Great News For Mother Earth!

By: Martin Bartloff


A great weight lifted off my shoulders when I listened to the announcement that the United States has finally agreed to a change in direction on global climate agreements.

Born and raised in Germany comes with a completely different outlook on our environment. Growing up, I was taught in school not to litter. We actually had classes on the subject.

I immigrated from Germany to the United States back in 1991, and remember driving down an Interstate when suddenly, a trash-filled bag from a well known fast food chain, came flying out from the car in front of me. I grabbed pencil and paper and wrote down the license plate number. When I later proudly presented the evidence to a policeman I was laughed at. When you toss as much as a cigarette butt in the country I was raised in, you end up with a hefty fine.



Throughout the years I've made extra efforts to stop some abuse against Mother Earth. I remember a friend asking me to assist him changing the oil and filter on his automobile. When all was finished, my friend carried a plastic bowl with five quarts of used motor oil to his bathroom.

No way! I thought, as he was about to unload the substance into his toilet. I explained to him that one drop of oil renders a bathtub full of drinking water useless, and I volunteered to take the used oil to the local parts store for recycling. Do the math; if my education changed how this person recycled his used motor oil, I saved many bathtubs worth of drinking water.

I'm grateful for the new policy concerning our environment and for a new, more global geared administration. I must say however, an educational process must be in place along with the changes. I'm not sure how it's asked that we protect the earth, when it seems some people can't take care of their problems at home. Animals build soft nests, why can’t we!


Martin Bartloff

Earth Day, 2009

Look for Martin's book, Torn from Normal aka Like A Snowflake In Summer
June, 2009 - Echelon Press

Martin on Teen-Seen

Martin's Website

Excerpt, Repost. "Torn from Normal" by Martin Bartloff

I reposted this Excerpt due to Andy's guest appearance on Teen-Seen

Aftermath partII (Andy is 12 years old here)

* * * * *

It sounded like a good idea at first when his mom enrolled him in a local soccer team.
“It will be good for you being around other boys your age.” Her eyes flew over the sign-up sheet. “You can’t spend the rest of your life playing video games in your room hon.” She flipped the page, reading glasses at the tip of her nose. Andy knew the truth though.
She wants me out of the house to work more hours.
“And it will help you move on.” She mumbled.


Willing to try Andy gave in. “I’ll go, but I’m not staying if I don’t like it.”
“You can invite Jason, maybe he would like to watch you play sometime, or who knows, he might want to enroll with you.” Andy rolled his eyes; he knew that would be a waste of time. Jason skipped gym class every week and bragged about it. “The Mitchell’s can’t afford it and Jason has a girlfriend now.”

By the time he took the field, his stomach hurt from dreading this moment for two whole days. His mom got the best cleats and his jersey was bright white. The guys wouldn't give him a hard time for looking like a reject from a second hand store at least. The coach stuck him in midfield, probably, Andy thought, because he didn't rate good enough to play fullback and he was too slow to guard the goal. That was the story of his life though, wasn't it? Never good enough to get a pat on the back, and never bad enough to have the cool factor of a rebel. Just a total geekwad.


After four weeks the cleats along with Andy’s ambition showed first signs of wear.
Everyone else had a parent come to their games or pick them up after practice. “Why can’t you stick around just this once to watch me play?” Andy squinted retrieving the gym-bag from behind the seat.
“Andy, please don’t be difficult, we’ve been through this before. I have to work the extra hours.” She checked her watch, in a hurry to get going. “And who’s gonna pick me up after practice?”
“Well how’s all the boys get home, I’m sure I’m not the only mother with a job?”
“All the other boys have dads.” He shoved the door hard, letting her have it. He wasn’t gonna look back he thought as she sped away.


When practice ended Andy stood alone discarded like an empty milk bottle.
Watching as fathers joked with their sons hurt him so bad, but he didn’t tell anyone. Instead, he hurried to start the long walk home alone to avoid seeing all those families together. Gym-bag around his shoulder, he hurried to the other side of the street. Not wanting his cleats get ruined he chose the grass by the curb for his way home.


Vans and cars with team mates inside zipped by, no one looked or waived at him. The last one slowed down, the brake lights invited him, he squeezed the gym-bag tight and sprinted in the street thinking he got a ride; instead the van crossed a speed bump and continued on down the road. Somebody had to see him he thought sucking up the embarrassment and watching the pavement change color as rain turned to hail. Only once did he get a ride home. It was pouring down rain and the coach took pity on him.

If you like to meet Andy Riley who is now seventeen, click here for his "Watercolor Memories"

Spooky

By: Martin Bartloff

Senior-Tuesday, sixty-five and older, half off, Logan, my employee and I decide to go for Chinese buffet. The place is packed with senior citizens, like it always was on Tuesday. We pick a table then order our drinks "Ice tea unsweetened." I say. The waitress nods then points the pencil at Logan. "Swee-T?" She asks, remembering us. Logan nods.

We get up to pack our plates. Sweet and sour chicken, some seafood, spring roll, mushrooms, salad. My two plates are packed. Logan fills a bowl with soup for me, like he always does when we have Chinese.

We return to the table, Logan sits in front of me, like always. We stuff food in our mouths, sip tea. All around us people talk, eat, talk more. Logan talks about his weekend, upcoming college classes in the mornings. I talk about the shop, some blogs I'm writing and revisions I’m finishing.

From the time we got there I feel being watched, so I look around for familiar faces, customers I often meet there.
No customers, only some faces we see there every Tuesday. I talk some more about the shop. Logan gets up. "Be right back, getting some more food."

I sip my tea, suddenly see and feel those piercing eyes some tables away in front of me. She is about 70, maybe older, her head slightly tilted, her eyes gaze, staring holes in me, but more as if she is daydreaming, not really looking at me. Logan returns, more chicken on his plate. He talks more about classes as he sits down, but I feel her eyes still piercing right through Logan. I lean left, our eyes meet, uncomfortable I lean right. She is still looking at me, there is no mistake she is checking me out maybe? No way I think and slurp soup.

The waitress brings the bill, two fortune cookies. I lean to look past Logan again. There she is her eyes as big as an owl, right on me. Do I know her? I straighten; hide my face from her behind Logan’s. We talk about the food. Then I notice her getting up. I feel relieved, she is leaving.

We're almost ready to leave; I crunch on my fortune cookie. She walks down the isle, coming right by our table and veers closer. Oh no I think, not knowing what to think. I feel her eminent present, she stops just slightly past me, pads my shoulder. "Keep writing." She says her lips flat. She walks away, egg drop soup is running down my chin, I look at Logan, he looks at me, he is pale, like he had seen a ghost. "Where did she come from?"
I wipe my face, turn to look for her, but she's disappeared.

--Martin

http://martinbartloff.blogspot.com/

The Law of Attraction

......Coming soon, my very own experience with the law of attraction. You will be stunned.
Stay tuned, subscribe to my blog as you cannot afford to miss this.

--Martin

Excerpt "Torn from Normal" by Martin Bartloff

Aftermath partII (Andy is 12 years old here)

* * * * *

It sounded like a good idea at first when his mom enrolled him in a local soccer team.
“It will be good for you being around other boys your age.” Her eyes flew over the sign-up sheet. “You can’t spend the rest of your life playing video games in your room hon.” She flipped the page, reading glasses at the tip of her nose. Andy knew the truth though.
She wants me out of the house to work more hours.
“And it will help you move on.” She mumbled.


Willing to try Andy gave in. “I’ll go, but I’m not staying if I don’t like it.”
“You can invite Jason, maybe he would like to watch you play sometime, or who knows, he might want to enroll with you.” Andy rolled his eyes; he knew that would be a waste of time. Jason skipped gym class every week and bragged about it. “The Mitchell’s can’t afford it and Jason has a girlfriend now.”

By the time he took the field, his stomach hurt from dreading this moment for two whole days. His mom got the best cleats and his jersey was bright white. The guys wouldn't give him a hard time for looking like a reject from a second hand store at least. The coach stuck him in midfield, probably, Andy thought, because he didn't rate good enough to play fullback and he was too slow to guard the goal. That was the story of his life though, wasn't it? Never good enough to get a pat on the back, and never bad enough to have the cool factor of a rebel. Just a total geekwad.


After four weeks the cleats along with Andy’s ambition showed first signs of wear.
Everyone else had a parent come to their games or pick them up after practice. “Why can’t you stick around just this once to watch me play?” Andy squinted retrieving the gym-bag from behind the seat.
“Andy, please don’t be difficult, we’ve been through this before. I have to work the extra hours.” She checked her watch, in a hurry to get going. “And who’s gonna pick me up after practice?”
“Well how’s all the boys get home, I’m sure I’m not the only mother with a job?”
“All the other boys have dads.” He shoved the door hard, letting her have it. He wasn’t gonna look back he thought as she sped away.


When practice ended Andy stood alone discarded like an empty milk bottle.
Watching as fathers joked with their sons hurt him so bad, but he didn’t tell anyone. Instead, he hurried to start the long walk home alone to avoid seeing all those families together. Gym-bag around his shoulder, he hurried to the other side of the street. Not wanting his cleats get ruined he chose the grass by the curb for his way home.


Vans and cars with team mates inside zipped by, no one looked or waived at him. The last one slowed down, the brake lights invited him, he squeezed the gym-bag tight and sprinted in the street thinking he got a ride; instead the van crossed a speed bump and continued on down the road. Somebody had to see him he thought sucking up the embarrassment and watching the pavement change color as rain turned to hail. Only once did he get a ride home. It was pouring down rain and the coach took pity on him.

Back to Teen-Seen:

Teen-Seen Announcement

Dear friends and family,

Starting April 12th Easter Sunday, a week from today, I will be hosting the Teen-Seen site every other Sunday.

Wondering what is Teen-Seen? Teen-Seen is a youth entertainment blog for age 10 and up. I entertain this site along with my fellow Young Adult Fiction writers aka quakers from http://www.Quakeme.com

If you're eager to see what we're doing there, head over there now for our last weeks theme, Gaming. Next weeks theme will be "Fashion." I'll see you there, don't miss it.

http://teen-seen.blogspot.com/



--Martin

http://martinbartloff.blogspot.com/
http://MartinBartloff.com
http://myspace.com/benzman01
http://teen-seen.blogspot.com/
http://quakeme.com