%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |   A terminal for all blogs coming in or going out. A view into my life. |
Started July 1st 2019 for contests, etc. as other blogs are filling up and have other purposes.  I'm starting a new blog because
I'll be linking to
I've started an appendix (I no longer have one personally) to keep track of my Space Cadet journals for Space Blog. It's a work constantly under construction. Mind the mess.
I needed to start a folder for contests as there are so many deadlines and details to remember.
  |
| The Challenge is over! Thanks be... I can now blog about my boring life. My personal insanity. At any time. As long as I remember that the new day, WDC time, begins at 1 p.m. here. When I should be doing other things. It's 2:30 and I haven't left yet! Why? I wrote two postcards, did a wash, took a shower and downed two cups of coffee. I'm also staying two extra nights.  That means I can have a quiet day at the Tainan Quiet Hostel.I should write about my walk with Yang Yu Chen and Anna Maria last evening... later. Now is time to pee (too much coffee) get money to pay Mr. Chen and leave for the post office. A comment I left at the blog-home of Robert Waltz  : "Yes, we are stardust. As for ignorance and fear: I'm in Taiwan, not China, as some folks don't know the difference. In China one says what ever the government wants to hear. Not here. So... about that virus. We have 9 cases. All quarantined, all monitored. No masks being exported. Production goes into high-gear today. Flights to china cancelled. Students will have to do their studies by remote. A total pain. But... if I want a flu shot they'll give me one and I suspect they will monitor, take care of me and quarantine me if necessary. In some ways I'm safer here than in the USA... which is still trying to figure out what they plan to do. Bless them (in the Southern sense). Orion is my favorite constellation from my childhood. Like the virus... when it goes, it goes." |
| Congratulations on making it to the last day of the competition! What was your favorite prompt from the last month? Did you learn anything new about your fellow competitors? What was the most rewarding aspect of participating in the competition? I think I liked "imaginary friend' the most. In truth, I did like most of the prompts in spite of traveling and not having enough time to go in depth. Like right now... I need to meet Anna Maria from Estonia and Chi from Taipei and wander about. I don't have time for an in depth blog. I think the others did well. Many commented on most of my blogs and that sense of community is important. What did I learn? This-and-that. My old brain cells seem to pick and choose. But in general we are a motley crew... in what we write and how we live our lives. It's always great to meet new people and possibly make new friends. 1.276 |
| What is your favorite virtue? Give a few examples like kindness, cleanliness, tact, truth, generosity. Is your favorite one you possess, or one you simply admire in other people? Do you have a strategy to develop it yourself? I became familiar with the Virtues Project over two decades ago. My friend Deana would have neighborhood children and adults discuss the various virtues (from the list that follows). At the end she would have everyone choose two rocks: one smooth stone with a virtue that they possessed and a rough one for one they needed to work on. Me? I admire assertiveness. One I need to work on. It's all about having proper boundaries. Neither passive nor agressive. The Norwegians are good at this. The Costa Ricans? Not. I'm friendly. The down side is I talk too much (see assertiveness and boundaries and tact). That said, I break the ice and bring people together. I'm a connector par excellance. But friendliness also can mean knowing how to be a friend. I do okay but could do better as I'm too self-involved at times. Life's bruises have taught me some compassion. Still could do better though. However, cleanliness is a struggle. I just don't take proper care of myself. My friend Bryan in CR gets concerned. And, I'm okay with clutter and detest cleaning, especially dusting. I did fine in Costa Rica in 2012 with sweeping and mopping and not cluttering. But in Montana? My strategy would be to hire someone to help me on a weekly basis... but I won't because I like to travel too much. I do keep the dishes clean and love a hot shower every day. Other than that? Don't ask. A link: https://virtuesproject.com/# A list of virtues: assertiveness caring cleanliness compassion confidence consideration courage courtesy creativity detachment determination enthusiasm excellence faithfulness flexibility forgiveness friendliness generosity gentleness helpfulness honesty honor humility idealism joyfulness justice kindness love loyalty mercy moderation modesty obedience orderliness patience peacefulness prayerfulness purposefulness reliability respect responsibility reverence self-discipline service steadfastness tact thankfulness tolerance trust trustworthiness truthfulness unity |
| What's a topic you've always thought would be a great 30dbc discussion, but has never come up in the prompts? Why do you believe it would stimulate discussion? Politics and religion seem to be avoided. I can understand why... to a point... but your favorite 'hello kitty' is just too trite after awhile. 1. What is your favorite virtue? Give a few examples like kindness, cleanliness, tact, truth, generosity. 2. Do you associate with people outside your religious community. Do your friends or family? 3. Is Atheism a 'faith'? Why... 4. Is opting out of politics a political statement. Do you approve? 5. Can you be political without being partisan? May need definitions with this one. IMHO, we avoid because many of us don't wish to start arguments. Some of us have too much drama in our lives as is. However, as writers of poetry, prose, drama, screen plays, historical fiction, essays, novels, etc. we touch on politics and religion all the time. Why should we avoid these when we blog? |
| Discuss a time in your life when someone has tried to "fix" or "solve" a problem for you - but you didn't see it as a problem in the first place. How do you generally handle unsolicited opinions/advice? I ignore most advice... good, bad or ugly. Years ago, Sharon wanted to find someone for me. Didn't succeed but I thanked her for her effort. My boss tried to cure me of showing up a few minutes late... didn't work. When I was young and moved to rural Kansas folks tried to find me jobs. Sometimes that actually worked... but not always. I'm not easily fixed. Opinions are just that... |
| I lost an entire blog entry when I went to save it. My reaction to that isn't very polite... Yesterday was Opposite Day! Today I want you to take an opposite point of view. Imagine a place you go to regularly - they gym, your regular coffee shop, wherever you choose. Take up the POV of the person at the counter, the bike across from you, any one person you choose. What's your first impression of yourself? Is it the real you or one you plan and project? I have traveled around the world. I'm constantly faced with how others perceive me. Today I asked Mason, a young Alabaman (a rare breed here) what he thought I did for a living. He said, as most people have said, that I was a 'teacher'. I never was a teacher. I was a gardener because I gardened, a writer because I write, a traveler because I travel. My degree in biology allowed me to work as a public servant, jobs that never used my skills nor nurtured who I was. Yes, I should have gotten a higher degree in geology or linguistics... but it's too late now. I have neither the time nor energy. Is the me that people respond to a planned projection? I don't think so. I suspect that people who don't know me have a much better idea of who I am than I do of myself. I was never fond of looking in mirrors. So I share: my experiences, my thoughts, my opinions. In a way, I am an unpaid teacher. I just don't have the title. 1.150 |
| 30DBC: CREATION SATURDAY! Put on your creative thinking caps *Smile* You're headed down to Imagination Station to pick up your imaginary friend. Tell us about the friend - is it human? Humanoid? Animal? Talking banana? Three-headed monster who's afraid of heating blankets? What's their story? Likes/Dislikes? What name do they answer to? Why are they in your life? Don't forget to tell us how your friend ended up at the station in the first place! He's NOT imaginary! He... got caught in a time warp and after one thousand years in stasis his papers are just a tad old. And now you accuse me of what? How could he not be in my life! You know nothing about fairies or foxes or fairy foxes... How dare you! We're bound to each other across time and space. He says I helped him a thousand years ago... as if I would remember... or care. But when I look into his eyes... After a lifetime of hurt I have strong barriers I hide behind. I trust no one. But... I can't doubt that way he looks at me... as if... as if I would have been okay if he had been here all along. He tells me, "I'm here now." Okay... but trusting is new to me. And having a friend is new to me. And... don't EVER tell me I don't deserve to be protected! I've waited a lifetime thinking someone was out there. Now I'm not sure what I think. He says, "Don't think." I look into his eyes... and merely nod my head. |
| 30DBC: Yesterday celebrated National Handwriting Day in the USA. How often do you still hand write anything substantial? Do you think the decline in children learning cursive writing will be a hindrance to their generation? No. No more than learning how to write by hand is a hindrance to chiseling in rock. What they are thinking about though will be lost to future generations. But consider how many books, journals, letters, documents written on paper have been forever lost. The knowledge of the Mayans comes to mind. (Thank-you, Spain... NOT) Stone endures unless blasted away like Napolean and the Sphinx or the Taliban and Buddhist treasures. Nothing I write will endure unless I have it etched on metal or chiseled in stone. So much for allusions of grandeur... Is handwriting important? Yes! I will send postcards from Taiwan, entirely hand-written (more than just a scrawled "howdy"). And I write my journal in cursive (my cursive is nice, better than my printing), now on page 5099. Cursive is a poor man's calligraphy. Like popular art or graffiti it's a personal expression showing thoughts and emotion. The graffiti of the Romans and Egyptians tells us more about their culture than their statuary in the same way that a farmer's journal tells us more about daily life than essays written by elitists. Should children be taught cursive? Should children be taught how to sing, paint, draw ... ART is one answer. Another is the law of redundancy. I have photos/writing at spacebook, on my SD card, in notepads, hard printed copies, here at WDC. If one fails, I have backup. So, yes, Everyone should know how to write. For the lazy or smug: computers are not forever. Everyone should know how to write with a stick as backup. BY THE WAY ... ANYONE WANTING A POSTCARD SHOULD SEND ME THEIR ADDRESS. I HAVE MANY BUT NOT ALL. |
| 30DBC THERE ISN'T ANY I've waited almost 3 hours. I can wait no longer. I'm traveling in Taiwan = I have a life. So much for prompts. What to write about? It's a day to do wash. But, I got talking to a Dutch man... and I never shut up. With all due respect, he held his own. It's great to chat with a traveler. He's been to North Korea so he mentioned the expenses, what one sees from a bus standing up and not sitting down... some things (trash in ditches) are hidden from outsiders. Crossing the border was 'fun' took a long time and all electronics had to be set out for inspection. But... he got there. One thing he mentioned: both North Korea and China were swept-clean. To a lesser extent that is true in Taiwan. Japan, on the other hand is trash-free except for trashy tourists (Japanese would never throw anything on the ground). Which brings to mind how filthy the roads and rivers were in the Balkans. Deja vu ... the USA in the 1950s... cigarette smoke blown in your face, trash everywhere along the roads, rivers festooned with trash. Change comes slowly ... but it comes. The smog here in Northern Taiwan and in South Korea and China is unhealthy at best. The air quality is very poor (Missoula is too by-the-way) even if you can't see it. Some days you can see it. Blue sky days are rare. So maybe that's the blog entry: trash! One bright note... Allen gave me two reusable straws yesterday. They can be slit open, washed as one flat strip, and then reattached. There is progress and solutions everywhere. I wrote this years ago when I went around the block in Missoula and picked up trash and wrote to each piece:
An earlier blog response to Joy  (edited):Awareness: I try to notice when I travel. Exhausting if I spend every minute overthinking what's going around me... but better than being totally oblivious. Like the relationships among men is different in Chinese culture. Important since I'm in Taiwan and have made male friends here. About people leaving: "That's the end of their part in your story"  Kevin was supportive for 24 years... I just assumed... and then *snap* his wife cut me off when I was really in need of his friendship. It still hurts. The 60s... I was a teenager but lived in a blue-collar box oblivious to much that was going on around me. I was never a party person nor a joiner nor a follower. I think the 60s music opened up doors to the 70s, when it matured. |
| 30DBC: With unlimited money? Where would I go? I'd go to Mars. Since I'm old I'd probably only need a one-way ticket. If not there... Mars, Pennsylvania? We traveled through Mars every August on our way to my grandparent's house. Fireflies and nasturtiums, sleeping on a cot in the basement (far too sticky) and an odorous two-seat outhouse. Good times. But let me be serious. I'm traveling in Taiwan at the moment. I always travel with a roller bag and a backpack. If it doesn't fit it doesn't go. And it doesn't matter whether I'm going for 2 weeks or 2 months. I have my checklist... but really? Most anything can be bought anywhere. On this trip I left when it was below freezing. I layered, knowing that once in Taiwan it would be 'warm'. I froze here. Damp, chill, rain, wind. Back home we have dry cold and dry heat. This place is defined by the color moss green. So today is nice. However, if I had money and no trip to Mars, I'd go on a Road Scholar cruise around the world. They cost about $50,000. I've never had that kind of money. I'd probably worry less and travel 'comfort' class and use a credit card knowing I could always cover the expenses. I'd still try to travel light... maybe even lighter. Where would I stay? Since money isn't the question, availability is key. I'd probably still stay mostly in hostels because that's where one meets people. But an occasional hotel may make a nice break. And I could go on tours (too expensive for my budget) and visit places off the beaten track. Bhutan at $200/day would be doable. A cruise to the Antarctic would be nice, and with ice melting in the Arctic? That may be possible too. I could actually go at the last minute and for shorter periods of time (three trips to Europe covering 2 months instead of just one trip). But in reality money is a factor. One I manage very well. And today I'm blessed to be among warm friendly people in Taiwan. |
 Log in to Leave Feedback |
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
. That's good, right? Or did you just list those checked? 
