30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS

Hey all, I've been going through your blogs this month, grading them each day. Emily has given you all some excellent ones, and many of your replies have been a bit mind-blowing. I don't have a blog in this, and won't since I'm one of the judges. But I wanted to give you my answers to these eight prompts. This is lengthy, forgive me.


         My ‘responses’ or thoughts on the first eight prompts this month.

         First, please understand that I’m ‘OLD’, somewhat set in my ways, and have led a different life than most others around me. I’ve led a different life? Why? How? Well, members of the Submarine Service are few in the overall scheme of things. Even in the 70’s when our fleet was relatively large, our number were few compared to the rest of the Navy. A submarine usually carries about 115 Officers and Enlisted men. Even with 200 boats (a submarine is always a boat, never a ship), that means there were only about 2200 of us on active duty at one time. That’s less than the total number of crewmen on an Aircraft Carrier! So I have experienced a lot of things that might make your head swim, been through more than the ‘average’ person. So my outlook it different. Forewarned is forearmed.

5/8: Pick your top ten values and rank them based on how important they are to you. Then, write about the values you chose and if any have changed throughout your life.

         I have 15 not 10, and wanted to choose many more. I’ve made my explanations as short as I could.

1. Adaptability – You cannot remain the same throughout life, or even day-to-day, and week-to-week. You get the idea. You have to adapt to changing times, changing conditions. If you can’t adapt, you’ll soon by on the outside looking in.
2. Compassion – Not everyone is like you. Not everyone is as blessed as you, strong as you, as knowledgeable as you, or even as relaxed as you are. Feel compassion for those who are high-strung, who have had a rough life. After all, things could be different, and you could be in their mix.
3. Confidence – No matter what, you have to be confident. Life will throw many things at you, sometimes more than one at a time. You have to have confidence in your ability to handle ‘life’ in general, and succeed. You may never be rich, you may never be a celebrity, etc. But without confidence in yourself, you’ll be quickly lost in that day-to-day existence that we call life.
4. Decisiveness – Don’t be afraid to make a decision. Be decisive and go with your choice. It won’t always be the right choice, but you’ll learn and mature in doing so, and become more competent.
5. Determination – This goes right with decisiveness and confidence. Be determined to see things through, If it ends up not going well, be adaptable (#1 above), and make the necessary changes. Either way, be determined to see it through.
6. Faith – Have faith in yourself. If it suits you, have faith in your God or religion. Either way, never let anyone tell you that you cannot do this or that. Of course you can get it done. You do it through determination (#5), Confidence (#3), and Adaptability (#1). It all ties together.
7. Humor – Never lose your sense of humor. No matter what happens, humor abounds, and one day this too shall pass (whatever this is), and you’ll look back on it. No matter how bad it was, try to look back, and smile.
8. Integrity – If you say something, mean it. If you set out to do something, do it. Do not lie to get ahead. If you know there’s a shortcut, but also know it’s not something you should do, have the wherewithal to realize the road you should take. (Dang, I really sounds like a preacher here!)
9. Kindness – Be kind. Hate is never an answer, never a good thing to harbor. If someone wrongs you, smile at them. If insulted, smile. Don’t get me wrong, defend yourself if attacked, but be kind to everyone you meet. You’ll see it come back to you a thousand-fold.
10. Maturity – Don’t be the child in the room. We’re all grown, adults now. Leave childhood behind, and be mature in all you do. What does that mean exactly? That you don’t respond ‘like a child would’ when someone upsets you.
11. Professionalism – You work for a living. Whatever you do in your job or career, you should act like a professional. After all, you are one. Again, what’s that mean? It means that when you do something, no matter what it is, or how trivial, do it to the best of your ability. We all have skills, so do your task as best you can, and look back on it, and feel proud of what you just accomplished.
12. Resilience – This ties in with the earlier choices. Roll with the punches, adapt, change direction, be determined, and keep going until you know it is either finished, or cannot be done. If it can’t be done, then adapt, and move on.
13. Self-Realization – Realize that you are you. Love yourself. No one will love you more than you should love yourself. Realize who you are, your skills, you weaknesses. Accept who you are, and live life as best you can.
14. Sincerity – Be sincere. Do not tell someone you will do something, then not do it. If you commit to doing it, do it. A sincere person will give someone their word, and not go back on it.
15. Timeliness – Everything is completed when it’s time to be done. Don’t dally, don’t wait, don’t procrastinate. Get it done, and move on to the next task. Do not tell someone you can get a task done by a certain date or time, then not get it done.

5/7: Start your entry today with the words: “I used to believe...”
• I used to believe in Santa Claus
• I used to believe that I was not ‘handsome’ enough to gain a partner, a good looking partner. Then I learn that looks aren’t everything.
• I used to believe that all people are good. I still do. Until they prove to me otherwise.
• I used to believe I couldn’t do things well, couldn’t succeed. Somehow, someone beat it into me that I can. No, I wasn’t really beaten. I was challenged, greatly. Nuclear Power School was the toughest school I’ve ever been in. You had to have a certain background to be admitted, and I barely met the requirements. I did not have a ‘technical’ background, but met the requirement. I graduated with a 3/14 GPA.

5/6: Write about an object you own that has negligible monetary value, but is priceless to you. I have a ring that belonged to my father. I can’t wear it, it’s too small. The part that is on top of your finger can be flipped. Each side has a Chinese symbol on it. I forget what each symbol means. On the inside, you see 24K Sterling stamped. I have no idea of its value, but I don’t think it has much, if any. But it’s the only heirloom I have.

5/5: Find a local news story that makes you feel something. Share the story along with your opinion on it in your blog. It wasn’t here, but I loved the story about the day that all the dogs in a shelter were adopted, leaving the kennel empty.

5/4: Describe your cooking or baking ability. What was the last thing you cooked/baked that you we’re proud of? Are you a recipe-follower or freestyler? I am actually a pretty good cook, though my ‘menu’ is limited. I make an excellent Teriyaki sauce from scratch, good sweet-n-sour ribs with no pineapple, can make about any dish from a cookbook as long as I have the ingredients. I will always follow a recipe the first time, or if I haven’t made something in a while. But I do love to free-lance too. For you CHOCOLATE Lovers, I have an excellent, KILLER, chocolate recipe.

5/3: What do you do you relax and unwind in the evening? Paint us a picture of your ideal relaxation. I relax when I fall asleep. Otherwise I keep my mind going by either being here on WDC, browsing things, reading on WDC, or playing a few games on my tablet. I love Sudoku, and about anything that challenges me and makes me use my mind.

5/2: What one fictional character would most like to meet and talk to? Why? What would you like to ask? Gordon Shumway. You may remember him as ‘Alf’. No idea why, I just loved that character. Who else? John Coffey (played by Michael Clark Duncan) in The Green Mile. Maybe I was mesmerized by his gift, maybe I want that gift. I’d like to talk to him to learn from him.

5/1: Tell us something uplifting! We need good news now more than ever. What is something positive that happened or is about to happen in your life? What has made you smile recently? “Everything will be all right in the end. If it’s not all right, it is not yet the end.” Sonny Kapoor, played by Dev Patel in the ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’. Yes, the sun will rise in the east tomorrow, the sky will be blue. Clouds may come and go, it may rain, shine, sleet, snow, whatever. But the sun will still rise in the East, and the sky will be blue. No matter what’s going on in the world right now, it will be all right in the end. If it’s not alright now, then it’s not yet the end. That’s my good news.

         There you go, a little insight into the inner workings of my mind.





Jim Dorrell