Blog @ Work

Welcome to my reality - One -

"Welcome To My Reality Forum"  [E]

1. How old were you the first time you thought you were in love? Was it true love? Tell us your memory.

I was thirteen and very much in love with Bob, who became my high school sweetheart and my first boyfriend.

We met at dancing class in school, he asked if he could bring me home on his bike, I said yes. We were together for a couple of trimesters but he broke up. After the holidays we got back together, (he threatened to kill himself if I did not take him back). I broke up after a few months, it didn’t work after all.
Only a couple of years ago we met again and went out for dinner. It was lovely to see him after 40 years.

It was true love from both sides. He was a very beautiful young man and from Indonesian descent (as I am) with dark complexion and beautiful eyes and hands. He was a very good tennis player, played the guitar and was into Pencak Silat, martial arts. All very romantic to me.

I had a harsh upbringing so I remember my surprise I was allowed to go on a 5-day trip by train with Bob. It was a thing in the 70s called ‘teenage tour’, a train ticket that allowed you to travel all day for 5 days. Ofcorse we went home every night.

It was in this period I wrote a diary with lots of intimate details about my feelings and my relationship with Bob, that my little brother took and read.

From that day on, I had trouble trusting my words to a blank page in fear of anyone else reading it. I set the score now by working this blog!

2. Do you have any special plans for the summer ahead? What are they? If not, why?

This summer I have planned for two months to have time writing, reading and reviewing on Writing.com.

I have taken leave from my volunteering job at Pelita, an Indo organization working for and with Indos who were captured by the Japanese during World War 2 by offering them counseling and leisure. This group of elderly citizens is now decreasing and soon Pelita will be obsolete. But in the meantime I am working from home at my computer on their website on various content issues for nine years now. (Is it that long?) Once a week I go to the office to meet up with colleagues and have the occasional meeting.

I don’t have money to travel abroad these days. In earlier years I went to several countries in Europe, North Africa, Indonesia and the USA. I loved to travel but have accepted the fact that my income won’t allow it these years. In addition, I am house bound by my dog.

For 6 years I have visited my sister in a holiday trailer up North on a camping site. That was great fun since I could bring my dog with me. Last year I went on holiday for a few days with my father and stepmom in a rented cottage. It was lovely time spent together, especially in retrospect since my dad passed away only four months later.

Since I joined Writing.com I have overcome my writers block of nine whole months. Therefore, I am very pleased to be able to have free time to write this summer.

3. What was your most favorite thing that happened in your life last month? (June)

I found Writing.com by sheer accident while browsing the Internet. I joined in and buckled down. The rest is history.

I love this site with its writer’s community, its contests, its activities and perks for reviewing. The last 6 ½ weeks I have spent hours and hours per day reading, writing and reviewing and loving every minute of it.

Sofar I have managed 15 community recognitions with two awardicons and nine merit badges. I have given 122 public reviews, received 51, have 175 forum posts and entered a couple of contests of which I won three (first, 2nd and third place). I have written more than a dozen short stories and poems.

YEAH! My Muse is definitely back. I missed her dearly.

Since I am writing in English/American, things have been improving. My grammar and spelling sucks most of the time but my creativity is back and I am into some kind of flow. This blog is helping me by using as many prompts as possible so I have joined four blogging groups: 30-Day Blogging Challenge, Blog City, Blogging Circle of Friends and now also Welcome to my Reality.
It’s working!

Blogging is a lovely way for me to keep on writing. Welcome to my reality has covered a more personal part of blogging while the other three forums did less and were covering other areas. I love the fact that I am now blogging a variety range of subjects.

Blogging became a reality in the first place because Anonymous has paid for my upgraded membership for three months total. I owe this person the opportunity of a lifetime.