Below is the transcript for Season 1, Episode 170 of Freely Written, a podcast by author Susan Quilty:
Welcome to Freely Written, where a simple prompt leads to a little unplanned fiction.
[Light piano music]
Hi, friends! I’m Susan Quilty, and today’s prompt is It Takes a Village.
Today’s prompt was loosely inspired by a yoga class I recently attended. The teacher, Kate, owns the studio where I primarily teach. Side note: that studio is called Sthira Sukham Yoga, and we have both virtual and online classes, in case you’d like to check it out. I’ll add a link in the show notes.
Anyway, at the beginning of class, Kate discussed how our nervous systems are better suited to old-time village life, where we could more easily effect change. As opposed to now, when we often read upsetting news from hundreds or thousands of miles away and struggle to find an effective way to help. She then tied that to how our physical yoga practice can help regulate those upsets… but she said it much more eloquently, as this is just a quick paraphrase!
Her message stuck with me. I’ve been thinking a lot about the pros and cons of our more connected, global world, as well as the constant stimulation that comes with modern technology. When I needed a writing prompt, my mind quickly went to the well-known phrase: it takes a village. I’m not sure where that will lead me, but that’s basically the point of this podcast.
In case you’re new here, this is how it works: I sit down with a prompt and write whatever comes to mind, with no planning and very little editing. Then, I record the story and share it with you.
Beyond this podcast, I write novels. You can learn about them on my website: SusanQuilty.com or search for “Susan Quilty” wherever you buy books. Your support means a lot, and I would love for you to read my more carefully planned and polished writing!
For now, let’s get on to today’s story:
It Takes a Village
Whenever Matthew went on vacation, he felt an urge to uproot his life. His vacations were always in serene settings. Secluded mountain cabins. Beaches in the off-season. Small towns off the beaten path. They were a stark difference to his bustling urban life, where he lived on the 23rd floor of a glass apartment building and took the crowded subway to work every day.
This week, he was in a quaint coastal village on the Eastern Seaboard in a town entirely unknown to his friends and family. His coworkers had all squinted at him in confusion after asking where he was going for the week. They expected a cruise, a resort, or even a trip abroad.
His girlfriend, Sara, was equally confused by their destination. After dating for four months, this was their first trip together. Matthew had invited her to join him after already making the travel arrangements.
“I understand if you don’t think we’re ready to travel together, or if you’d rather wait for a trip we plan together,” he had told her. “I made these plans six months ago, planning on a solo trip, and I don’t mind going on my own. But I’d really love it if you’d join me.”
Sara had thought the invitation was sweet and said she would love to go on a vacation with him. She said the destination didn’t matter. Until she saw where they were going.
“But what are we going to do there?” Sara had asked after looking over the websites for the trip. “It’s in the middle of nowhere.”
“Well, yeah,” Matthew had agreed good-naturedly. “That’s the point. It’s a quiet getaway. The inn has a reading room, a gazebo by a lake, and its own dining room. Although there’s a diner I want to try at least once, and a winery that’s only a short drive away.”
“Okay, but… we’re there for a whole week. Won’t we run out of things to do?”
Now that they were at the village inn, Sara seemed determined to prove her point. For the first two days, she’d delighted in walking to the small shops and the diner in the village square and taking the scenic drive to the cozy winery. By day three, she was losing interest.
“We can take a class at the yarn store,” Matthew suggested, while scrolling for local attractions on his phone.
“Uh, no,” Sara answered quickly. She was also looking at her phone, but hadn’t offered any suggestions of her own. She’d only complained that they’d seen everything there was to see.
“Well… there are some beautiful hiking trails.”
Sara wrinkled her nose, saying, “We did that yesterday.”
“We walked on one trail, but there are more.”
Sara sighed and looked at Matthew over her phone.
“Do any of them have waterfalls? Or caves? Something to actually see?”
Matthew stared at her for a moment, trying to form a response that wouldn’t start an argument.
“They have nature,” he said at last, realizing how lame it sounded as the words came out of his mouth. “I mean, I don’t see anything about waterfalls or caves, but every trail is different.”
“They have trees and rocks and birds and little animals,” Sara said dismissively. “Unless there’s something cool, like a waterfall or a cave, why bother?”
Turning back to his phone, Matthew chewed on his bottom lip. Sara had already shot down his suggestion to play a board game or a card game. She didn’t want to read a book and didn’t want to go back to any of the village shops.
After a few minutes of quiet, Matthew asked, “What have you found?”
“What?” Sara looked at him in confusion.
“What have you found to do? Anything interesting?”
“Oh, I’m not looking,” she said as if that were obvious. Her casual tone brought a flush to Matthew’s face.
“You’re not?” He set his own phone on the small table beside him and turned his full attention to Sara. “I thought you wanted to find something to do this afternoon.”
“Yeah, but I looked, and there’s nothing.”
“Nothing?” Matthew repeated incredulously. “I showed you two bigger towns within 30 miles. They have shops, museums, restaurants, theaters… I thought you were going to look at their websites and find something you want to do.”
Sara put down her phone and crossed her arms.
“It’s like a 40-minute drive to any of those places. That’s like 90 minutes there and back, plus driving around to places that aren’t close enough to walk. Do you want to spend all that time in the car?”
“Would you rather spend all day in the room, complaining?”
They both frowned and looked away from each other. If they’d been dating for less than four months, any potential fight might have been smothered by politeness. If they’d been dating longer, this might have become a shouting match. As it were, this tense moment dissolved into an awkward silence.
“I just don’t see why you picked this place,” Sara said quietly.
Matthew wasn’t sure if she was trying to smooth things over or make it worse. He waited as she went on.
“I mean, I know you wanted a quiet getaway, but there are hotels in those towns, and both of them have more stuff to do. There’s, like, nothing here.”
After a deep breath, Matthew considered her point and saw some sense in it. But it wasn’t what he wanted, and he didn’t know why.
“I like being away from things,” he said haltingly. As he spoke, his opinion began to take shape. “I like staying in places where I can do nothing. Just walk or sit in a beautiful place, take in nature, or just listen to the quiet. I like having time to read and time to think. It’s nice to not be entertained, but just to… I don’t know. Just to be.”
Sara took her own deep breath, and Matthew waited. He hoped she would share her own opinion of solitude. Whether she liked the quiet or if it made her uncomfortable. He hoped for a deep conversation, the kind they’d never had when sitting in loud restaurants, going to movies, or hanging out with a group of friends.
Instead, she picked up her phone and scrolled for a moment before saying, “There’s an art gallery in this town, and a restaurant with live music. I don’t expect much from the art, and the music looks like a pretty basic cover duo, but it could be fun.”
“Okay,” Matthew agreed, then remembered to smile. “I’ll get my keys.”
When they went downstairs, they stopped in the lobby for complimentary cups of coffee. Energy for the drive, as Sara put it.
While Sara was busy opening sugar packets and pouring cream, Matthew noticed a cross-stitch sampler hanging on the wall. Amid vining flowers, block letters read, “It takes a village.”
Before today, Matthew had known that phrase to mean it takes a village to raise children, given that they’d be influenced by their community as much as their parents. Now, he studied the sign and thought, maybe it takes visiting a village to know when you’re with the right person. And when you’re not.
The End
Thanks for listening. When I wrote the first sentence, I thought this might be a story about Matthew going on an extended vacation and realizing that he missed his home. Then I added a relatively recent girlfriend, and it shifted. Couples can have very different ideas about what to do on a vacation. Luckily, Peter and I are very compatible in that way. Whether we go to a more secluded area or to a big city, we like having plenty of time to relax and do nothing. Sara, from this story, would not like traveling with us
If you enjoyed today’s story, please leave a review and listen to some of the previous stories. You can listen in any order and share your favorites with your friends. Also, don’t forget to check out my novels and other books at SusanQuilty.com or wherever you buy books.
Until next time, try a little free writing of your own. Let go of any planning and see where your imagination takes you.
[Light piano music]
