Julie McCulloch Burton is a proud US Navy veteran, an ARAMCO Brat, a Grier School alumnus, a Whatcom Community College alumnus, a patented inventor, an award-winning baker, an award-winning photographer, and a freshly minted non-fiction writer. She is currently writing her second book. Her first book, "Mediocre - Making Fun of Life" is out now. She has multiple sclerosis, and lives in beautiful Bellingham, Washington with her beloved husband of thirteen years, Paulie.
Find her at Facebook.com/MakingFunOfLife