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Sunday, May. 19, 2024

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Are You Listening???

by Charlie ~

Rated: GC · Book · Emotional · #2181458

A journey of self-improvement - or not.

Sup? I'm Char.
You may know me from timeless classics such as

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#2030442 by Not Available.

and

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I blog for things like

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FORUM

30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS

(13+)
WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus
#1786069 by Fivesixer

FORUM

JAFBG

(XGC)
Because real life isn't always roses and sunshine...
#2094931 by Elisa the Bunny Stik

[Embed For Use By Upgraded+]
Believin' all the lies that they're tellin' ya
Buyin' all the products that they're sellin' ya
They say jump and ya say "how high?"
Ya braindead, ya got a fuckin' bullet in ya head

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

intuey

Jul 22, 2023 at 8:05am
In response to "Invalid Entry"

Hey Char, It's been a while since I've touched base with you. I'm so sorry for your loss. The last thing people should say is everyone loses their grandparents eventually, or it will get better with time. It's the last thing you want to hear when you're hurting. Death sucks, long-lasting illness sucks! Having to decide to let the person go to keep them from suffering REALLY SUCKS! I think the only ones who can understand truly just how much are those who have had to make that decision. My heart breaks for you.

I'm not religious, but I do have a strong faith in God. I call myself spiritual because I don't agree with all the rules and regulations of religion. I do know I will see my family and friends again, and this is a great comfort. I can only imagine how much more painful the death of loved ones is without this belief. But you're right, it can't be faked. But it is a beautiful thing.

Having mental health issues during times like this makes it even harder to go through. I know what you mean about seeing things that aren't there. I'd walk into a room, and say, "Where's Star?" and she would be sitting right in front of me. When I looked, I swear I saw an empty chair. The mind is crazy. It gives new meaning to a mind of its own

Some time has passed since you wrote this. I don't know when you'll see this but know that you are in my thoughts and prayers, and I'm sending good energy your way. I hope you're doing better. I look forward to hearing from you.

Aiva Raine

Mar 28, 2023 at 9:40pm
In response to "Invalid Entry"

I'm sorry for your loss. I know they are shitty sounding words that don't even attempt to fill or fix, but they're meant in sincerity.

Having lost several people the best advice I was ever given was when life gets too hard- take it at your own pace. If a day is too much- cope with an hour at a time. If that's too much, take it ten minutes at a time. If that's too much- then you deal with one minute at a time. Work through life and grief at your pace. And don't ever feel guilty because you feel sad. And if you can- find one positive in each chunk of time- even if it's something as little as the beauty of sunlight on a leaf or the softness of your shirt. And ask for help if you need it.

Elle - on hiatus

Mar 7, 2023 at 3:29pm
In response to "Invalid Entry"

Aw, Charlie, I'm so sorry. It's a shit thing to go through whether it's sudden or not. And just because everyone goes through it, doesn't make it easier. It also doesn't take into account that you were closer to them than your parents. Nobody says 'Oh, everyone loses their parents eventually' do they? Surely not. And that's what's happened here really. I'm actually glad you've got an appointment with a professional tomorrow, because they might be able to help you with getting through that initial devastation.

When my dad lost his mother, he really struggled with his own lack of religion. As you say, there is some comfort in believing they've gone to a better place, been reunited with loved ones, that you'll see them again, and so on. For most of my life, Dad would say 'Religion is a crutch for the weak', but I definitely saw him struggle with the finality of it when he lost his mother, the person he was probably closest to.

My thoughts are with you.

1 Like

~Minja~

Mar 7, 2023 at 3:21pm
In response to "Invalid Entry"

Crazy stuff, grief. If you want to talk about it, message me always.

1 Like

QPdoll

Mar 7, 2023 at 6:21am
In response to "Invalid Entry"

I understand what you mean about wanting to tell your grandmother something. I did the same thing after my grandmother passed. I was at home and the first thing I thought was to call grandma. I picked up the phone and realized that she wouldn't answer. It's so tough losing your grandparents, especially as close as you were. I don't have any magic words, but take care of yourself. It's what they would want.

1 Like

Robert Waltz

Mar 6, 2023 at 10:31pm
In response to "Invalid Entry"

Take care of yourself during this difficult time.

1 Like

Anni Pon

Mar 6, 2023 at 9:06pm
In response to "Invalid Entry"

I know it doesn't help any, but I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine much worse than losing a parent or parental figure. They represent stability and safety, you grew up with them, and you've relied on them for most, if not all, of your life. You're right, the initial devastation will fade and things won't feel so fresh. But, as you know, grief never really goes away. It just becomes a permanent part of you.

It's horrible that you only got a couple days worth of bereavement! That's not even long enough for the shock to wear off enough to START grieving. I hope you have the support of someone else in your life to help you through this dark time. Take it easy on yourself in the mean time, that's all you really can do. Taking care of your physical self, eating and sleeping, is critical. Sleep deprivation and hunger will make things feel a million times worse than they actually are (which, for the record, is already pretty bad).

1 Like

Harlow Flick, Right Fielder

Mar 6, 2023 at 8:56pm
In response to "Invalid Entry"

This is such a very human thing, isn't it.

“I think there is nearly an overwhelming sadness to the human predicament.” - Skinny Boy Hill

BOOM! This ain’t no whipped cream pie I’m tossing.

1 Like

Cinn

Feb 20, 2023 at 9:34pm
In response to "Invalid Entry"

I actually pretty much love this one. Nice, man...

Cinn

Feb 19, 2023 at 11:07am
In response to "Invalid Entry"

I'd say that more freedom for participants would attract more people. One obvious example that I've never understood is fiction vs poetry. If it's an activity, not a contest, why not allow people to explore whatever the theme of your activity is with whatever type of writing that want to do?

I've actually written for countless contests/activities over the years but never entered... because they inspired me, but I don't fit within the guidelines. Max rating too low, items required (book entries only over here), no poetry accepted, etc.

I know well why people restrict writers' freedom, but they're also restricting the number of participants they'll get. I still just take the inspiration where I can get it.

November 25, 2020 at 12:03am

#999074

No, No, & No. :)

"30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" Prompt: Write about tinkering, brainstorming, or the process of creation. What brings out your creativity?

I felt a little better about work today after setting clear limits on what I'd be able to manage as the only person on my team around to handle things this week. I cleared my emails quickly by saying things like, "I'll let so-and-so field this question when they return Monday because they built and maintain this report. Have a nice holiday!"

I was a little worse for wear last night because, as I pretty much wrote in my entry, very minor conflicts can send my brain spiraling. I start thinking about what I did wrong or what I said that caused friction. I almost need reassurance that everything’s okay and I didn’t do anything wildly inappropriate. The site can be difficult for me in that way. I don’t have any social media otherwise, so WDC is the only place where I can have someone random, off-putting interactions. Then I’m kind of like do I say something to defend myself or is someone else going to say something on my behalf?

Kind of a weird situation for someone who hasn’t ever had stuff like Twitter or FB or anything. To be honest, I don’t even deal with stuff like that in real life often either. Like for someone to randomly come up to me and say something dismissive or rude to my face? It just doesn’t happen outside of someone I know who’s purposely trying to set me off because they’ve decided they’re fighting me.

Grey areas in between confuse my brain because I’m just like... why are you even saying anything to me?

But regardless, time to let that go with the side note that I’m not ever going to let anyone here act goofy with me or anyone else publicly without swiftly calling them out. Too close to bullying for my taste and I’m not about it.

Now, onto my creativity, or lack thereof... Even when I write creatively, I use real life inspirations. Not even just my own experiences, but also things I’ve had other people tell me, conversations I’ve overheard. Everyone has a story and every story is worth sharing, whether it’s through a vignette or a poetry snippet or a full blown novel. I’d definitely be one of those novelists whose characters are technically blends of a ton of people they’ve met in real life.

My creativity used to be sparked by just about everything. Real life, image prompts, movies, site contests, music, art, other people’s writing... But then university happened.

After I was buried in stats textbooks and spreadsheets, I found it difficult to turn that part of my brain off and reconnect with my creative side. I would try to write a poem and it would end up being about lectures or exams.

I really miss writing poetry the most. I’ve had a few failed attempts at getting back into it. I think I started the year off okay, but then the whole pandemic thing happened and my creativity scurried away again. The difficult part about getting back into creative writing is that your writing sucks when you start again.

I’ll write something now and be like, yiiiiiikes.

But there’s really no way out but through. I need to get back into the habit of setting aside time away from work for creative writing. Maybe that will be my goal for December. No waiting for a new year’s resolution this time.

Stoic Thought of the Day: “Above all, it is necessary for a person to have a true self-estimate, for we commonly think we can do more than we really can.” -Seneca

7 Like • Comment • View 6 comments

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