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Wednesday, May. 29, 2024

9:50am EDT

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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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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.

June 4, 2020 at 2:04pm

#984995

Some things will never change

Artist: Tupac
Song: Changes
[Embed For Use By Upgraded+]

"JAFBG" Prompt: Half a century ago, the amazing courage of Rosa Parks, the visionary leadership of Martin Luther King, and the inspirational actions of the civil rights movement led politicians to write equality into the law and make real the promise of America for all her citizens. -David Cameron

What happened to equality? How did we turn back the clock of time and commit the same horrible crimes that were a a social norm before Rosa and Martin's time? Your thoughts about what's happening across the United States.

What happened to equality in our country is that our country never had equality. Our country was not built on high religious morals or fairness. It wasn't built on the grounds of treating every person with equality. Throughout our country's history, people have put their lives on the line again and again just to be given the chance to be treated as an equal human being.

What we're seeing right now is not a repetition of issues that existed during the civil rights movement. These aren't a repeat of police brutality from the early nineties. We have not reverted. This is a continuation of issues that were never resolved. We see them more now only because everyone has a camera in their pocket and they're recording and sharing these injustices now.

Think of how many times injustices have occurred without a random citizen around to record it on their phone.

As for why issues with racism, police brutality, and social injustices have never been resolved, look at the people around you. Nothing is ever going to change as long as we have people saying, "Yeah, it's bad that the police are murdering people in broad daylight while citizens record them and beg them to stop, BUT it's not okay to damage property." Those two things are not even on the same plane of existence in terms of evil.

Imagine the person you love the most in the world. Your best friend, your spouse, your child, your sibling, your parent, laying facedown in the street begging for help as they're slowly being suffocated to death while people that don't even know are recording and screaming for the police to stop killing you. Can you imagine how fucking outraged you would be?

As long as we have people dismissing these actions, we are never going to make progress. "Yeah, it was a senseless murder but ALL lives matter including the cops!"

What a piece of work these people are. When black people are being disproportionately targeted with excessive police brutality, for your response to be, "But wait a minute! Don't say that black lives matter because everyone's lives matter!" You need some inner reflection. This is the equivalent of saying: "Why are you having a walk for diabetes? All diseases matter."

This is specifically used as a measure to dismiss the issue at hand. "You're over here raising money for diabetes research when my grandfather died of Alzheimer's last year." Both issues are important. Right now, our cause is focusing on raising money for diabetes research.

I will never, ever understand how people so flippantly dismiss the black lives matters movement by saying that everyone's life is important. It's a gross technique used to twist the purpose behind the movement so that it will sound like black people are selfishly saying that their lives are the only lives of any race that matter. Once you've contorted the message, you can feel more comfortable dismissing it, which was your only goal in the first place.

People who remain silent in the face of injustices and brutality are complicit. People who go out of their way to actively fight against movements to end injustices and brutality are more than complicit.

If you were back in school and a kid who regularly got bullied said, "My life matters, guys." Would you stand there and say, "Hey, kid, everyone's life matters at this school. The bullies' lives also matter." and then just stand there while the kid continues to get his ass kicked?

Until we can come together as society and stop dismissing these issues, they are never going to actually change. When race issues get brought up, people feel accosted. They feel personally offended and will, almost 100% of the time, start giving you the details of their racial makeup, who they're friends with, who they know.

That shit doesn't matter. Stop focusing on yourself for a couple minutes and look at what is going on in our country.

The only way to enact change is to acknowledge things that don't fit into your personal narrative. Don't dismiss an entire movement because there have been some cases of looting. For every case of looting or rioting you can show me, I can show you 5 cases of police brutality that have occurred in the past week alone. We need common sense police reform

in this country.

We need people who genuinely love and care about other humans. People who are willing to actively listen, without becoming defensive, to the perspectives of people who have not lived the same life as them. People who are willing to inwardly reflect, to educate themselves on history, to look at events without the lens of their chosen political affiliation.

Until these things happen, we are doomed to endless generations of inequality. Your children, your children's children, and their children's children are going to be looking back wondering why they're still having to fight this fight.

I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere
Unless we share with each other
We gotta start making changes
Learn to see me as a brother instead of two distant strangers

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