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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 30, 2020 at 12:08am

#999378

And that’s a wrap!

"30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" Prompt: Congratulations on making it to the last day of the competition! What was your favorite prompt from the last month? What was the most rewarding aspect of participating in the competition?

Wow, we made it through another month. Somehow November was both incredibly slow and flew by. It was probably all the not sleeping that I did this month.

I should have guessed this prompt was coming up. I somehow forget that this is the Day 30 prompt every month.

Congrats to everyone for making it through. As always, I've enjoyed blogging with you all, reading your entries, commenting, and reading your comments on my own entries. Can't wait to do it again.

There are a couple different parts to this prompt. First, my favorite prompt to write for and my favorite prompt to read entries on are usually two different prompts. I usually list like 5 different prompts when I write this entry, so I'm going to try to stick to just two this time:

My favorite prompt to write for was Write about a “crucible moment” in your life. A challenging time that shaped you and altered your view on your life and/or the world. For which I wrote "Invalid Entry"

First of all, a lot of us didn’t really know what a crucible moment was when we read that prompt. When I started blogging way back when I joined the site, I decided that I wanted to use my blog as a semi-anonymous journal. I wanted to show my authentic self and let people in on the journey I’m on. We all have journeys that we go through in life. I appreciate the feedback I get on mine and I take every comment into consideration. Over the years, I’ve made a lot of progress and any prompt that lets me do a bit of self reflection is ideal for me.

With that prompt, I was able to talk about the things I’ve learned about holding anger. The reasons why I become so angry are more important than the emotion itself. The reasons behind feelings allow me to take more objective, analytical approach to things and make decisions based on that.

My favorite prompt to read other entries for was Write about the biggest risk you ever took. What was the result?

When I read this prompt, I knew there would be some interesting stories going around so I was looking forward to reading those entries. Similar to my favorite prompts to write for, I like to read entries for prompts that require the writer to dig a little deeper. I like to learn something new about the writer whenever possible.

I know it takes all types of prompts and everyone has their preference. My least favorite types of prompts are ones that can be answered in one word or sentence. Double badness if it’s related to food. What’s your favorite pizza topping? What’s your favorite midnight snack? I just, frankly, couldn’t care less about whether someone prefers pepperoni or just cheese on their pizza.

I’ll pretty much read and comment on any prompt for the most part, but some prompts definitely are more exciting to read entries on.

As far as the most rewarding thing about the challenge, it’s the same every time I write in it. It’s rewarding to write something every day for a month. But the most rewarding part by far is interacting with other writers, making new friends, and getting to know old friends better. It’s a very community-centered blogging challenge. I say it every time, but it bears repeating— if you’re only writing your entry and not reading or commenting on anyone else’s, you’re missing out on half the challenge.

It gets a lot more addictive, interesting, and fun when you’re interacting with the community and they’re interacting with you.

Stoic Thought of the Day: “Associate with people who are likely to improve you.” -Seneca

6 Like • Comment • View 8 comments

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