%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 A new blog to contain answers to prompts |
Since my old blog "Everyday Canvas "  became overfilled, here's a new one. This new blog item will continue answering prompts, the same as the old one. Cool water cascading to low ground
To spread good will and hope all around.  |
| Prompt: Who was born on August 29, 1915 and also died on August 29, 1982. This same person was involved in a scandal and reprimanded on the Senate floor. Can you name something their famous for besides the scandal? --------- Who else but my mother's favorite actress, Ingrid Bergman? My mother talked about her in Intermezzo all through the years that I knew my mother. I saw Ingrid Bergman live on stage on Broadway, during her later years possibly last, and even then, she was spectacular. I still can't believe she was reprimanded on the senate floor, although I remember the incident due to my mother's interest in it. Just because she had an extramarital affair, as if other actresses and actors never did! The incident happened in 1950, after Bergman left her husband and became pregnant with director Roberto Rossellini's child. So what! But it was the 1950s and we, as a nation with our senate, were blindsided with our far-out expectations of God-Country-Morality ideals, then. As to her being famous for, here's what Wikipedia says: "She won numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, four Golden Globe Awards, BAFTA Award, and a Volpi Cup. She is one of only four actresses to have received at least three acting Academy Awards (only Katharine Hepburn has four)." Also, I found out that during World War II, she contributed to the Allied war effort by starring in propaganda films, promoting war bonds, and entertaining troops through the USO. I think, she was a real lady in the real meaning of the word. Certainly, she was a true royal in the film industry. |
| Prompt:"At that moment, she felt that to be Mistress Of Pemberly might be something. " Jane Austen Write about Elizabeth in this quote today. ------------ Before I say anything about Elizabeth Bennett D'arcy, let me add that royalty and class systems turn me off, unless the royals act royally. Yet, they are also people, and I do feel for their lot in life. Still, I try to stay away from all that pomp and circumstance. I only read Pride and Prejudice once, a very long time ago, and I don't know anything much about Elizabeth after she became Mrs. D'arcy. I believe there is a sequel all about her, but I didn't read that; however, I like Jane Austen as an author for her style, storytelling, and courage to write about a shaky subject as class, and I also liked Elizabeth as a story character. After all, Elizabeth caught the much-sought-after Mr. D'arcy's attention because she was the prettiest among her sisters, or was that what D'arcy thought? Even so, he must have noticed Elizabeth's several admirable qualities, too. Elizabeth was clever to start with but had a sharp tongue, although she sounded brilliant when she spoke. As a person, she was straight forward and often rose above the nonsense of the royalty's bad behavior. She herself points to that fact with: “There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.” To her credit, though, she rose above her class-crazy, spiteful society that included her parents and her sisters. In fact, Elizabeth placed little value on money and social position. On the other hand, she also thought a bit highly of herself, which I don't know if that is good or bad because most of the time she could see through people. Except for D'arcy, at the beginning. Those were her mistaken impressions of him. But then, if she didn't make that mistake, how in the world would we have Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice! Still today, I can recall enjoying Elizabeth's prejudiced banter with him a lot. She was really fearless while insulting him, the man she loved, but didn't know yet that she loved him. “From the very beginning—from the first moment, I may almost say—of my acquaintance with you, your manners, impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish distain of the feelings of others, were such as to form the groundwork of the disapprobation on which succeeding events have built so immovable a dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world on whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry.” To put it in a nutshell, I liked Elizabeth's character because she valued a human being's independence of character and their personal understanding of morality, and she wasn't swayed by all that glitter and ceremony surrounding her. |
| Prompt: "The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly and in a thousand things as well." Horace Walpole Write about this in your Blog entry today. --------- Look at that! Another blueprint for life. I wish it were that easy to live our lives based on blueprints! Especially me, the one who is interested in a multitude of things... At first look, I thought the quote was trying to anchor me into just one thing so I could get good at it. That is a positive attitude, perhaps doable, but only at first sight. This "one thing" is often a passion, a craft, a field of study, or a calling that demands focus and full dedication. To be profoundly interested means to give up passing interests for genuine understanding, to face challenges head on for the main subject, so to contribute meaningfully to it. In my case, that specific area is lit, writing, languages, etc., which is very wide in itself. But then, I'm also interested in numerous other things. Accordingly, the quote also favors "paying attention" to other "thousand things" as well. I guess those other thousand things are there to feed the primary passion. If so, they may inspire creativity and offer fresh ways of seeing things. Imagine a lawyer interested in poetry or a math wizard who also paints! Okay then, I'm in agreement with the quote now. Granted, a profound interest and effort on one thing can build identity and a sense of purpose. Then, the other hobbies and interests can frame that identity. Hmmm...not bad at all! But why does Horace Walpole say this is "the whole secret of life"? I mean, what is so secret about it! |
| Prompt: "A generation which ignores history has no past and no future." Robert Heinlein Write about what you think of this quote and/or about what historical event had the most impact on your life. --------- I should say the end of World War II that had the most impact on my life, but at the time of the war's ending, I was a baby, so I have no recollection of it. In a roundabout way, however, it did, since it caused my core family to fall apart. Still, I am more consciously aware of the attack at the towers on 9/11. This I can say easily that it did have an impact, or rather more of a loss of the feeling of safety added to the grief about what happened and the fear of its aftermath. It was the feeling that the USA was not a safe place anymore, although I didn't openly say it and neither did many others. After 9/11, came strict regulations on travel and on other areas of our lives. For example, at the least, on a personal level, I used to treat airplane travel as an opportunity to read and write, and the planes had become like my personal study room, by then. After 9/11, this and many other things changed greatly. What I could take with me on the plane became minimal, as to books and reference materials, compared to what I could do earlier. Be that as it may, to ignore what happened, that is--what happened as history, may mean cutting the thread to our past and endangering our future. This is what this quote is pointing to, be it in my lifetime or later. After all, history is not only a holder of facts and dates. Inside it, history has lessons, triumphs, failures, and wisdom. History shows why nations rise and fall, how cultures grow and transform, and what mistakes humanity has made when blinded by pride, greed, or ignorance. As the result, any generation, in my lifetime or later, cannot afford to turn its back on that knowledge by trying to erase its own roots. No generation or group of people can prosper if they think the struggles, sacrifices, and achievements of those who came before us are unimportant or are considered as if they never happened. Also, if people ignore history, they are bound to repeat its errors, such as: wars fought for the wrong reasons, freedoms taken for granted and therefore lost, and societies collapsing under corruption or intolerance. In other words, not paying attention to history can mean repeating the errors of the past by walking blindly into the same pitfalls. After all, we need to keep in mind that the past and the future are inseparable. So, while we learn that we have inherited a past rich with meaning, we should also aim at a future with brighter more humane possibilities. This is true for my generation and all other generations to come. |
| Prompt: Perspective "The difference between a mountain and a molehill is your perspective." Al Neuharth How has your perspective on life changed as you’ve grown older? ------------ How does my perspective change about life? "Let me count the ways." In fact, my perspective changes all the time, unlike other possibly normal people whose perspective-changes may have more to do with their life events or the passage of time. In the long run, although I think I am quite resilient in general, the way I feel about life has more to do with how I wake up each morning. I mean, when my first thoughts go from, "Wow! How lucky! I'm still here!" to "Aaaargh! Another day to deal with!" So my mountains and molehills can be closely related to how I wake up each morning. Although, once I get going, that first thought in the morning can shapeshift an awful lot, as well. Regardless of what I think about me and my handling life, the mountain and the molehill metaphors have a lot to do with the mindset. A “mountain” represents something overwhelming, daunting, and seemingly impossible to overcome, while a “molehill” is something small, manageable, even insignificant. When fears, anxieties, or frustrations, even small problems are exaggerated, they can loom large and cast long shadows. This is not a too terrible thing, by the way. It helps writers an awful lot. I can say this very easily, especially because, at the moment, I am reading another Haruki Murakami book.  If it weren't for that far-out exaggeration of his and other good writers, where would literature be, today? Don't you think? Plus, don't we all bask in the long shadows cast over us by such writers?Yeah, but afterwards, after I close the book before reading the next chapter, I step back, breathe, and view reality with more clarity. What is unsurmountable in the book or in my life shrinks into something I can handle. So I guess that's how perspective shapes reality, and what I label as a crisis might simply be an inconvenience with the right frame of mind, if and when I can find where my mind is. As to the part in the question "as you’ve grown older," I had to laugh. Older has nothing to do with good perspective. I have seen five-year olds with much better perspectives than (ahem!) eighty-some-year-olds. Maybe someday, no matter the age, we'll all learn that many “mountains” in life are, in fact, only molehills waiting to be stepped over. That is, if this new techie thing, artificial intelligence, doesn't beat us to it! |
| Prompt: "What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?" E.M. Forster What's your favorite way to enjoy nature? --------------- My favorite way to enjoy nature is to watch it. I like to watch, from my porch, the tree branches swinging in the wind, the green grass on the golf course that is so impeccably kept, and all the wildlife in animal or human form that show up on the 7th hole. I also love the ocean, the waves, stormy weather, etc. Yet, more than anything, I love the animals, even spiders and tiny bugs, and lately, the Mexican Salamanders that crept up into Florida and on our porch screens, then did away with the existing smaller species. As to the stars, sunrise, and the wind in the quote, they inspire awe but they are distant from me. I notice their beauty when I think of them abstractly or when I notice them momentarily, while I pass them by. So on me, those too distant beauties become a bit wasted. The good in those lies whether they happen to enter my life in an intimate, tangible way. A sunrise, if I am awake enough to notice it, is not just a spectacle on the horizon; it is a chance to feel renewal and to recognize the day as a gift. The wind is not just a movement of air, but a presence that can cool me, carry scents and bird songs, while also reminding me that life means motion. Still, at times, that motion is too much, when my area is hit with a hurricane, but then, there's a beauty in the wildest, harshest of things, also. Since the deeper meaning in noticing nature encourages me to pull it into my own personal life, when I comply, I feel happier and more connected to life and nature This might have more to do with appreciating life and what I am granted with, here on earth. For the good of my being here does not lie in my existence alone, but in my ability to let Nature enter my life and transform the way I act, think, and feel, each day. What good is the sunrise if I rush past it, my head bent toward errands, while the horizon burns with promise? What good are the trees if I never pause to lean against their patience, to breathe in their green wisdom? What good is the wind if I do not lift my face to it, letting it remind me that life is movement, and I'm never still for long? The stars, the sky, this earth they are not ornaments for the world, but invitations— to listen, to look, to see, and live more deeply. |
| Prompt: The phrase "Don't take life too seriously; you'll never get out of it alive" is a quote attributed to the American writer Elbert Hubbard. What do you think Mr. Hubbard meant? Are you guilty of taking yourself too seriously? ----------- If I am understanding this quote somewhat, I might have been guilty of taking myself too seriously, I guess, at a much earlier age. Not anymore, though. That it drains a person should be the number one reason. I now think taking oneself too seriously is a disservice to life. It makes us blind to the facts and reasons of our existence. This quote, however, is a tongue in cheek one. We all know we'll never get out of life alive. I guess Mr. Hubbard liked cuteness no matter how serious the subject he was commenting about. So I checked him up, just a tad. I found some disconnect in his ways and thinking, however done with much honor and good will. Plus, the sites that write about him still praise him to high heaven. I found out, he, who said this quote, is also the guy who said, "I am not Elijah but I am something just as good. I am Pericles – with a Socratic bias." Wow! So I said to myself, "Look who is taking himself too seriously!" But then, we're all human and we are allowed to contradict ourselves. As such, humility and bragging are the two opposite poles on the same existence. In spite of all that, let me take a closer look at the quote. Taking oneself too seriously, I believe, has to be a flaw. It is like mixing up one's identity with one's performance, opinions, and status, wrongly or rightly perceived or not. Such a person is unable to laugh at his own quirks, mistakes, and foolishness. As for me, I laugh at myself all the time. Maybe old age and its follies help with that, also. If I were taking myself too seriously, my spilled coffee wouldn't be just a silly accident, but a testament to my clumsiness. Come to think of it, that idea of berating myself for my clumsiness would show a fragile ego. Why foster an inflated sense of one's own importance, then! After all, after we leave this earth, who's going to remember our greatness! Even those who are remembered long after they're gone are subject to be forgotten millenniums later. As for me, I certainly don't need that pressure to be perfect, to be right, to control every outcome, and keep a spotless image. That kind of a self-image belongs only to God! |
| Prompt: It is said, the English language is very difficult to learn because of all the commonly spelled words there are. Do you agree or disagree? How many words can you think of that you think are easily confusing? And words that you think are commonly misspelled? Do you find yourself checking to be sure when you're writing or let spell check find them? ------- I don't think English is that difficult to learn. The basic English, grammar and such, is mostly well organized. I can say this since, as a linguist, I've studied quite a few languages, except for the far eastern ones; however, I can only speak about three, but I can read and understand several others partly or as a whole. On the other hand, English vocabulary is very rich, since so many different influences have forced themselves on the language and an enormous amount of words have seeped into English from other cultures. This is what makes spelling so difficult for some. I'm guessing, words that came in from the outside of the language can be difficult to spell for the users, especially those longer ones of several syllables. Yes, I now check what I write often for spelling and other mistakes, not because of the language's idiosyncrasies, but because, lately, due to old age, my eyes are somewhat failing. Also, with the new technologies, the do-gooder, overly enthusiastic AI programs change the words into wrong meanings, when I'm not looking. Even though, now that I've slowed my typing speed greatly and on purpose, I still find that some words have been changed into different ones after I've checked a paragraph as safe, earlier. This doesn't happen in WdC, though. For that reason, sometimes, I write the whole thing straight from scratch on a WdC page or entry, directly. The problem, I suspect, is mostly Microsoft 11's and MS Office's doing, and sometimes, things also happen on the Messenger section of Facebook. This is not my conclusion only. Several people I know are having difficulties with Ai and Windows. One of them says that after she writes a whole message, the system sends a blue color over her writing and deletes the whole thing. This never happened to me because I am trying to be extra vigilant. What is more annoying than the idiosyncrasies of any language, therefore, is the eager-beaver attitude of companies to use the new technologies without fully educating their workers. |
| Prompt: Grief doesn't mean that you can't enjoy your life anymore. Write about this in your Blog entry today. -------- I should know this well, but I don't know how true it is when this quote says that grief doesn't mean you can't enjoy life anymore. I have to say maybe you can but not fully, not like as before. Still, one can and does enjoy some stuff like a friend's joke, a cup of coffee or tea, the relief from having finished a task, and other small things like that. Such things, however, are only small instances of enjoyment, and they have nothing to do with the overall enjoyment of life that we (case in point, I) have experienced before grief struck. On the quote's side, human spirit, in its depth for resilience, tries hard to enjoy life, "like before." But, in my experience, it is never "like before." Yet, alongside with our resilience, we humans have vulnerability. When resilience and vulnerability work together, they may manage to cover up our deepest wounds, especially grief. So, the enjoyment we push ourselves to feel becomes as if we are wearing a temporary mask. It depends if we can breathe behind that mask. As such, immense emotional energy is needed to stay behind a mask, for the mask very often can betray its user. This betrayal may show up in an almost unnoticeable flinching at certain words, a quick intake of breath, or a momentary loss of composure before the mask is swiftly reapplied. This is because, although this temporary enjoyment-mask may be a charade, it does serve a purpose. I mean, who wants to make other people sad, too! So we fake it, until hopefully we can make it. Still, this "making it" isn't easy, I know from my own experiences. For example, long after my husband passed away, I invented different facades of enjoyment to maintain a semblance of normalcy, as if I were performing on stage to reassure others that the pain isn't consuming me. My sons, however, saw through me, even if others didn't, despite my most convincing smiles and disproportionate cheerfulness. Grief is not something one can overcome easily, because it is a very strong emotional response to a significant loss. It takes time to overcome its strongest effects. Sometimes, it takes years, and sometimes, it takes a lifetime. |
| Prompt: What animal would you like to be for a day and what would you do? Write about this in your Blog entry today. ------------ Oh, okay, but aren't we all already human-animals? This brings to my mind, about 47 years ago, when my younger son, at five years of age, came home from kindergarten, all excited. Our conversation went like this: "Mommy, mommy, I'm an animal!" "Oh, sweetie, don't say that. You're a human." "Yes, but I'm a human animal. In class, we learned all about it." I've never forgotten this conversation! As for me, if I were to change into another animal, even for a day, I thought I'd like to fly up high, but then, with my limited know-how about birds, I thought those high-flyers like eagles and hawks were carnivorous hunters, which didn't sit right with me. So, I ran a search for a high-flying bird that didn't kill. And I got very lucky. Here is what I'd like to be for a day: Rüppell's Griffon Vulture,  and the facts are:"Rüppell's Griffon Vulture, highest flying bird, flies higher than airplanes to 35,000 feet. Rüppell's Griffon Vultures are carrion specialists, primarily feeding on the carcasses of dead animals. They are not predators and do not kill their own food, instead relying on scavenging for sustenance. They play a crucial role in the ecosystem by removing dead animals, which helps prevent the spread of disease." See, not only I would be flying higher, but also, I'd be a cleaner-upper. Yet, I'm not too keen about feeding on carcasses, but it is only for a day, and I bet I won't even be hungry for I'll be busy exploring the skies and watching the earth from high above. And again, it'll be for only a day! |
| Prompt: "Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes." Walt Whitman What is Walt Whitman referring to in this quote and do you ever contradict yourself maybe to yourself? ----------- I have to ask the same question to myself. "Do I contradict myself?" Maybe I do, especially when I'm weighing the pros and cons of a situation or an idea. But then, this is a decision making process and just about anything is acceptable. On the other hand, when it comes to airing in public one's stance or ideas, the decision-making excuse becomes invalid, if we keep contradicting ourselves. Also, I think contradicting oneself and changing one's mind are two different things, in the long run. Contradicting oneself is like saying, "I believe strongly in free speech, except when it comes to opinions I disagree with." In a contradiction, reasoning and internal unity do not exist. It shows a lapse of logic and muddled thinking, momentary though it might be. Such a contradiction may happens from lack of information, dishonesty, and holding two opposing thoughts or beliefs, unconscious though they might be. Worse yet, to others, it shows unreliability and lack of integrity; although I don't believe we can attribute such things to Walt Whitman, the originator of the quote. Then, since I mentioned 'changing one's mind' above, on the second paragraph, let's look at changing one's mind. Changing one's mind is not the same as a contradiction. This is because it has to do with the evolution of our thinking and is conscious and deliberate. It happens when new information disproves earlier data. Recent space probes and new Nasa findings about outer space come to mind, for example. Changing one's mind also shows growth, open-mindedness, maturity, and having gained experience. It may also take more time than a contradiction's immediacy. The ability to change one's mind has to do with a person's learning, which is so unlike living with and talking in contradictions. |
| Prompt: "I haven't lived a perfect life. I have regrets. But that's from a lifetime of taking chances, making decisions, and trying not to be frozen. The only thing that I can do with my regrets is understand them." Kevin Costner Do you often regret things and what do you do about your feelings of regret, if you have any? ---------- It is a painful echo, a bitter pill. Yet, such a powerful teacher, too, this thing called regret. We may all carry this emotional burden, this negative, uncomfortable feeling. "If only I had done this..." I don't often give in to regret, but I do regret some things, especially unsaid words or words said thoughtlessly. Looking back into my life, I might say that I regret things or rather decisions I made at one time or another hastily, but at the end, they all proved to be learning experiences. In the least, they thought me to be more tolerant with others' thoughtless acts. Regret is an emotional response to a past choice or having failed to take action when needed or having taken the wrong action. That "if only" feeling usually makes up a scenario where a different action or decision would have a better result. But then, who knows! Possibly, it is my mind that acts this way or maybe others, too, suffer the many choices to pick from that their minds offer. I mean if others are like me, it shows that we're all suffering from an alternate-reality-seeking syndrome. Then, maybe this has to do with our own vision of being and acting the ideal self. So, it may just be that, when our response or the lack of it goes against our values and aspirations, regret butts in with a, "Hey, I'm here!" screech. That screech, however, possibly means, ""Remember this feeling, so you make a better decision next time." So, regret can become a guide for future actions, since we, hopefully, have learned from the past. A bitter medicine, yes, but it directs us toward better actions and more productive behavior. In my case, regret taught me, if nothing else, this one thing: "Look forward, not back!" Still, this isn't easy to do, time after time. After all, like most anyone, I am human, imperfect, yet capable of learning. At least, I do hope so! |
| Prompt: "To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization." Harriet Beecher Stowe Which kinds of details are important to you in general or in everyday life? ----------- Ordinary but with depth and meaning. Also, noble, heroic. and playful, too. No, I'm not describing a kitten, but I'm referring to everyday life with its little details. Surely, Harriet Beecher Stowe in her short quote did a much better job than I just did, but what I write, when there is a quote in the prompt, encourages the nobility and the patience of my friends who read what I write. So, let's not dismiss everyday life as ordinary. In everyday life, tiny details make the day softer, nicer, and sometimes even more tolerable. This is when someone chooses kindness in the rush-hour traffic by letting my car merge ahead or the simple details of getting breakfast and brewing coffee. Such details in everyday life have to do with endurance. This is because life asks me to persist, to keep going on no matter what. Getting out of bed in the morning despite aching bones, showing up to do whatever I need to do when the world feels heavy, waving at my neighbor on the yard, watering a wilted plant in a pot, or making a meal after a long day...all point to my quiet bravery, if I may say so. Then, there's the fun part...such as that odd sock from the dryer, the way sunlight dances on the lawn, and salamanders chasing each other on the porch's screen...all are details or rather threads that add meaning to the fabric of my day. This is because what seems small, usually, isn't. What's noble, heroic, or fun need not be grand occasions. If and when I am not so full of myself, I can see them in the quiet details of my ordinary days. How noble my tea feels in a cup, placing warmth in my hands and the deep breath I take instead of an angry reply, or the giggle when I drop the egg on the floor, instead of in the pan. Not milestones but repetition shape-shifting into the fabric of my life, made of small threads of care, wonder, and persistence for the ordinary is never the ordinary at all. |
| Prompt: On this day in 1977, American singer Elvis Presley, known as the “King of Rock and Roll,” died of a heart attack brought on largely by drug abuse. Were you an Elvis Fan? If so favorite song? How about a few trivia questions about Rock and Roll? Who was the first rock-and-roll superstar? What singer was inducted three times in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame What was the first rock song to become famous around the world? Which single was the last number one given by Elvis Presley in 1969? ------------------- Oh, Wow! Elvis! In those days, just about every young person was an Elvis fan. I guess I was a fan, too, but not for his on-stage actions or fast rock'n roll songs. Possibly for being slightly older than the Baby-Boomer generation, I liked his songs that emerged later, when he matured more, songs like "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", "Love Me Tender", "Can't Help Falling in Love", "In the Ghetto", and "Crying in the Chapel". As to the rest of the questions, I had to look them up. I might have known or remembered the answers to those, say 60 years ago, but right now, my mind drew a blank. *The first rock-and-roll superstar is Chuck Berry. as is considered by some but not all. In the running was the 1951 song “Rocket 88” recorded by Ike Turner's band the Kings of Rhythm and credited to its vocalist Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats. *Eric Clapton was the only one who was inducted three times in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was a consistent hitmaker and one of the greatest guitarists. I think I liked him just as much or even better than Elvis and the song he composed and sang after his son died touched me greatly. *As to the first rock song to become famous around the world, I found several different answers. Here they are: # "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets, released in 1954, is widely considered the first world-famous rock and roll song. # "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, recorded in 1951, is widely considered to be the first rock and roll song. # "Rock Awhile" by Goree Carter was recorded in April 1949. * Elvis Presley's last number one single in 1969 was "Suspicious Minds", according to Billboard. It reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart on November 1, 1969. This was his 18th and final number one hit in the US. I liked this song, too, but it wasn't among my best-loved Elvis songs. When all is said and done, I asked myself this question: Why was Elvis so loved? Elvis was in the right place at the right time in the history of popular music. Much of the conveniences of life, like the internet, too many TV channels, etc., that emerged later weren't there, so our general attention became fixed on Elvis. Elvis also favored what the we all favored, such as God, country, love etc., and also, he came from rags to riches as a country boy making it big. Yet, even more than all that, he had charisma, talent, humanity, and emotion, and when he performed, he gave his performance his all. That is how he became an icon. Later, his sudden tragic death even added more to his fame. |
| Prompt: Have fun with these 10 words in your entry: tooth, crown, tumor, leak, clear, survival, reflection, blank and Kermes ------ Elegy to Life shadow and fire carved *survival now that the *tooth of time is wearing a false *crown like distant dreams in *Kermes red as within their mask, a *tumor coils while I measure *leak and loss then, in *reflection, I judge my fate for the hourglass glares *clear, and a *blank chronicle writes itself |
| Prompt: What achievements have you had this month? Write about this in your Blog entry today. ------- I am a weird one. If I count my achievements, you can be sure I'll stop doing them. This is probably because, for some or most, achievement is tied to outperforming others, and I have no wish to do that; at least, not anymore. I have even stopped entering contests, here in WdC, although they are much milder than what takes place inside the contests of the life in this world. Then, for some, achievement is tangible like earning a degree, buying a home, running a marathon, or getting a promotion. Such things belong in my past and I have no wish to redo them, either. Anyway, so far that I wake up alive every morning and get up and take care of what needs to be taken care of is enough "achievement of habit" at my age. Then, I have always read and wrote each day in my life; so nothing's new there, either; however, just maybe, I can count stability as an achievement. Mostly, small steps--reword them as tiny achievements if that is what you want--can add up to bigger things. And that's fine, too. Achievement is also something rather personal. It is the story of me that I write for only myself. It is a story not only reflecting what I've done, but also who I've become in the process. This means achievement is more about significance, but it is not about the kudos I give to myself and it is not about basking in the approval and appreciation of others. On the other hand, can writing in my blog each day be counted as an achievement? Then, here it is. My writing in my blog every day is my achievement of this month. |
| Prompt: : "Every moment in your life tells a story." Write about this in your Blog entry today. --------- Come to think of it, my life equals all moments added together. It is, therefore, fitting to assume that each moment tells a story, even if it is just a tiny addition to the whole. As such, those moments have covered a wide range of experiences from the significant milestones to tiny instances that have shaped my perspective and influenced my path. Surely, there are moments of choice. While many are private, others include events like the births of my sons, graduations, experiencing significant career changes, getting married, etc. Then, there are the moments when I experienced profound emotion, like overcoming challenges, falling in love, dealing with family, and experiencing loss, in fact many losses. Even a major move from house to house always has left a bittersweet feeling in me. So, after my husband passed away about five and a half years ago, I decided not to move from the last house we occupied together for more than 35 years. I guess I could move to a smaller more manageable place, but the move would cause great emotional upset and inconvenience. So, I did what a good positive psychologist would advise: "control the controllables." Naturally, other not-so-earth-shaking moments also exist, such as moments of appreciation of nature and what I have, moments of contentment for having mastered or learned something, moments of connection to others, and even those moments of wonder at the golfers who try driving a tiny ball into a tiny hole on the golf course behind my house, under the hot Florida sun. Moments, I believe, big or small, evoke emotions in me and others, offer insights, build memories, and shape or shake our identities. From that point of view, they are, undoubtably, the building blocks of our experiences and our lives. . |
| Prompt: "Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper." Robert Frost Is what Robert Frost says true for you? What makes you lose your temper? ========== I am not so sure I can listen to almost anything. I don't however, lose my temper easily. I mean I am not going to listen to somebody drone on and on and with repetition on the same subject. Neither will I listen to people who are pushy and want their way without any consideration for me and others. Other than that, I can listen to most anything if the subject interests me. "To listen to almost anything" is asking for intellectual humility and I can understand that. Some people who have made up their minds on a subject won't listen to other opinions; opinions that may be better than what they have at hand. To agree to hear another opinion different than ours shows humility and curiosity. A truly educated person, therefore, doesn't only store information in his mind, but actively seeks other viewpoints, challenges, and even criticisms. This stance in itself shows security in one's own wisdom and understanding. As to the part of the quote that says, "without losing your temper," it refers to emotional and intellectual maturity. An uneducated response would show itself as an emotional reaction, like anger, defensiveness, or sarcasm. On the other hand, true education in a person shows as grace and sincere behavior. It shows as patience, respect, and self-control. This is because a truly educated mind is not found in the textbooks and amount of memorized facts or in the letters after a name, but in the calmness of one's character. I believe all this is also called emotional intelligence. Therefore, this quote is important, whether one can do exactly what it suggests or not, because we all must have seen where some public discussion ended up in shouting matches and tribal loyalties. Surely, this type of reaction doesn't solve many problems, does it! |
| Prompt: "Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." James A. Baldwin What do you think about this quote? Do our children really imitate us? --------- Imitate? Maybe when they're very little and going through the learning process and they didn't have others around to imitate. But later, no way! At least not in my experience and with what I see in other families. I am nothing like my mother and my now-grown sons are nothing like their father or me. Yet, I was pretty good at listening to my mother and my sons also were okay in that area until they hit age six or whereabouts it. Still, the above paragraph was my first reaction. When I thought more about the subject, other possibilities emerged. So, looking at the larger picture, if kids didn't imitate their elders, would we be having wars, still? Wouldn't we be much better people? Because the outside effects, such as our ways of life, inventions, technology, etc., change, we may not notice the similarities between the caveman who killed others lurking around his cave or the country sending a bomb or two to another, with the assumption that the other is planning an invasion. This may mean some things can stick in the minds of all of us that were planted there subconsciously by our elders, such as our ways of communication, our ethics, financial habits, religion or the lack of it, etc. Then, there are the mannerisms and habits, like our facial expressions and gestures. Some people also choose the careers of their fathers or of others in their families. For example, I am quite sure much of my choosing to stick with lit and languages had something to do with one of my uncles whom I adored while I was growing up. Was that conscious? It must be, I think, at least, partly. So, yes, it is possible that adult children, even those who were rebellious in younger years, do imitate their elders in a lot of ways, from deeply-set subconscious behaviors to deliberate choices. This just shows that while we think we are forging our own paths, we are also carrying a piece of those who walked before us. |
| Prompt: Bored? “I’m never bored anywhere; being bored is an insult to oneself.” Jules Renard Do you feel bored sometimes? What bores you? ------------ I am not really bored in my everyday life because I'm always so busy. There are things, people, and instances that bore me though. I guess I don't appreciate being "talked at" be it in my personal life or online. Case in point, some of the YouTube stuff. They get you with a hook in the beginning, a "click bait", and if you think or you are made believe that the person talking is a professional and you can get something out of the information he's about to give, you listen. Then, they go on and on and beat around the bush with irrelevant words and info, and at the end, they may spit out the information they promised in the beginning or not. Such an information should take less than a minute; however, YouTube or the person talking wants to keep you and me 20 minutes to half an hour listening to them, that's someone extremely self-important. Is this worth our time? Knowing this, if I am really curious, I first check the comments section and see if someone has given the answers in a nutshell. So, in general, my reasoning is, mind-numbing anything is boring, especially if there's no learning or problem solving. Then, if any activity asks for little or no mental effort, learning, creativity, or problem-solving, it is a boring one. Even if that activity has promised something in the beginning, then it become pointless and offers nothing, it is a boring activity. Chances are boredom happens when our brains warn us about the mismatch between what we are after and what we are getting. Surely, there are differences among people when it comes to boredom. Some of us are okay with occasional passivity, while others need to stay active both mentally and emotionally. Then, what one person finds fascinating, another might find utterly dull. So what is boring, at least to me, means unnecessary repetition, predictability, and saying or offering nothing new. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
