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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, Stik of Clubs

[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:

|π÷∆€¥

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

Robert Waltz

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

Take care of yourself during this difficult time.

1 Like

Ѧͷͷΐ║ΐͷͷѦ

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 of Clubs

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.

November 4, 2020 at 12:21am

#997602

Just the most stressful night ever.

"30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" Prompt: Details, details, details... Pick something in your view and describe it in as precise detail as possible without naming what the object is. See if you can get your readers to guess what object you're describing.

Well, let’s see...

I’m looking at something that is rectangular and shape. It has thin matte black edges and the center has every color you could imagine. It’s sitting on top of a flat surface about 8-10 feet away from me. It makes a lot of sounds sometimes, but other times it’s completely silent for hours or days at a time. It’s actually quite large, say, 50 inches diagonally?

Sometimes it delights and excites, other times... it stresses and depresses.

Have you guessed yet what I’m looking at? You probably did from the first sentence.

Let’s take it a step further! Can you guess what feelings it’s eliciting tonight?

I can’t even put into words how disappointed I am in my country right now. The fact that the election results are even this close is baffling. I feel like I’m being gaslighted. What am I not seeing that makes Trump a good president? Can literally anyone tell me?? In 4 years, I have not had one reasonable explanation from a Trump supporter.

I don’t want to rant about this. Trying to stay positive and be patient as all the votes are counted. I will absolutely never forgive Trump supporters if he wins this election though. I gave people a pass in 2016 because I’m an empathetic and understanding person. I thought, well, maybe they didn’t realize that it would be this bad. The fact that we’ve had 4 years of bad after bad after bad only to see Trump getting this many votes is absolutely baffling.

So, I actually did write a whole rant here and then I deleted it. To be clear, I didn’t delete it for fear of hurting Trump supporters’ feelings. I deleted it because it’s a waste of words and feelings. No one’s mind was ever getting changed in my blog in the first place. The votes have already been cast and there’s nothing that will change that.

Instead I’ll say that, regardless of how this vote turns out, I hope you’re comfortable for the next four years with your voting choice. Our country is more divided than any other time in modern history. If you voted to re-elect the candidate who has made every effort to drive a further wedge between our country’s citizens, I hope you enjoy the divisiveness. For my part, I’ll just assume that you’re comfortable with anything Trump says and does since you’ve had 4 years to work out what you’re okay with and what you’re not okay with.

If I get sick because someone with a MAGA hat and no mask coughed on me in the grocery store, I’ll assume that’s what you wanted to happen. When Trump once again refuses to even make a small attempt to unite the country rather than “troll the liberals”, I’ll assume that you specifically want that. When Trump says something racist or sexist, I’ll assume that’s what you want. When Trump threatens democracy, I’ll assume that’s the kind of thing you’re into.

Expect your communication with me to reflect that.

Just to be clear, I’m not even really angry that the race is this close. I’m mostly just done with the entire thing. I’m done extending the proverbial olive branch to people in an attempt to narrow the gap in the divisiveness. If you don’t care about our country, why should I care about reaching out or maintaining communication with you?

Oh, and by the way, the thing I’m looking at is the TV.

Stoic Thought of the Day: “How satisfying it is to dismiss and block out any upsetting or foreign impression, and immediately to have peace in all things.”-Marcus Aurelius

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