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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 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.

July 1, 2019 at 12:52am

#961847

Is a 6-week nap too much to ask?

Artist: Mac DeMarco
Song: Salad Days
[Embed For Use By Upgraded+]

Prompt via "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" : It’s summer here in the US, the perfect season for a road trip! In your blog today, plan your ideal road trip. Where would you go and who would you go with?

Alright, new month. Totally washing my hands of June.

I'm feeling pretty good about July. I'm throwing myself back into writing because this is the only month of 2019 that I won't be getting rammed by both school and work simultaneously.

Not only am I going to try to actually complete "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS"

this month, I'm also doing Camp NaNo. Here's my NaNoWriMo link

if you'd like to be buddies there.

I think it's best to just keep moving forward. It's too easy to sink if you don't keep kicking. I'm keeping myself as busy as possible, which is harder than it sounds during a break from school. I've been doing a lot of reading and napping.

Anyway, good to be back with the 30DBC bloggers. I'm looking forward to blogging with everyone this month (and hopefully finishing).

So, traveling... I’ve never been much into travel, but I think I’m shifting opinions on that. I don’t really want to travel within the United States. Like, I’ve already done that. I’ve at least driven through most of the states. We have some really amazing things to see here. Once I saw them though, my attraction to traveling definitely dwindled. I don’t want to see the same sights 30 times and traveling can be a bit of a hassle.

I’ve started developing a stronger interest in international travel recently. My in-laws have offered to take me to Italy for my graduation from university. They travel there several times a year. And, if you know me at all, you’ll find it as humorous as I do that my ultra-conservative in-laws absolutely adore me. I guess I’m good at hiding everything about myself for a few days every couple years.

They think that I’m the sweetest, most pure person possible and I have literally no idea how they came to that conclusion. Apparently Kira’s exes were like nightmare fuel for them so I just made a good first impression by comparison. I was super respectful when I met them (as I always am) and we hit it off immediately.

Anyway, my problem with travel is that I don’t want to see the normal tourist attractions. They're crowded, loud, and expensive. I don’t feel like you truly experience a place by staying in tourist areas. Luckily, my in-laws very much so agree with me on this. They stay at local bed and breakfasts or home shares on their trips. They see the major tourist things like once and then they never go to them again. If I were to travel abroad, that’s pretty much exactly what I’d want to do. I really like the idea of just taking in the culture and hanging out with locals, eating local foods, etc...

I’ve also recently met someone, a friend of a friend, I guess is the best way to describe him. And he’s from northern Spain so I’ve seen all these pictures and gotten all these descriptions of Spain and other places he has traveled and lived. I think it would be really cool to visit a country alongside a native of that country. They already know everything you need to see, where to go, what to do. Not to mention they know the native tongue.

My Spanish isn’t too bad. I could definitely communicate my needs in a Spanish-speaking country, but I’m not fluent. I also learned Latin American Spanish, which is the same language but also different. I think it would be difficult to visit a country without knowing the native language at all. Luckily, most countries have a lot of English speakers at this point. From what I’ve heard, it’s not difficult to find someone who speaks English in most places.

As far as specific locations, I do have a few in mind. I most want to visit northern Italy, specifically the Dolomites

. I also want to visit Portofino, Italy

, which I’ve heard is amazing. In Spain, I’ve been told that the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao

is an absolute must-see. I’ve also been told that if I were to ever go to Spain, I must go to La Cerdanya

.

But something tells me that “someone” might be a little biased.

The point is that if I'd been asked this question a couple months ago, I would have said I wasn't interested in traveling. When really, I think I would be interested in traveling to the right places with the right travel partners. I don't want a right travel schedule and things that need to be done on specific days. No itinerary bullshit. But at my own pace in less touristy areas? Sure, maybe.

I think the turning point for me was seeing pictures of my in-laws' trip to Italy right after if finished finals week. I was just like, yep, I could go here for a month and just lay around. I don't even want to visit anything in particular. I just want to go to a small, empty-ish area with a nice view and sleep on and off for the next 6 weeks.

Oh mama, actin’ like my life’s already over
Oh dear, act your age and try another year

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