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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. |
| Prompt: Photography Photography used to be an art. Nowadays, however, everyone is a photographer, especially with selfies, thanks to technology. What do you think about the ease that lets people take photographs and selfies in our day compared to several decades ago and the feeling that emanates from the photographs of the bygone days and those of today? -------- Don't I remember the old days! Getting our photos taken meant a trip to the photographer's studio. Except, when I was first born, at three days old, my family had the photographer come home. Around the time I turned five or six, two of my uncles developed a love for photography and one of them turned professional later, winning some awards, three of them in Europe. After that, we ditched the other photographers as he now became the family photographer. I also recall that both uncles had a small room in their houses as their dark rooms, in which were ropes strung from wall to wall and they would hang the wet photos with clothes pins. When the photos were wet no one was allowed to go into those rooms. I also recall one of my cousins breaking the taboo and getting punished for it, and as the aftermath of this sin, my uncle spent hours, trying to save those photos. Once my uncle took me with him into the dark room and had me watch him dip one photo from one solution to another, explaining what was happening and the names of the solutions, which I can't now remember at all. I guess, although I was into drawing and painting at the time, I didn't have the photographer in me. A Google search tells me that the idea of photography started in the early 19th century on copper plates, evolving later into wet plates, and was called the daguerreotype process. In early 20th century George Eastman's founding of Kodak made the art more available to the public, especially after Edison came into the picture and helped develop more techniques. There is a lot to the history of photography but I wanted to put it in this blog in a nutshell. Today, modern photography has a wide range of genres, such as portrait, landscape, street, documentary and fine art. Advanced digital cameras and apps like Gimp, Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom provide us with powerful tools. Still, despite today's technology, the main principles of artistry in photography have remained the same, as to composition, lighting, timing and subject matter. As for me, I now depend totally on my cellphone for photos since I gave away my favorite instant camera, although I still have a fancier one that needs several adjustments but takes excellent photos. That is, if one knows what one is doing, and that one isn't me. So I depend on one of my sons. I'm not much for selfies, as I don't even like looking into a mirror anymore. But I'm going to put up a selfie with my cat at the end of this entry. Here are two photos: me at three yrs of age (circa 1946) the bow on the top of my head, a la Shirley Temple, and the other, now, a selfie with my cat.   |
| Prompt: What does "Dance Like No One is Watching" mean to you? If you need inspiration, listen to Gabby Barrett ---------- Haha! I'm already doing that, and not only dancing. I live like no one is watching, nowadays. It took me a lifetime (more than seven decades), however, to get to here, to this my personal emancipation proclamation. "Dance Like No One is Watching" is so much more than a simple adage or a line from a song. The way I see it, it is a call to live authentically and not fear anyone else's crossed brows and the shaking of those "no, no" fingers. At its core, these words--"Dance Like No One is Watching"-- encourage a sense of freedom for living freely and not being afraid of self-expression or societal judgments, which brings up a question to my mind. Does a group or society have the right to expect too much from any individual? I'll say, no, not too much; however, there are norms we all must adhere to for the preservation of peace. Freedom doesn't mean blasting my music at or after midnight so "I can dance," for example. Yet, as an individual, I have the right to let go of my past inhibitions and embrace my true self and genuine emotions and the right to speak or write what's on my mind. This is also because any fear of judgment can be a significant barrier to self-expression. As writers, this is the first fear we need to overcome and act and write with confidence and vulnerability. When we can foster such an attitude and practice such personal freedoms, without too much inhibition, we find joy and liberation not only in writing but also in all aspects of life. For we have connected to our inner self and we won't be easily swayed by others' opinions. In short, by "dancing like no one is watching" I think I am finding a deeper appreciation for everyday experiences. |
| Prompt: Please use these random words: exile, physics, land, rifle, bald, system and outfit. ----------- Bald Eagle *bald eagle soars from where dreams never end then a *rifle echoes through our foggy *land in *physics of chaos circuits are cut a wave is lost the momentum's shut from past's *exile a complex *system spins not as *outfit of heart but man's crazy sins |
| Prompt: Would you rather be a famous writer, a Rock Star or a Doctor who finds a cure for cancer and why? Write about this in your Blog entry today. ------- None of the above. I am who I am, the way I am, and I studied what I wanted to study. I wouldn't be happy with other things, as imperfect as I am. I hope I don't have a big head and I have never wanted fame. Plus, the voice inside my head, if it lists my flaws, talks only to remind me to fix them. Other than that, I have long ago stopped chasing any idealized version of myself. Let's leave me alone and look at our kind, the people-kind. The only way our kind will be happier, nicer, and more productive in a meaningful way is when we realize we don't have to earn our own self-love. We're okay as we are and we are our own best friend, and not the worst critic. Our quirks and weirdness and our vulnerabilities make us who we are as well as our desirable attributes; this is, as long as we don't hurt others and do bad things to mess up their lives. Life is all about being real and being human, without a mask or a cloak, and without fame. Then, forgiveness, gratitude, and living in the present do help our kind to find peace and hopefully joy, too, in the here and now. Not doable? Maybe not all the time, but it is doable most of the time. Especially if we realize that this moment is all we have. This kind of a mind-set of self-acceptance is a choice. A choice to be real, a choice to embrace ourselves just the way we are. . |
| Prompt: What places in your hometown bring back the best memories? Write about this in your Blog entry today. ------ If I have to be specific, I have to say it is the main street and the community park. As a teen, I was mesmerized by the main street for it was, to me, the main artery for life's heartbeat. It pulsed with activity and humor. The sound of the traffic reminded me of the constant motion of community life. Our main street was lined with shops of all kinds with several of them on the higher floors of the buildings with varying architecture. Also, there were a few boutiques and cafes, some stretching on to the sidewalk with tables and chairs. I remember once, during my early teens, --when my six cousins were visiting-- we were walking on the main street when a sudden rainfall caught us. Instead of taking shelter, we decided to get drenched. We kept lingering under the rain, our laughter echoing off the pavement as we were enjoying one another's company and...getting wet. Maybe in those days, getting drenched together might have been considered the most fun for us, but when we reached home, my mother and other adults didn't think so. In hindsight, I don't blame them as we all were soaked wet to our bones and dripping. They made us stop and stand at the entrance hallway with the stone tiles, so the water flowing from us could pool there for easy cleaning. Then, they came at us with towels and scoldings. Now, many decades later, when I talk to my cousins, we all recall that day. Another beautiful place was our town park. It was on the shore with the view of the sea and the boats, and inside the park, everything was green with tall trees and lawns. Benches near the flower beds were the best places for reading and relaxing. This park didn't have the swings and slides for children or gazebos and such that I had noticed in other towns, but at the far back of our park, was the bus stop. If you walked far enough into the park and looked carefully toward the back of it, you could see the passengers getting on and off the busses. But busses were not my thing. I usually sat with a friend on a bench and talked or just sat there by myself and read a book, momentarily raising my gaze to the shore and the boats and the big beautiful sea. This natural beauty was usually enough to calm a tense and fidgety young person like me. To this day, when I feel a little unnerved, I close my eyes and recall those scenes and I feel comforted by their memories. . |
| Prompt: Brain Dump "A brain dump allows you to clear your head and have free space in your mind...writing down ideas with a brain dump is a great way to get the creative juices flowing." From: https://themindfulpage.com/what-is-brain-dump/ In what ways do you "dump" your brain? ------------- Aren't we people so creative! Remember the days when the word "dump" meant a whole lot of other things? I mean, with every new decade, we find new meanings for old words. So here comes the brain dump. I guess, in my tiny ways, I have been dumping my brain just about every hour on the hour. That is, if "brain dump" means the transfer or offload or thoughts, ideas, and info into some external storage. Anyway, journaling and writing is what I have been doing throughout my life. This is my method of voicing out my thoughts and clearing mental clutter. I have to say, sitting down quietly and thinking about things do help, too. Yet, as the link in the prompt and a few Google searches indicate, these are not the only ways a brain can be dumped. Of some of those, I tried mind-mapping, but it wasn't for me. I like drawing only if what I draw shows some kind of a minor artistic talent. Alas! Yet, mind-mapping is something totally different. Mind mapping begins with a central drawing, say a cat or something, then you draw curved lines from it and around it and write or draw what that word suggests, and if what you wrote suggests other things, you draw lines from it, too. In my case, if I seriously did mind-mapping, I'd need a sheet of paper as large as Mount Rushmore. However, for those willing to mind-map, there are even online tools and software for that. Imagine! There is also the voice recording of whatever comes to one's mind, brainstorming sessions with others like they sometimes do in company meetings, and meditation and mindfulness. So many ways for a dump, isn't it! To be fair, I did try meditation during some points in my life, but I had no idea, then, that I was dumping anything. In fact, I thought, at those moments, that I was quieting myself or my mind. How things have changed! Live and learn! . |
| Prompt: "Every choice we make can be a celebration of the world we want.” Frances Moore Lappe Do the choices we make have to comply with the majority to bring about a better future for the world? Or write what you think about the quote. ------ No, I don't think our choices have to comply with the majority to be effective. There are many examples of people who have acted alone at the start, even bringing the wrath of others onto themselves; yet, their influence we still celebrate. Of such people Galileo Galilei comes to mind, who, against all odds that began with the opposition of the Catholic Church, said the sun was at the center rather than the earth. In spite of his persecution at the time, he came up with the basis for modern astronomy and physics. People like him, some close to our time, such as Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Marie Curie, and others mostly started alone, but through hard work and tenacity, they made an impact on the world. You may think that an individual's simple choice would not even touch an ant, but each choice you make has a ripple effect that extends far beyond what you are doing at the moment. Take wasting resources for example. Yes, things like turning off the lights when they are not necessary or bunching up your car trips to stores into only one trip may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but whatever you do may end up making an impression on a friend who may decide to imitate you, which may also impress others. This is because sometimes a seemingly insignificant action can set off a chain reaction. Just imagine this chain reaction of our choices impressing a broader group of people. Therefore, the companies we support and the causes we advocate may contribute to the society we're in and then, the world, especially today's interconnected world. I have to believe that global issues such as unnecessary wars, humanitarian crises, dirtying of the oceans, and other problems can be solved or, at least, minimized, if people acted responsibly as individuals, approaching each choice with mindfulness. Each one of us has a power we are not aware of. We can influence positive change at least in our communities and possibly far beyond that. Isn't a better, cleaner, and a much more tolerant world something to celebrate about? |
| Prompt: Please use these words in your entry today: Mother, accurate, handy, relevance, reckless, swop, fork, and accountable. ---------- Mother in the Kitchen with *accurate grace, she wields a knife to teach lessons so memories can grow, and her story is told, and tales are unfold, tuning a *fork in time for each bite, she sends a wish, and lines the dish with her *handy touch but no *reckless plays, yet, *relevance and dare, for in mother's care,* swops of spices align with her sweet ways |
| Prompt: "Volunteers don't get paid, not because they're worthless but because they're priceless." Write about this in your Blog entry today. ----- First, if volunteers were to be paid, what they do wouldn't be called volunteering, would it! It would be paid work. So, the quote negates itself from that point of view. Still, volunteering does a lot of good to a community and to the volunteers themselves. From that angle, yes, volunteers are priceless. Since we already know how much volunteers contribute to society, we can also weigh how much they contribute to themselves. Those benefits could be a sense of fulfillment, community connection, skill development, expanded social connections, personal growth, positive resume additions, possibly improved mental and physical health, and enhanced empathy and feelings of compassion, which already do and should exist within a volunteer. Volunteers are also agents who contribute greatly to improve a society, by showing goodwill and adding their service. Their work can leave a positive influence on a community and the individual lives of people, to create a ripple effect of change for the better. |
| Prompt: "Life takes you to unexpected places. Love brings you home." Melissa McClone Write about this in your Blog entry today. ------ I guess this quote is about the idea that we shouldn't fear life's uncertainties, but rather, we should embrace them as opportunities for growth and transformation. Dreams may be shattered and there may be a mess, but then, love empowers us to pick up the pieces and put them together again and be able to create even more beautiful dreams. If we train ourselves to see through the lens of love, we discover that our scattered pieces are not lost, but rather, they are waiting to be found and embraced. When one of my sons was a baby, he would scatter the kiddie puzzles all over the place and laugh his head off, watching me pick those pieces up. For some reason, this quote reminded me of such moments. In those moments, life, at times, feels like a scattered puzzle as we navigate through its twists and turns and moments of joy, sorrow, victory, and defeat. In these moments of chaos and uncertainty, love appears, emerges, or re-emerges as a guide and gathers the fragments and binds them together again. This may be because life and love are intricately connected, each one shaping and enriching the other in meaningful ways. Whereas life has a mind of its own, love has the power to mend what is broken, to heal what is wounded, and to bring meaning to our scattered lives. . |
| Prompt: When something goes right or wrong, do you ever say or think, "Did I do this to myself?” Or, is it always someone else's goodness or fault? ---- Of course! I am very sure I did that in the past, and possibly, I may be reverting to that kind of a behavior in the present, too, at least inside my thoughts. Blaming others for good or bad is a human defense mechanism. It's easier to put the blame on someone else instead of myself. If I can't do something that I've planned to do, for example, I tend to blame, if not someone else, but something else, such as the weather or an illness or my impression of someone else's words or looks. The possibilities are endless. Then, probably, we all do that, this wrongly blaming or praising of others, for a good reason or not, to protect our own self-image and avoid feelings of guilt and responsibility. I've noticed such behavior in myself and in others. As to giving others the undue credit for one's successes or the good one has done, this may come about because we don't want to be seen as braggards and neither do we like to think of ourselves as braggards. For this type of a behavior, there may be other underlying motivations or the results from one's earlier upbringing and childhood. It is unbelievable how much our upbringing plays a role in our view of the world and our own actions. A child who is always put down ends up feeling guilty for many things that happen, even if those things have nothing to do with that child's actions. On the other hand, a child who is always praised and never corrected can end up with a distorted view of his own reality. Either way, the tendency to shift the blame or the kudos away from oneself unnecessarily can be detrimental to a person's own behavior and social interactions. Accepting responsibility for both successes and failures is essential for cultivating resilience, empathy, and self-awareness. Yet, once we are aware of our own behaviors, then there's hope that we can correct ourselves on our own. That's possibly the reason why we have been given a life of many years.  . |
| Prompt: “Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” Meister Eckhart Where do you see this quote being most relevant in your life? In your family, home, work, or creativity? ----- Where do I see this quote's relevance to my life? Just about in everything and everywhere and hopefully with everyone close to me. If I didn't take each day on its own value, I would be living in the past, wouldn't I! This doesn't mean I'd throw the past out the window, either. My past or rather my past experiences have had great teaching value and I accept them with gratitude. On the other hand, I try not to dwell on them. This is because the present is the most valuable asset of the moment. Maybe because I'm old, I believe I have learned to live in the present moment, present day, present week. Life has also taught me, at this stage, not to make big future plans. This "not making big future plans" has some comfort in them. It lets me off the hook and avoids tension and worry in my life and each morning becomes a fresh opportunity. As for the fresh opportunity, I may not make long distance plans, but I make a plan or rather a to-do list for the day, which is adaptable should surprises pop up. Each day, then becomes manageable with my morning routine and at the end of the day, I write a list of things I was grateful for that day, which also means I am celebrating my progress. . |
| Prompt: Let this quote inspire your entry today: “At last came the golden month of the wild folk — honey-sweet May, when the birds come back, and the flowers come out, and the air is full of the sunrise scents and songs of the dawning year.” — Samuel Scoville Jr. ------------ Note:  I was aiming at a different idea, but what came out was a kiddie story.  Why Red Wouldn't Eat Rabbits It was the golden month of May after all, amidst the song of birds and the fragrance of flowers. The curious young fox, named Red, looked around the ranch where she was born. She was all alone in the world now, after her entire family was gunned down by the ranch people. She had escaped because she was so little at the time that she wasn't even noticed. She had learned to survive alone, but was this what she wanted out of life? What if the people with the guns came after her, too? She sensed that she shouldn't stay around here and besides, she was a curious fox and her insatiable want for adventure was beyond this environment, especially today as the first lights of this May morning shone over the forest that lay beyond. Red felt a surge of excitement coursing through her veins, and with a playful leap, she bounded through the undergrowth, her russet fur catching the golden rays of the sun. Soon enough she was there by the forest away from the ranch. She ventured deep into the forest. A few steps later, she met a group of rabbits having fun in a clearing adorned with blossoms. Weren't these food? No, Red thought, food doesn't have this type of a laughter tinkling like bells, filling the air with joy, although food filled the stomach. With a mischievous grin, Red joined the rabbits in their playful romp. Together, they chased butterflies through wildflowers and the forest echoed with their laughter. When the sun reached much higher and cast deep shadows across the forest floor, Red and her rabbit friends took refuge beneath the canopy of trees. Above them, the leaves rustled in the gentle breeze and their whispered lullaby lulled them into a peaceful afternoon nap. In this moment of tranquility, surrounded by the beauty of nature, Red felt a profound sense of belonging. Red learned from her rabbit friends that she could feed on berries and fruit and an occasional earthworm or two. Rabbits were now family and no good-looking young fox would eat her family, especially after discovering who she really was among these wild folk as the rabbits. For in the golden month of May, amidst the song of birds and under the canopy of trees, she had found this new home where other adventures were waiting to unfold with her new family. . |
| Prompt: Please use these fun words in your entry today: reactor, sorcery, reality, tension, nuances, patronize, and forfend, (In case you're wondering forfend relates to some kind of real or pretended danger. Sometimes in comedic writing it appears as heaven forfend as a substitute for heaven forbid.) Have fun! --------- note: This was fun! I think I used all the words. Btw, I live about 15 miles away from a nuclear power plant. Heaven Forfend! In a Nuclear Power Plant science and magic blur and blend as alchemy's new friend not for people who *patronize, but for seekers, bold and wise, *Forfend! here *nuances bloom with mortal spies, in this boom for now rules *tension's dance as *reality and fission prance *sorcery beats the nuclear drum, in the heart of *reactor's hum science and magic blur and blend as alchemy's new friend |
| Prompt: "In every walk with nature, one receives far more he seeks." John Muir Write about this in your Blog entry today. ------- How nice to walk in a forest, inside the woods, or on a not-too-crowded beach! I wish I were young enough to walk a long walk along a trail in the woods or on a long stretch of sand by the shore. I used to go with my husband and others on such excursions, once upon a time. To begin with, those walks meant endless opportunities for learning about the environment, wildlife, and lots of fun, especially if we were walking with a group of friends. To begin with, nature walks are easily accessible and affordable and they require minimal equipment. Then, they provide camaraderie and friendship, too. Focusing on the sights, sounds, colors and sensations of the natural world promotes a sense of inner peace and gratitude for everyone on a walk. This, in turn, may boost the immune system due to breathing in the fresh air and being exposed to many other positive elements. It is said that walking in nature also helps one's sleep cycle and improves mood, energy, and fitness levels and overall well-being. Since many writers, thinkers, and painters draw inspiration from nature, who wouldn't want to stimulate their minds and create new ideas! As I said in the beginning paragraph, "I wish I were young enough to walk a long walk along a trail in the woods or on a long stretch of sand by the shore." . |
| Prompt: Be kind to everything that lives. Native American Proverbs Write about this in your Blog entry today. --- Being kind to everything that lives goes far beyond altruism or moral duty. It's also knowing about and recognizing the interconnectedness of all life. For example, some time ago, I ate an avocado but although its flesh was perfect, the large seed inside it had burst and was producing several roots. I thought, if this seed was something that wanted to live that much, it should be given a chance. So I planted it in a pot. In a few months, it outgrew its pot and became as tall as I am. My son, then, planted it outside, and now, I'm crossing my fingers for it to live. It seems not to like where it is and although we water and feed it, it looks sickly. I'll see how it goes. I think being kind to everything alive has to do with our relationship with this planet. It means being good to animals, wild or domesticated, and conserving out natural resources. Also, being kind to everything that lives has to do with our relationships with other humans. It means showing empathy, kindness, and respect for all people regardless of differences in culture, background, or beliefs. - |
Prompt: What do you think a strange skill is? Have you ever met people with strange skills and what is the strangest skill you have, if you have any? ----- I think a strange skill is one not many people have and didn't even think about developing something like myself. The strangest skill I have seen in many people has to be talking about some topics and events with zero knowledge about them. Plus, they can also speak with conviction and confidence. I guess I may have to call it "winging it." Then, there are people who can take apart a machine of any kind and then can put them together without a flaw. Piano tuners and those to fix them are one. My mother, also, used to say my father could take apart anything and put it back together again as he once did a very old radio, but he was an engineer and this probably had to do with that. Michael Jackson's moonwalking is another one I can think of although I haven't seen it in real life, but I always wondered how he came up with that good sense of rhythm and balance. I am sure there are many other strange skills such as moving one's eyes separately or twisting one's neck to the back of the body, but I haven't seen any one of them or neither did I meet someone who had one. My bad! Is it? . . |
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