Soundtracked

Candy Everybody Wants

"Bloggers unplugged...sometimes, we all need a break from those little glowing boxes. How do you know it's time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen?"

You guys!! It's been so long since I "plugged in", I've forgotten what it feels like to have the want/need to unplug. But I keep telling Kitti the Red-Nosed Feline I'll write a blog entry again at some point, and almost did the other day (that's what I get for promising myself things right before going to bed ...cleaned out my inbox and specifically did not delete a prompt I wanted to use and then...forgot ). But I figured since this thing people like reading when I actually do write in it was nominated for some sort of important thing ("Invalid Item" ), it's high time I start padding the stats making it worth somebody's- anybody's- worthwhile .

And what better way to start than by discussing how to do the opposite of start?

Any number of reasons can trigger this need to unplug. Time constraints, real-life situations, lack of feeling fulfilled, and every excuse in the book- you name it. They all contribute in some way, and I'm no different. I get all those things, and I get all those things. Sometimes I'll see a prompt I like (y'all know I'm heavily prompt-dependent ) but don't have the time to write an entry the way I'd prefer to write one...I'm, ummmm, well, I'm not a perfectionist, but I have standards when it comes to this, and if I don't feel like I can live up to them or do the prompt and my response justice, I'll move on with my day/life. That's it in a nutshell  . I sorta accidentally made it my life's purpose when writing to be entertaining; sometimes it comes easily to me and some days it simply does not...when I was blogging more frequently I used to have to work pretty hard to make a prompt work for me, and supplement it with fun, entertaining shit. I've learned that if I can't do that quickly, you and I are both better served by me not bothering.

Real life nonsense...that too can totally interfere with your mojo. It's funny how I seemingly think I have all the time in the world, and it might even look like I do...but I don't. I'm not working and not going to school, so where the fuck does my time go?? I wish I knew. I don't have a good answer for that. I'm a creature of routines, and when blogging slips out of that routine and gets replaced by real life bullshit, sometimes it's hard to get that stuffed back into the mix. Like, my time's about to get cut sort again real soon if things go my way and I end up moving next month (yep, next month, as I just learned today...actually, more like a couple weeks)...might be a few days without internet, plus setting up a new apartment and all that happy hoo-ha. Yay on one hand, nay on the other. For reasons I don't need to get into right now, but necessary. I can blog all the hell I want, but if I can't get online, that's like leaving the Ferrari in the driveway with an empty tank of gas. Or something. I don't have a car, so that's a stupid analogy. But you (hopefully) get where I'm goin' with that. Ugh...terrible word choice, again .

And burnout...holy fuck is burnout real and alive and passionately hellbent on me not enjoying things I once lived for! Right around the same time I was feeling like writing a blog entry was exhausting me mentally, I won a freakin' Quill Award for it. So let's circle back around to expectations...when people like what you do, naturally they want you to keep doing more of it. But when what you do is wearing you out, you have to fucking treat yo'self to the word "no". You are always going to be your best advocate, and when something is working against you- even if it's your own head- you need to back the fuck away. Hilarious (to me) side anecdote: just as I started typing up the beginnings of this entry, I got an IM from ~ Aqua ~ about a poem, and I was like "I'm just about to start a blog entry..." and she was like "You're the blog-*somethingsomethingIforgetmaybemaster*, after all..." and in my head I'm like "Ain't wrote a damn blog entry in like five months or so..."...but that's how a lot of people know me. Boggles my mind! But here's the thing: You have to block out other people's expectations. My mom would ask me, "You're not writing in your blog anymore?" and Kit would subtly try and cajole me from time to time. It's not about what other people want; it's what you're up to, and what you know and feels like is your capability of doing it, when you want to. I have very real days where I just can't, not the way I want to, or the way I've set myself up to doing it. Knowing yourself is a huge concept/concern...there's a state of love and trust   between you and your readers, and between you and your work, and you don't want to violate either. It's not so much a conscious decision where you're like "how do I fill the void"- you'll find a way- but sometimes you just come to a conclusion where you simply cannot be present in the current time/place. In dating terms for all you millennials out there, you just ghost the scene. After all, blogging is an intimate act made public for the masses to pick over at their choosing...and if we're lucky, we know when it's time to walk away before the choice is given to us.

Like anything in life, blogging can be very fluid and temperamental. Words that seemingly flow endlessly one day for something we know nothing about can dry up on our favorite subjects; sometimes it's our choice and sometimes it is not. I know this: It is harder to start back up than it is to stop, and you can put that on my last dollar.

Also, blogging makes me realize how disgustingly filthy my laptop screen is. I'm looking at the ends of words like there's a punctuation typo, but it's literally just fucking dust, and if my backspace key could talk that's probably what it'd tell me .

Naturally when I saw "unplug" in this prompt my brain went to the MTV Unplugged series from the 90's...and hardly anyone remembers 10,000 Maniacs, right? They were a group that was big in the late 80's-early 90's College Radio genre, and were from Jamestown, NY (not terribly far from where I grew up, but was too young to enjoy as a "local band"). Some of you might recognize Natalie Merchant (the singer) from her successful post-Maniacs solo career (plus OMG she's adorable )...I'd totally forgotten they'd done an Unplugged episode until this past summer when I came across the cd in a Dollar General store by my mom's, and then I was like "Ohhhhhh yeah, they did that" and it's mostly some cover tunes that got the airplay but yeah, they did some decent originals too. And it's the closest anyone from the Buffalo area who isn't annoying (hi, Goo Goo Dolls ) might get to being on MTV again until they really commit to playing some music. And you might be asking yourself "Norb, what does this have to do with the prompt?", but I can tell you...like I said, sometimes you just have to not unplug, and give 'em what they want.

"Candy Everybody Wants"   -10,000 Maniacs

"Well... Who do you want to blame?"

Still getting over the loss yesterday of one of my greatest influences, Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip ("Note: "Let's get friendship right... live li..."). I'm not gonna go into it all now; it's still too fresh and still a lot to process, even though I've written about him/them plenty of times. I just wanna share that CTV is airing a documentary   about The Hip's last concert tour tomorrow night, and I will be watching with a fresh box of tissues to contain my inevitable, long time runnin'   tears. And I'd saved this link of the Definitive Ranking Of Every Tragically Hip Song   in my Pocket app awhile ago, for no reason other than to peruse at some point, and I can't think of a better time than very, very soon.

But now I gotta shout out some friends, and Shaye is doing awesome things that need your attention. I'm a fan/substitute (poorly ) judge in the one, and a donor in the other, but you should probably get on board with both because I said so and they're amazing. I'm going to be working on a new poetry concept project in the coming months that I haven't told anyone about yet (not even Kit ) and I'm sure I'll be using some Daily Poem prompts as a loose guide.

FORUM

The Daily Poem  (13+) A Week of Poetic Craziness #2133562 by Jayngle Bells

FORUM

Hats and Spats  (E) A raffle where you can buy tickets for items donated by the community! #2076147 by Shaye

And I love Mrs. Nixie Clause (she made me admit that once ), who has threatened/offered to Nix-ify people if they do not help with this (re: "Note: It's lonely out here in space. I have evi...") and while I kinda wanna know what that entails, this "Nix-ifying", please don't let her force the rest of you into finding out in case that winds up being not your thing ...also, I'll be tickled if you make it even more worth her while and beneficial to the Power Reviewers if you up the bids on my packages .

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2131996 by Not Available.

And finally, before I unplug for a bit (and by that I mean "plug my laptop back into my tv and a power outlet and make me a sandwich" ), in this age of social media and everyone able to being exposed to all kinds of new/different/fun things, let's take a moment to be responsible   with our music and our choices. #DefRescucatt

Thank you! And thank you! And you! And...ok, you too I guess . And you! And also you. Peace, love tastes so sweet, and GOODNIGHT NOW!!