Author Topic: New Greenlea Tale: The Grey Girls  (Read 173797 times)

Offline louisev

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Re: New Greenlea Tale: The Grey Girls
« Reply #30 on: March 06, 2008, 01:59:32 pm »
well now ... let me just say a few things.

First off I am super pleased that everybody is getting into discussing the issues that the situation raises.  I don't like writing pure fantasy where everyone roars off into the sunset holding hands and inconvenient truths are taken out of the picture.  That is my biggest complaint about so much fanfiction in this fandom is that the remaining "exes" somehow seem to be pacified or are suddenly okay with Ennis and Jack's new life together in the AU's and there is no fallout.

In proceeding with my own original story, I have never believed that Colson was an innocent victim of his own sexuality, nor that he and his wife had ever handled their marriage, or their divorce, in any proper way - the most that can be said is that Colson tried to keep from saying anything negative about Laura, and a lot of that motivation was his own sense of guilt and bearing the burden of the failure of their marriage.  It was doomed, and his homosexuality had doomed it from the beginning.  So there is both guilt and hurt there, but not something that Colson can do a great deal about unless Laura decides to forgive him.  The only thing he can change is his own happiness, and his relationship with his daughters.

However, one thing I wanted to point out is that he has discouraged his daughters from running away from their mother, pretty consistently.  For selfish reasons to be sure:  1) he didnt want to suddenly become a full time dad and complicate his relationship, now that he has one that he is happy with and 2) he didn't want to upset Laura by alienating the girls from her and letting them just escape to start over again with him.  And the same is true in this situation - he agreed to their moving to Tourmaline because his daughter Pam had been attacked and begged him in tears to help her get out, and this was fueled by a manifest failure of support by her mother.  He could hardly refuse under these conditions, and he still is conflicted about it.  So Laura blaming him for giving them an exit strategy is not really fair.  He could have interfered a lot while he was still in town with them, and never did, so assuming he has decided to step between Laura and their children and try to alienate them from her isn't really logical nor sensible.  He is doing the knee-jerk reaction thing to finally help out a daughter that was alienated from him for a long time herself. 

However, psychologically speaking, Laura would naturally assume that is what he is up to, since she put a lot of energy into discouraging the girls from having an ongoing relationship with Colson, due to her beliefs about his perversion, and in order to mollify her own hurt feelings.  She would naturally assume he is up to the same thing - hence her indignation.  But it is in defiance of the facts.
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline mariez

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Re: New Greenlea Tale: The Grey Girls
« Reply #31 on: March 06, 2008, 03:34:56 pm »
Thank you for the wonderful insights, Louise!  Always so great to read. 

I agree that it was absolutely the right thing for the girls to come Tourmaline at this point - and you're right, Colson has never encouraged them to run away from their mother, and I don't consider their coming to Tourmaline right now "running away."  But I do think the fact that he brought up the idea of arresting Laura (even if he wasn't really serious) indicates that he wants to avoid some problems that can't be avoided - and that's what I meant when I referred to "running away." (Not to mention the fact that having her arrested seems like overkill to me  :laugh:

And you're also right, of course, that there is not a lot more Colson can do unless and until Laura decides to forgive him which doesn't seem likely at the moment.  Having said that, for him to throw it back in her face -  and take umbrage at the fact -  that she was having him followed - and then ask her if she didn't have faith in anyone - when he was being unfaithful!!! ....well, maybe it was out of guilt, but that doesn't help matters at all - especially when you add in the things he admitted after that about never really loving or wanting her.  Ouch. 

It's true that facts and fairness do tend to get thrown out the window when things are at an emotional peak, and when you factor in the long, sad, hurtful history among the parties - it's a recipe for disaster, which is pretty much where we're at right now! 

souxi, I just wanted to add that having sympathy for Laura doesn't diminish the sympathy I feel for Pam, or Colson or Katie Ann - I just happen to think that everyone here is worthy of some sympathy.

I am really curious as to how everyone is going to handle themselves.  Will Colson "hide" in the bunkhouse?  Will Laura make a scene?  How will Edna and Wes react?  How will Katie Ann handle her mother?  Tune in for the next chapter .... LOL!  Can you tell we love the story, Lousie? 

Thanks,
Marie
The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis         ~~~~~~~~~Thurgood Marshall

The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.    ~~~~~~~~~ Mark Twain

Offline belbbmfan

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Re: New Greenlea Tale: The Grey Girls
« Reply #32 on: March 06, 2008, 04:47:54 pm »
Yes, Marie, you've expressed it so much better than I could.

Avoidance, that's what's going on here. Well not for much longer it seems...


Maybe I'll skip breakfast tomorrow morning and start the computer right after getting out of bed!  :laugh:


I love your writing Louise. (I'm starting to sound like an old record ah well... :D). You care about the story, the characters (heck, I could give Wayne a hug, go figure), it's never black or white.

'We're supposed to guard the sheep, not eat 'em'

Offline louisev

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Re: New Greenlea Tale: The Grey Girls
« Reply #33 on: March 06, 2008, 05:13:24 pm »
I can't get enough of being told how much you love my stories, Fabienne!! so don't worry about repeating yourself!

I'll try to make the next chapter worth skipping breakfast for!

“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline souxi

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Re: New Greenlea Tale: The Grey Girls
« Reply #34 on: March 06, 2008, 05:18:58 pm »
I hear what your saying about Laura Marie, but I find it incredibly hard to feel remotely sympathetic towards Laura, when she is treating her daughter the way she is. This isn,t about Laura and her feelings, it,s about Pam, who has gone through the horrific trauma of rape. IMO Laura needs to put her own bitter feelings aside and give her daughter the emotional support she desperately needs from her mother.

Offline louisev

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Re: New Greenlea Tale: The Grey Girls
« Reply #35 on: March 06, 2008, 11:06:29 pm »
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline mariez

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Re: New Greenlea Tale: The Grey Girls
« Reply #36 on: March 06, 2008, 11:25:13 pm »
and here is chapter 8:

http://louisev.livejournal.com/258808.html




SPOILER





I want to be Edna when I grow up.  :)

Thanks, Louise!
Marie
The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis         ~~~~~~~~~Thurgood Marshall

The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.    ~~~~~~~~~ Mark Twain

Offline louisev

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Re: New Greenlea Tale: The Grey Girls
« Reply #37 on: March 07, 2008, 12:39:42 am »
I sure hope Fabienne doesn't miss her breakfast and get disappointed! hee hee.
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline belbbmfan

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Re: New Greenlea Tale: The Grey Girls
« Reply #38 on: March 07, 2008, 02:45:31 am »
I can't get enough of being told how much you love my stories, Fabienne!! so don't worry about repeating yourself!

I'll try to make the next chapter worth skipping breakfast for!




hehehe, I thought about it. But what would Edna say if I sat here in my pajamas?  :o

And no Louise, I wasn't disappointed! No way. I hope everyone is paying close attention to what Edna's saying and how she's saying it. She's giving free lessons here.

“I think it was a good idea, actually,” Edna said, and closed the distance between herself and Laura, taking her arm gently. Laura flinched but did not pull away from the older woman’s touch. “You sound real hurt, and maybe it’s about time ta get a few things said. Just because we are friends – good friends – with Colson don’t mean we can’t be yer friend too. Laura, is it?”

Laura nodded, momentarily dumb. Katie Ann stared at her mother in shock as she let herself be steered to the sofa. Colson watched surreptitiously as he picked up his cup, and Edna sat down next to her.


Yep, that's exactly what Laura needed to hear! It seems to me that Laura hasn't had a friend in a very long time, and it made her bitter.

The world needs more Ednas!  :)

 :)  :)
'We're supposed to guard the sheep, not eat 'em'

Offline mariez

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Re: New Greenlea Tale: The Grey Girls
« Reply #39 on: March 07, 2008, 01:42:43 pm »
The world needs more Ednas!  :)

It sure does  - and in high places!   ;D







The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis         ~~~~~~~~~Thurgood Marshall

The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.    ~~~~~~~~~ Mark Twain