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 |   Second blog -- answers to an ocean of prompts |
 "Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself." CHARLIE CHAPLIN  Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet confinement of your aloneness to learn anything or anyone that does not bring you alive is too small for you. David Whyte        This is my supplementary blog in which I will post entries written for prompts. |
For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise"  Prompt: “All frustration is due to unfulfilled desires. If you dwell on obstacles, delays, and difficulties, your subconscious mind responds accordingly, and you are blocking your own good.” Joseph Murphy Do you agree with the quote, and what frustrates you the most? ---- I am not sure about the unfulfilled desires part of the quote. We may all have unfulfilled desires but we don’t cry over spilt milk, do we? To the second sentence in the quote, I say, Amen. Life is difficult and small things or sometimes big things are irritating. Try waiting on a long line when you shop and just before your turn comes, the cash register breaks down. I usually seethe at the moment, and then, let it go. It isn’t worth wasting my time and brain power. Then, sometimes, other people’s words and actions throw me off. This usually has to do with those who just talk without grasping the entire thing or without knowing my role in it. As Aunt Acid says on the Net, “being judged by someone who isn’t even close to having their own crap together” can be frustrating. Still, I let it pass. Such stuff is not worth a moment’s aggravation. Of course, huge life events that are negative like grief over losing someone do not belong in this frustration category. They are debilitating and crippling and much more than frustrating.  For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From sindbad   ’s "Face what you must Face" "Krishna says – When you avoid what you must face in life, it becomes bigger than you and takes control over you.* What do you think? --- Absolutely, correct. If we don’t face a difficulty, that difficulty takes over our lives and even our brain power and emotions, if not our health and finances. As a material example, if we neglect taking care of poor wiring in the house, that wiring could cause a serious fire, for example. Then, the problems would be much more than poor wiring. Not just material difficulties but physical and emotional problems, too, when not faced properly may end up with an avalanche of much more serious problems, far too impossible to handle. Besides, facing challenges makes us stronger and probably wiser, too. So why give up the control, when we can handle things more easily? |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: “Love makes us good. It doesn’t matter who we love, nor does it matter whether our love is reciprocated or not or if the relationship lasts. Just the experience of loving is enough; that’s what transforms us.” Isabel Allende, from Maya What are your opinions on the subject? === As residents of our planet, we depend on one another whether we are humans, animals, or other living things. We also depend on the so-called non-living things. We need to love just about everything in order to be able to survive together. Love is a misunderstood emotion, in itself, however. Even though its definition may change from person to person, not all fleeting warm fuzzy feelings are love. As such, any kind of affection or a feeling of lust is usually and mistakenly seen as love. Affection alone is not enough. A romantic relationship alone may not be real love. True love, in addition to affection and romance, has to include trust, caring, friendship, respect, and honesty. We learn to love from our earlier experiences when we see how our needs are met. In fact, we learn love throughout our lives, and we also learn not all the love we give will be reciprocated. If we still continue to offer love, even when the feeling is not returned, it means we are true lovers. This is because love is only given without any expectations. When someone says out loud, “I only love. I don’t hate. Because my religion told me so,” and she goes around doing hurtful things to others, that is called selfishness and that person is using love for her own ends. Love grows inside the person if that person nourishes it. No one, not even a religion, can mandate love. As Isabel Allende says, “Just the experience of loving is enough; that’s what transforms us.” For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From Kate - Writing & Reading  ’s "Taking Flight" "For a moment the sky and snow-clad earth reverse; on wings of wind upheld fleet skiers glide as birds." Have you ever been snow or water skiing? Do you think you'd like to try? === I might have tried all that if I were to be younger and in a different environment. Then, when I was in my teens and wanted to learn skiing, my mother wouldn’t allow it. I tried again when I was 24 and married. Then, my husband was worried that I’d break my neck. I didn’t want him to worry, so that was that. I can, however, understand my loved ones’ concerns for me. Remember Sonny Bono, who hit a tree while skiing and passed away? Who says I would be any better than him? Yet, if I were to try some of those things now, I think I’d go for hang gliding, rather than water skiing. I think it would be fun to be up in the sky like a bird. On the other hand, my doctor would have a fit.   |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: https://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/global-warming-and-hurricanes/ Do you think storms are stronger or weaker than they were? What about where you live are there more or less storms. ----- I think they are the same or could be stronger. The jury is out on that. I am not contesting what the article says, but I am not going to believe everything everyone says either. It isn’t that we never had hurricanes before. There were some doozies, say during 1928 and earlier. I live in the part of Florida in zone one where the likelihood of a hurricane hitting it has a much higher percentage than the other parts of the state. Still, the last time we were really hit was in 2004 and 2005. Last year’s Irma passed us by and hit most of the other parts of the state. My neighbor, a born Floridian, said other real hurricanes came by, during the seventies and a much milder one during the eighties. We do have smaller tropical storms, though. Florida always did, but they produce nothing more than a tree branch falling or the traffic lights going berserk. When I used to live on Long Island, I recall having weather events with results scarier than what happens here. I think the earth is a living being, who is very patient with our misdeeds, but it has its own ways of protecting itself, too. For example, several years ago scientists made a big deal of a hole in the ozone layer in the atmosphere. I was really worried about that myself, but that layer is closed now, on its own. By the same token, I am wondering if this Covid19 pandemic is or isn’t the planet’s machination to protect itself from the overpopulation of its pests... Even if we can point a finger to a certain country for going nuts with their illicit and immoral researches. For: "Space Blog" Prompt 2. From hbk16’s "Invalid Item" “When you fall, you get up.” --- With “When you fall, you get up,” the author is recommending resilience and determination to carry on no matter what happens. I think, this statement does agree with what the creation--or God or whoever you believe in—meant for us to do. Nobody’s life comes with a map, although we may believe in the strength of our goals and wishes. Even those of us who have reached a goal or two, fully or somewhat, experience twists and shocks and serious hardships along the way. These changes of adversity, trauma, tragedy, or stress do a number on us in different ways as we each respond to them according to our physical and psychological makeup. Then, when we bounce back from these challenges, we usually find that, despite their adversity, they also provide profound personal growth. Therefore, when adversity shakes us, it is a good idea to accept its changes and try to keep things in perspective, and the most important thing is to never lose hope in the future or in ourselves. Thus, “This, too, shall pass,” has been my motto, to which I’ve added, “Carry on!” It helps. |
| For: "Space Blog" Prompt: prettypoetry’s "Invalid Item" "It is so beautiful the way you all reveal your real selves! The things I learn are invaluable every time we talk! Sharing the greats of your heavens, the hell of your hells! Your stories are mesmerising, the way you walk your walk!" What do you suppose the poet means? --- I think the poet is appreciating people a lot; I might be wrong, of course. For a split second, I wondered if it were a satirical poem. Yet, on second thought, I don’t think so because the entire poem is only of those four lines, and I really think she’s talking to us, the WdC people, celebrating who we are and what we write. What is there not to celebrate? We come from culturally diverse backgrounds, converging upon a single ideal: our love of writing. Our stories and journeys are all different, but we blend beautifully. As much as our individual uniquenesses can be treasured, our medley is a united whole. So, thank you, prettypoetry, for writing about us.  |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: What was the last thing you ordered off the internet? --- I ordered a two-tier stand for my houseplants, but it didn’t work well. So the stand stands in the corner in a bathroom holding a few spray cans in the bottom shelf, and tissues and extra toilet paper on the top shelf. I should have sent it back, but I dislike sending things back. It was advertised as sturdy, but it isn’t. It doesn’t look too bad in the little corner it is occupying now, though, and it serves a purpose, although that purpose serves other than what my original need was. As for the houseplants, I have to visit an actual store like Loews or a nursery that sells such stuff. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From Samberine Everose  ’s "A Piece of Song" "A piece of melody blends gently with the night, carrying something, I didn't recognize." Have you ever had an experience like this? Tell us about it. ---- Yes, all the time. One example for this is that I read at nights, almost all the time. The music I listen to is usually Classical or reading music for Kindle, etc. This music does something to me that is hard to recognize. It is not just relaxing me but addressing something in my psyche that reverberates through my entire being, although my attention is on what I am reading. If the music had to be in songs with words, I’d say the words had to be inspiring me, but I don’t listen to songs when I am reading because I would focus on the words and my reading would go haywire. I think this effect happens due to the fact that music creates a mode of expressing or recognizing feelings. This must be because music has its origins in the beginning of the human kind when bones and rocks pounced on the stretched-out skins of animals as the people accompanied with their chants, war cries, and laments. This must have been etched somewhere in our DNAs. Then today, when music affects us in a way that we can’t figure out how, I think our combined heritage takes over and we are psychically inspired by the feelings that we are familiar with but can’t exactly recall what they are. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: Different people keep the world moving. Use this in your Blog entry today. --- Different people? If this phrase shocks you, imagine the alternative. Imagine we all looked alike, dressed alike, talked alike, did the same things, and felt the same way. Where would the world be today if we were all alike? We’d be like factory-made mechanisms. Is this how we want our world to be? Being different brings different ideas, inventions, and ways of being and we are the richer for it. It is not a bad thing to be different, and it is not a bad thing to cherish our differences and people different from us. Those differences let our world and our lives improve and flourish. They let the earth keep spinning in our favor. For: "Space Blog" From Scarlett Moon  ’s "It’s just indifferent I’d say." where the author asks "What if these words could change everything right away?"What do you think? Can words change everything right away? --- Words can change everything, if not immediately but most of the time. Unfortunately, most of us are masters of the unsaid words. Then, we mourn the words we wish we could have said, words and phrases like, “I love you,” “Sorry!” “You have a friend in me,” “I share your concerns,” “I’m happy for you,” etc. Such words, phrases, and sentences show the other person your point, where you stand, and that you value them. When people feel valued, they change for the better. Yet, much tact is needed when mouthing words. Way too many people say things they don’t really mean, especially in arguments. They raise their voices and let slip out an expletive or two. This, too, can change everything but for the worst. So, it is a fine line to walk between the words we mean to say or do not mean to say. I think sincerity should be the key and thinking of the other person should be the context of what we say. If we apply those two together, we’ll see that the words change everything, right away. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: What kinds of things such as likes, dislikes, behavior, vocations, avocations, and/or personality traits do you appreciate in other people the most? --- Above everything I look for tolerance and acceptance of differences. My-way-or-no-way people annoy me to no end. even if they share the same convictions and beliefs with me. I especially like people who work on themselves, who try to be better all the time, who can look and see themselves fairly, and who do not cross boundaries. Not an easy job to work on oneself, but so well worth the effort. I also like people who put others at ease, who calm those who are troubled. Then, a decent dose of morality and the idea of don’t-hurt-if-you-cannot-help attitude goes a long way, too. I really, really love gentleness and calmness, which were the first reasons I had married my husband, who I miss terribly. In the same vein, I feel closer to people who like animals and children as well as people with minds open to learning and reading. I like almost everyone who shows an affinity to all arts, not for acquiring financial gains from them, but just for the art-for-arts-sake feeling. We are all human, and I can overlook a bit of anger, jealousy, greed, or the other negative emotions, but when those are not tamed and used while hurting people, then they are unforgiveable. Plus, drama queens exasperate me to no end, as well as those who think the world revolves around them. They think their existence, their successes, and their troubles are the most important. Well, they are not and they should know it because everyone else has them, even if most people do not constantly brag or complain. I know such people from the way they always talk about themselves. I am not picking on the negative people per se. As I said earlier, we are all human, and when I catch myself stumbling, I try to work on myself to the best of my ability. Still, being who I want to be is not an easy job. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: WakeUpAndLive️~scary 2024  ’s "Poet @ Work 2" "It's raining today. Better for the garden, it's been very dry lately. I love the sound of rain, on the rooftop, on the window, on the tiles in the street. It's soothing and comforting." Write about a rainy afternoon. What do you like to do with rainy days? ----- I love the rain. When I was much, much younger, I used to jump under any torrent and drive my mother crazy. I don’t do that anymore; you can be sure of that. On the other hand, instead of enjoying the getting soaked sensation, I like to sit in a dry place and listen to the music of rain. I also like reading while listening to rain. Rain has never made me feel sad. Possibly, it gives me a feeling of renewal. Some liken raindrops to teardrops and that’s why they feel sad. Since I was never a crybaby and in fact I almost never cry, this type of a feeling never affects me. Rain to me is not just a light blissful sprinkling. I like the temporary landscapes it creates especially when it comes down in torrents and forms into rivulets and puddles. After all, water is beautiful and it has a cleansing effect on my soul. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: Take any specific part of your body (hands, arms, heart, liver, brain, etc.) Think of it as more than or different from a view of anatomy in the scientific sense, and then write whatever you want about it. --- See, it is like the joke with the elephants painting their toenails red so they wouldn’t be seen in a strawberry patch. What the…? You might exclaim. Don’t. Just don’t. I know how that poor elephant feels. I know why he stood in a strawberry patch. He felt like the once-upon-a-time me. To hide his polished toenails. I used to have perfect toenails; so perfect that while I was in my teens, my mom used to wonder why I polished them, at all. I did, and in see-through-pink, and I thought I was in touch with those days’ fashion and, by a long stretch, with my own polished self, or in other words, ego. But it was then. So many waters under the bridge, and the camaraderie between my toenails and me have soured. I should say thickened, but the thickening is on their part, not mine. The last pedicurist I saw, eons ago, told me, no they weren’t misbehaving at all. It wasn’t fungus either. It was just aging. Thank you very much. It was the last time I saw the pedicurist, and the last time my toenails had a bright red polish on them to hide their hardened, striated surfaces. After leaving the shop, I didn’t know where to hide my toenails. There wasn’t a strawberry patch around, so I wore socks and sneakers for a while, until the polish chipped. You know, all polish chips eventually, no matter where you apply it. Just be careful with your large surfaces, like the ego. The ego can’t handle that applied-later-polish thing. Too fancy! It gives itself away. Nowadays, I wear sandals, and my toenails have been warming up to me, mellowing, and flaunting not their polish but the petroleum jelly, which softens them while allowing them to be themselves. A happy ending, wouldn’t you say? For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From Jeannie  ”s "Invalid Item" “I look out and see the sunshine chase the clouds away. I no longer want to hide in the dark but survive.” Use this line in your Blog entry today. === Yesterday, we had a tropical storm. It was supposed to be a category one hurricane, but it ended up as an any-day, Florida storm. My shutters were up and the garden hoses and pots of plants plus the outdoor furniture were stashed away. I felt both sad and bad. I don’t like the annoying preparations and darkened days, and especially the aftermaths of hurricanes. Then, yesterday evening, when the whole thing fizzled out, we had this late sunset with a gorgeous orange sky, while the hidden rays of the sun fought through the storm clouds. This morning, the dark clouds have drifted away, as all darkness eventually does. In their place came fluffy white clouds with a few dark streaks among them; yet the sunbeams are emerging to do their usual dance; We’ve made it through another possible hurricane. The sun is always there behind the clouds, higher up, if we could only remember from where it rules, on its lofty throne, when the clouds darken our days. --- Note: (Sorry, I have difficulty using another writer's exact sentences for several reasons, but I tried to stay loyal to their essence) |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: Write about 5 magical winds. === I’ve never heard of the five magical winds, maybe because I am not much of a dedicated fantasy reader. All I know are the five elements of Godai as earth, water, fire, wind, and void (ether) in Japanese Buddhism, upon which the teachings of ninjas are based. Then, there’s the five magic rings, a business approach based upon the Ninjas' teachings, which not being interested in the wheelings and dealings of any business practices, I have no inkling what they are about. Tolkien also talks about the rings of power but those rings’ numbers are more than five. This, I imagine, leaves me to invent my own five magical winds. Wind 1. It is the wind that sneaks in before a hurricane hits the land, especially on where I now live, and leads the hurricane away to the open seas and no human’s belongings or life on land is compromised. Wind 2. A wind of peace, as soft as a breeze but as powerful as an electric current, spreads all over the earth. No more wars or battles or fights, ladies and gents. How about that? Wind 3. A wind of abundance surrounds the earth that protects the people from hunger and need as well as favoring and taking good care of all the animals, wild or domesticated. Wind 4. A wind of good health blows all over the planet and penetrates into the most hidden corners and holes to rid us from epidemics, pandemics, and all kinds of diseases. Wind 5. A wind of smarter thinking and judgment blows into the USA's capital city, and the factions there stop arguing about insignificant things. As an example, wearing the masks. Look at it this way. If we the people were told from the beginning that a mask saves both the wearer and those around him, people wouldn’t put up a fight. But no, what the idiots insist is that the people have to wear the masks to protect others. Well, hello? Only a few people are that altruistic. People who are ignorant of human nature shouldn’t be made into legislators and rulers. Here! Now that I ranted and carried on, I feel better already! For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From innerlight member since 2014  ’s "The Magical Leprechaun" “Even though I'm not full Irish, I believe in the myths in a major way. Write about this in your Blog entry today,” says  Megan who is into magical thinking today.--- While innerlight member since 2014 ’s poem talks mainly about the leprechauns, there are so many other myths and mythical creatures in the Irish lore. Yes, the leprechauns are whimsical little people and they engage our minds in a certain fun-loving way, but what about Macha, the goddess of the horses, pixies, shamrocks, etc.? Who hasn’t looked for a shamrock for luck insides a field of clovers?Yet, there is more. Have you ever heard a banshee’s shrill cry in your nightmares and fled to the Druids to save you from its shenanigans? How about the many gods and goddesses, too? Yes, they abound, but I can’t tell their names for two reasons. First, if only for the silly reason of self-preservation, I don’t want to invoke a far-away deity’s name and cause disturbance for him or her...or me. Second,  I don’t know the names of all the Celtic deities.The Celtic myth I like the most, though, is the magic fish, Salmon of Knowledge. A person who tastes its flesh becomes wiser and more knowledgeable, like Fionn who tasted the salmon Finegas caught and became the greatest warrior of all time. I think I may now go on a strictly salmon diet. It might just be that Fionn’s story is much more than a myth. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: When do you feel rushed? --- Right now, and always. It isn’t because there aren’t enough hours in the day. It is because some or most of the things I need to do depend on institutions, companies, and other people’s urgencies. Just to get to the right person or solution, waiting three to four hours on the phone, then either being dropped or if lucky enough, reaching someone to take care of the situation with some solution, which only would take a few minutes, is a hassle. Computers answering the phones and keeping the people on hold hasn’t been a big help either. Then, of course, there are the fake, threatening, and solicitation calls, which eat into the time of the day and my and other people's nerves. With my own schedule or to-do lists, I usually keep on time, because my motto is, “Do it immediately, now, as it may not get done at all.” If only the others, such as companies and institutions wouldn’t be so selfish… For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From Rhoswen - Relentless Victory  ’s "Muse Got Lost" "Total mind-blank is here to stay. I wish my muse would return; Oh, I want to write something…" How about you? Do you want to write something? If so, have at it. --- Oh, that silly muse! I told mine I don’t need such iffy help. I have a keyboard and pencils, pens, and paper in abundance that might last me till Kingdom come, should I live that long. Thus, I have a solution for those who have stinky muses. Just do it! My own just-do-it solution is freewriting. I got so much into freewriting lately that when I want to write, say a poem or a story, it ends up being a freewriting exercise, as my blog entries almost always are. Freewriting, to me, is writing just about anything. I mostly start with an idea, but if my attention takes me to what’s outside the window, within the room, or the bug inside my mind, so be it. Freewriting is a nothing-barred kind of an exercise. While I am at it, sometimes, a few creative ideas sneak in; then, at other times, something else finds its way into my lines. If I didn’t come up with the subject that I wanted to explore, this may indicate that the subject was not meant for me at that specific time, which doesn’t mean that it won’t ever be addressed because some ideas need time for brewing. As for the “Oh, I want to write something,” I just did, didn’t I? |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: William Butler Yeats defined symbols as “images that are living souls.” Can you think of and talk about a few symbols in your culture or in your life that you hold dear that might fit Yeats’s definition? --- Aren’t symbols something? They affect the trajectory or our thoughts and ideas, especially when we are not aware of their existence at the moment. Take gestures for example. In our culture, a hug or a kiss on the cheek symbolizes close ties; in French and Mexican cultures they are only basic greetings. Still, in some other cultures, actions like that may be taken as stepping over your bounds. In that context, I like the waving of a hand as a friendly greeting, especially now that we are practicing social distancing. Then, as symbols, there are the traffic signs, logos, flags, drawn depictions of animals and objects. I think this symbol thing started with the dawn of the mankind since we can observe them from the petroglyphs, the carved or scratched signs or simple figures on rock, or hieroglyphs on the walls of caves and tombs. This shows, whether we admit to it or not, symbols have a way of entering our lives. When I think of the drawn symbols, I like the figure of the dove which means peace, whereas the bird dove in real life is a chatterbox that argues with all other birds. Go figure! Still, I like that image and what it represents. I also like the butterfly that, in myth and art, signifies transformation. Then, there are religious, national and international symbols, which we should all respect like the flag of our country as well as those of other countries. My favorite symbol is the ocean, as I think of myself as a drop meant to be blended into the vastness of its whole. To me, the ocean symbolizes unity and togetherness as well as resilience and depth. That ocean in my mind can withstand, clean, and digest all the ills of this world and possibly of the entire universe. Just, maybe. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From Sharmelle's Expressions  ’s "Angel’s Surrounded by The Rainbow" “They are giving us blessings even though humans in the world cannot see the angels, we are happy for all of our blessings.” === Sharmelle, in her poem, assigns an angel to each color of the rainbow, turning the colors into symbols for the angels’ positivity. Angels, as divine creatures, flood the texts of scriptures in almost all religions. They are the ministering spirits who live for eternity and who can influence us through our senses and intellect. Most of us believe in them and treat them as we would our dearest and most loving friends, since we’ve been told that they watch over us. I think, the idea that angels exist is a positive thing and the poem does justice to that idea. After all who doesn’t want to be encouraged to become a better and happier person? |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" ’ Prompt: “Friendship ... is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .” ― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves Is there someone in your life that you've had that ‘what, you, too?’ moment with and when you thought it happen only to yourself? Share something special about that relationship. ---- Yes, actually there have been several people like that in my life, but I’ll talk about the earliest one as it is also the longest best-friend relationship. It started probably years before I turned 10. It had to do with our love of writing, drawing pictures, plus some mischief, which the elders tried to steer us toward more sensible areas. My cousin and I quickly discovered we both had the same exact likes, dislikes, and complaints about our family. I can’t recall any one single moment but probably it started with one and was reaffirmed through consequent moments. Although later on while distances and different lifestyles have changed a bit, our friendship still stays very strong, and now is being re-emphasized through the internet. My cousin is a year younger than me and nowadays more upbeat while in her earlier life she was moodier than me. Still, we usually have the same thoughts, and when we talk on the phone, we end up saying the same exact sentence, word, or phrase at the same instant, just as it used to happen in our earliest days. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From Rhyssa ’s "Dreaming" Without the words that form my dreams and impulse themselves upon my hand, I am nothing. Use this line in your Blog entry today. --- “Without the words that form my dreams and impulse themselves upon my hand, I am nothing,” says Rhyssa. I think she is much more than that, but knowing how well she uses her words and how easy and sincere her writing sounds, I can’t argue about it much, can I? It isn’t easy when writing an essay to escape from the tone of a corporate memo and give the writing a human voice with a sincere conversational tone. One would need a few sparks of energy, a dash of compassion for oneself and others, and sincerity, and still be able to write something different, respectable, and enjoyable. Well, Rhyssa has done it in her personal essay, providing a great example for us. Her tone is perfectly sincere, as tone is the attitude with which we write. Good writers inspire others into action and initiate change. Instead of being bossy and sounding knowledgeable with our writerliness, we can all start by understanding our readers’ frustrations, wishes, hesitations, and fears as well as our own. Then we can put all those in a simple, clear, and understandable words, by possibly omitting too long sentences, so our unique personality shows through our work. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: Use your favorite song title to inspire your entry today. --- I have many favorite songs, but at this moment, The Sound of Silence comes to mind. I wouldn’t start with “Hello Darkness, my old friend,” however. Even though darkness refers to a mood here, I don’t take silence together with darkness. Quite the opposite. “A vision that was planted in my mind” for a neon light touches the silence and makes a vision universal and benign. Let us look at it this way. What does any problem-solver, a fixer of people and situations, do? He or she listens in silence and observes. What does she or he observe? Not the sidewalks or cobblestones but what the other person is saying or is trying to hide. The silence in trying to hide gives away a person's innermost thoughts and worries. Then, some spells of silence between people can be awkward and at times, intolerable. Still that silence says something profound, if we listen to it closely. Usually, those--the fixer uppers among us--are the more silent ones. Why? Because they are listening. Listening is a form of consciousness, evolving from within and it is an art, especially if we are listening to what is missing or what is silent. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From innerlight member since 2014 ’s " Quotes" Read the above item and choose a quote and write about it. “Snakes like you usually die of their own poison.” Neath the Arizona Skies (1934) --- Don’t you think snakes get the worst rap in the animal kingdom? For our own twisted reasons, they instill a deep-rooted fear in us that the other animals fail to do, well, mostly. If you take an objective look at snakes’ existence, they are more helpful than harmful as they take care of the pesky rodents in our yards. They only attack if threatened and if you dare walk close to their nests where their young may be. The quote here refers to a bad person while unfairly pointing at the real snake. Plus, the quote is wrong in a second sense, the scientific one. Snakes don’t die from their own venom because they make their own antidote, except maybe if bitten by another snake such as the King Cobra. So, while I don’t like the targeting and blaming the snakes, as animals, I can comprehend what the quote means. To me, it means what will do away with a rotten person will arise from his very own rottenness. A simple example: Who usually kills a bandit? Another bandit. Or maybe one of the bad habits he has fallen into. Case closed. So, for being not so hot ourselves, let’s just leave the animal kingdom alone. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: "A cup of tea is a cup of peace." What is a cup of peace for you? ----- I love tea, especially because I mix Bigelow’s Earl Grey with a dark brew like Tazo’s English Breakfast, and I let it brew a few minutes. It is my morning fare that gets me ready to face the day. I am, however, not sure how something with a good dose of caffeine can deliver peace. I rather think that a cup of Linden tea could do the trick better, there. In fact, my cup of peace doesn’t come inside an actual cup. I find peace in listening to the rain or getting lost in a good book. Lately, some of my peace has been coming from the TV, a turned-off one that doesn’t annoy me with the election rhetoric, bombardment of ads, and fake news. So, peace is where I find it; except, it may not be in a cup. And it definitely is not on the TV screen. For: "Space Blog" From "Food in Writing" Prompt: "There is no love sincerer than the love of food." George Bernard Shaw Let's write about food today. Thanks, Megan! Well, I have to say our favorite dish, just the sight of it, ignites something poetic in our consciousness, as food satisfies one of our most essential needs and it doesn’t talk back at us. Luckily! But, what if food could talk back at me? It would probably chide me by saying, “So you think you are a bon vivant! You idiot! You consume me and look what you turn me into at the end!” , Then, I’d have to tell food that, although I might not be able to create security for it and ease its worries, I am forever grateful for what it has given me, my life plus serotonin and oxytocin. If it were not for food, where else would I find my most basic bliss and happiness! |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: When you revise a piece, what are the steps you take, and where do you stop? Do you stop when you think you are making things worse instead of improving them or when you are sick of working on the piece or when you think you’ve done the best and this is it? ---- Not that I do many revisions, but when I do, I first read the whole piece over to check for plot loopholes, and if it is a poem, to check for unneeded repetitions and for the unity of the ideas and form. Funny thing is, I am never done, not really. At the moment when I stop, I may say, “okay, this is it,” but the next day or the next time I read, I see probably ten other mishaps, even those my reviewers don’t catch or may think are acceptable. So, I am never done, and that is where I flunk. An identical problem is, I have about ten novels, all in first draft; well, maybe with a few surface edits, but the novels are not done, and I’m afraid will never be done. So, possibly to appease myself, I say, “It doesn’t matter! I had fun writing the first draft!” Maybe in another lifetime…? For: "Space Blog Group" Prompt: From Koyel~writing again ’s "Down the Memory Lane" "I am absolutely alone in this world with no one to empathize my sorrow." --She said she is battling an incurable illness. As a therapist and chaplain by profession, my heart goes out to her. Can we give her some love?--says Chris Breva  ---- This is so touching! We live in a world where we value communication more than anything. Yet, probably all of us have experienced isolation at one time or another when the entire world seemed to stay behind a fence that became impossible to cross. A few people like me may value a bit of isolation to get in touch with ourselves. Yet, we all fear feeling alone and forgotten deep inside ourselves, permanently. This may be because in our world, extroverted behaviors and tribalism or the idea of belonging with a certain group has become the accepted norm. This line from a poem, which otherwise also reflects happier moments from the past, shows the importance of social and human contact. Otherwise, the sense of defeat and helplessness form a vicious cycle and aggravate the ills of both the body and the mind. On the positive side, writing poetry about our feelings connects us to others, as this poet has connected to those of us who have read her poem. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: “Whenever a poem enacts what it is about, it creates a way for itself to live dramatically inside the reader. It becomes an experience unto itself.” Edward Hirsh, from the book How to Read a Poem, page 45. Do you agree and if so, which kinds of poems leave the same or similar effect inside you? ---- Enjoying poetry has to do with participating in something that mostly cannot be explained through reason and understanding alone; although, there are examples of poetry that are only meant to be understood by reason. The majority of good poems that speak to me, however, create a space for fantasy, something like a dream time, while they pull me in through their music and hidden messages. For the same token, two different people can interpret the same poem in different ways intuitively. This means we sense and feel the poem even if our understanding of its entirety can be lacking. Then, a poem also can have the theatrical privilege, a big idea in a single line, which may be the poet’s gift from his subconscious, like that of Shakespeare. Thus, I like a bit of the theater in a poem, too, plus the hidden or implied universal thoughts that target the spirit of being a human. I think Poe does that well in his theatrical fashion; Pablo Neruda does that well; Rumi does that well in his story-poems; Emerson does that well; as does Elizabeth Bishop to some degree. But I also like, simpler, shorter, concise poetry, too, like that of Emily Dickinson, Mary Oliver, and some WdC poets, here on the site, whose names I am keeping to myself. . For: "Space Blog Group" Prompt: From lezismore-moreislez ’s "Crashing Waves " “The waves continue their endless cycle and crash upon the seashore.”. Write about this in your Blog entry today and be sure to read the above item. ==== “The waves continue their endless cycle and crash upon the seashore”. is a pictorial lyric as this line displays itself as a metaphor representing the cyclical nature of life. Everything works together in harmony in it, though the words are seemingly simple,they are well-chosen and well-placed in relation to one another. This is one of those perfect lines in which the places of the words shouldn’t be changed or their implied meaning could be lost. Plus, the sound and the meanings of words set in motion the reverie, the daydreaming capacity, or a reader’s ability to see the picture the words draw in the mind’s eye. and then, feel them in the heart and the mind. In my opinion, a poem, even when understood differently by each reader, should leave something to ponder and dream about. This line, I believe, does that well. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" " Writing is thinking out loud. Blogging is thinking out loud where other folks think back.”~ Liz Strauss What are your thoughts? -- Some people write only for themselves to think and figure out themselves and the world around them, and I am one of them; well, kind of. Blogging is similar to it in that it is thinking things through while writing but not minding that others see it. As such, while blogging thinks for the present and the future, other types of writing is mostly based upon the past experiences of our civilization. Then, there is the fact that world’s breakthrough ideas often occur to different people at the same time. This may be because our ideas are our environment’s products and they emerge when they are ready. Before they emerge though, they give off signals. Some of those signals may well come from our blogs for our future. The good thing about blogging is that the bloggers’ thinking becomes public, regardless of the blog’s subject matter. Then connections take over, and the blogger doesn’t usually get a massive audience, but an audience made up of people with similar interests and thought processes. This is one reason why the established media people have at first scoffed at bloggers for being the small fish. The established media’s looking down on bloggers had to do with their parroting the past information, a curse of their know-how, while believing that others will immediately grasp their rhetoric. Unfortunately for them, the average person-- dealing with his or her everyday matters--didn’t. When the bloggers emerged, however, despite the confusion of blogging’s nature, the free-thinking, personalized rhythm in most of the blogs shook up the established media, as the small fish multiplied by leaps and bounds. Thus, noticing the positive results, some of the writers of the established media joined in, as well. Now, with so many of us blogging, the ideas and events may change the way we think and live much faster. As a result, for the average person today, making connections is an opportunity for connecting to others. It is also an opportunity for the future of thought. For: "Space Blog Group" Prompt: From jaya ’s "Invalid Item" Use this sentence in your Blog and be sure to read the above item for your ideas --- Thinking that life is trying to give us a hard time is unjustified and incorrect. Things just happen and sometimes, they happen in multitudes. Yet, the point of living isn’t what is happening but how we are responding to it. We all experience difficult times and low points in our lives that may be tough and painful. Yet, pain is a fundamental part of living and it may well act as a teacher. Thus, minding the teacher and learning from the difficult lesson are important. It is also important to stay positive and fix our attention on the brighter sides of life, so the lessons learned can be put to good use. Staying positive means--without disregarding the lesson--changing our focus from the difficulty of the experience to other things like the beauty of a dawn or a sunset or the book we are reading or anything that brings us joy. In this way, the quote, “Even as I go through some trying times, every dawn, everyday feels truly fine,” is justified. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: What are some things in your life you take for granted? --- I’d really like to say I take nothing for granted, but that would give me the biggest, longest Pinocchio nose. I guess I, as another human, take too many things for granted such as my five senses, my ability to read, write, think and decide (faultily or not), that my limbs and body are working, that hunger, shelter, and other such needs have never been an issue, that the nature is so versatile, beautiful (and at the same time, deadly), that this planet we are on has beautiful oceans and majestic mountains, that I have heat and air conditioning, that people in their essence are interesting, varied, and mostly decent. Although I take all these and many other things for granted, I am grateful for the friend who came up with this prompt, which made me count my blessings.  For: "Space Blog Group" Prompt: From lizco252isback’s "Invalid Item" "We all knew the jerk was inept But what is life but a reality show" What do you think? Could life be a reality show that some alien is watching? === That thought about the aliens has occurred to me also, and on many occasions. How can it not when so many things and happenings don’t make sense at all? I dare think that not only we are being watched as a reality show but also, we are being played like a computer game, which accounts for the plot twists in our lives and the weird stuff in our daily living. I mean, this can be true for the fact that I have been watching from a webcam a bald eagle couple in Fort Myers, Southwest Florida, along with possibly millions of people: https://www.dickpritchettrealestate.com/eagle-feed.html That poor raptor couple have no idea that they are being ogled by so many of us, and thus, the possibility or the near-certainty that we are being watched by higher forms of life. Just why wouldn’t the aliens, for many weird reasons of their own, watch us in the same way we watch other species? More than a few serious physicists such as Enrico Fermi think that due to the age and size of the universe, there has to be civilizations like ours and even much more advanced than ours. Since we, the tiny bumbling earthlings, came up with the idea of webcams, how in the world a more advanced civilization could not come up with a better tool to watch us? Worse yet, play with us? On the other hand, as a precaution for your mental health, just don’t think about this issue when you are undressing or are in the shower.  |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: What would you do with 3 more hours in a day? --- I guess I would read or attend to unfinished business of the day. What am I saying, I would definitely read since I always leave the unfinished business alone, just to read. Unfinished business or any type of stuff like it has already been interfering with my reading. For: "Space Blog Group" Prompt: Becca Winchester ’s "'You Talk Of Freedom'" "How would you describe freedom?" So how would you describe it? --- Freedom to me is a feeling, first. I may feel free inside myself even if I am bound and tied. Then, I may not feel free even if I have everything I need and I am free to do anything or go anywhere I want. The most important freedom is the ability to learn from my mistakes as it enables me to do things right or fix them properly. Freedom is when I can make decisions about my own life, as long as what I do doesn’t step on the freedoms of others. Freedom is when I create what I create as long as what I have created doesn’t hurt anyone else. By the same token, freedom is being free to like or dislike anyone else’s work or creation. Freedom is being able to do things without being forced into doing them or refusing to do things that I don’t want to do. Freedom to say my thoughts, opinions, and ideas on any dimension of life or faith are among my fundamental human rights. This is guaranteed by the US constitution here, although it may be different elsewhere in the world. Freedom also has a sister called acceptance and a cousin called tolerance. When these three unite and work together, we can all have the ideal society with the freedom of the mind, will, and integrity. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: “Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” — Mary Shelley, Frankenstein What are your thoughts on the idea of the fearless feeling powerful? --- That’s exactly what a monster would say, isn’t it? Despite the scary horror a monster is, fear is a normal reaction because its absence marks pathological feelings and actions like cruelty or the lack of sympathy and empathy in a person. As such, Shelley’s Frankenstein was not well-received at first, probably due to the experiments. Isn’t it a coincidence, an unconscious imitation, or a defect in people that a few decades later, similar experiments were conducted by the Nazis? Yet, Shelley’s monster isn’t truly evil, but it is upset by the negative treatment it receives from others due to his scary appearance. He is unhappy because he cannot relate to normal humans. He’s even nice at times such as when he rescues a drowning child. Thus, my conclusion is, yes, a monster can be fearless; yet, underneath that fearlessness lie a heartbreak and the fear of being unacceptable. Talking about fearlessness, because I have been rationally irrational all my life, when I was eighteen, I read the books and scriptures of all the religions I could get my hands on, and yes, even that of the Sumerians and the Babylonians. Not that I remember much of any of it by now, but I came to the conclusion that all religions return to God by default. When I saw this quote about Frankenstein, I recalled the path of fearlessness as a Zen habit that advises its followers to see their internal underlying goodness. As our most basic fears have to do with uncertainty, not being good enough, and thus rejection, finding the goodness in us leads us to better behavior. In conclusion, possibly there is no such thing as fearlessness, as fear is built inside us for survival, but maybe, there are degrees of fearlessness. I think, on scale, fearlessness should stop at confidence because when we remove all fear, it ends up being a death sentence. For: "Space Blog Group" Prompt: from Kurt Philip Behm ‘s "Invalid Item" "What are we afraid of if not ourselves?" What do you think? --- This made me smile, not the quote but the similarity of the two prompts. This coincidence or synchronicity, if you wish, happens quite often among the prompters throughout the blog world in WdC. I am thinking we are all giving out thought waves or something. As to the prompt, I agree with it 100%. We all have unknown, hidden corners in our psyches that are scary. We may also have experiences that we don’t remember that may influence our behaviors. Earlier traumatic experiences, even when totally blocked to the memory, can affect the way we feel and the way we respond to events and other people. So, we must keep in mind that the hidden negatives in us are the missions of our psyches searching for a resolution and crying with longing for some kind of a rescue. Yet, we have to be fearful of some of those missions, and each time we catch ourselves acting or thinking spitefully, we must be on the alert and use our willpower not to say or do that hurtful thing. |
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