Search where?

This Portfolio (charlieabney)

All of Writing.Com

◄ September ► 2019
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30
Archive				RSS

Create New Item

Read & Review

Community

Browse By Type

Browse By Genre

Writing Resources

Mon, Oct 27, 2025

4:23am EDT

Members: 529

Guests: 4,238

Total Online: 4,767

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

Invalid Item

This item number is not valid.
#2030442 by Not Available.

and

Invalid Item

This item number is not valid.
#1974611 by Not Available.

I blog for things like

Invalid Item

This item number is not valid.
#2146101 by Not Available.

FORUM

30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS

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

FORUM

JAFBG

(XGC)
Because real life isn't always roses and sunshine...
#2094931 by Elisa, Stik-or-Treat

[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:

👀intu the Darkness

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

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

Waltz in the Lonesome October

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

Take care of yourself during this difficult time.

1 Like

Anni Pumpkin

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

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.

Elisa, Stik-or-Treat

Feb 19, 2023 at 10:26am
In response to "Invalid Entry"

I've had decent participation with Journalistic Intentions (even though I know my prompts are sometimes considered "difficult"). I do think that there's been a bit of a shift in regards to contests and activities, where people have been more open to admitting they find some setups too restricting or that they feel intimidated by contests. I would love to be in discussions to address those issues, but so far I haven't been invited.

September 3, 2019 at 9:51am

#965465

Nocturnal Anxiety & Comfort Zones

Artist: Taking Back Sunday
Song: A Decade Under the Influence
[Embed For Use By Upgraded+]

Prompt via "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" : 1.) Go to the Community Newsfeed and comment on the post of a member you do not know.
2.) Go to the Blog Board and comment on a blog you haven't read before.
3.) Return to your own blog and share what you learned. In addition, answer this question: How would a life where you regularly stepped outside your comfort zone be different than a life where you never did?

1. "Note: This is my first time joining here and it's su..." by Ecostasia

2. "Invalid Entry"

by {suser_id:}

3. I learned that it's very difficult for me to find a person on WDC that I've not already talked to or whose blog I've not already read.

One of the things I do sometimes is go to the blog board and read the latest blog entries from whoever. There are so many great blogs on the site that don't get a lot of love because the writers don't tend to be a part of blogging groups. I think sometimes bloggers think that if they're part of a blogging group, the prompts are going to stifle the things they want to write about.

What they don't know is that you can go totally off-topic for a minute, like this:

I've been having nocturnal panic attacks and these things are a biiiitch. If I'm awake, I can usually calm my anxiety down before it turns into a full-blown panic attack, but that shit doesn't work if I'm unconscious when they start.

This is what happens. I'll be doing this thing where I'm sleeping. This is allegedly supposed to occur for 6-8 hours straight. Yeah, that's not happening. Instead, I sleep for, like, 2 hours max. And then I jerk awake with my heart racing, cold sweats, hyperventilating, shaking, dizziness, etc. Ya know, like a panic attack.

It's annoying af. It happens every night between like 2:30 and 3:30 in the morning. If I didn't know better, I'd say I'm in a fucking horror movie and there's a ghost jerking off on my chest at the same time every night or something.

And then just segue back into the prompt, like:

I think stepping out of your comfort zone is good, but I think it looks different for every person. Some people might have a lot of anxiety, so them stepping out of their comfort zone will look a lot different than someone without anxiety stepping out of their comfort zone.

For some people, commenting on someone's blog who you've never read is asking a lot. A lot of people's blogs are super personal so, without knowing them, it kind of feels like you're reading and commenting on their diary.

On the other hand, I have no problem doing it. I've done it as a non-prompt activity many times because I think it's a great way to meet new people and also let bloggers know that their writing is getting read regardless of their status in the site blogging circles.

I say, step out of your comfort zone when you can. Sometimes you can only step out an inch, sometimes you can step out a mile. You only get experiences and stories to tell when you do push your limits, in my opinion. If I do the same shit every day without variance, what do I really have to say or write about?

I know I wouldn't have much to blog about or write about if I didn't leap over my boundaries frequently.

I thought it through and my worst brings out the best in you

Comment • View 9 comments

Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/2181458-Are-You-Listening/day/9-3-2019