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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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#1974611 by Not Available.

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.

August 2, 2019 at 12:03am

#963584

Rite of Passage

Artist: The Doors
Song: People are Strange
[Embed For Use By Upgraded+]

Prompt via "Invalid Item" : Prompt 2 - What rites of passage have you experienced that you think everyone will experience at some point in their life? In other words, tell us about your notable experiences that are key to the human experience.

I want to make sure I do the full first week of "Invalid Item"

this month just to see how much it really is. I only have one more entry after this one and one review and we're barely into the 2nd day of the month, so I'm pretty confident that it's not very time-consuming at all.

You never really know until you do something yourself. But I'm estimating that I'll spend maybe 2.5 hours doing the first week of the challenge, which is really nothing. And that includes commenting on everyone's written entries and Topic of the Week post. Not too bad.

So, rites of passage. On this one, I was thinking of things that everyone must go through at some point. Here are some of the rites of passages I've experienced that I think everyone will experience if they live long enough.

Heartbreak.
Have you even lived until you've metaphorically had your heart ripped out of your chest? At some point or another, everyone is going to experience unrequited love or a devastating breakup. It's not always some major dramatic thing. Sometimes it's a subtle, quiet thing that's just as painful, if not more so. Someone just slips between your fingers or something like that. It's definitely a rite of passage in life.

Loss.
People don't live forever. At some point, we'll all experience an absolutely gut-wrenching loss. Nothing is promised. That's why it's so important to be forthcoming with how you feel about people while you have time.

Surprise failure.
The worst kind of failure is surprise failure.

You've planned everything out in your head, you've done everything right, and yet... Things aren't linear. At some point, you'll be fired or miss out on a promotion even though you've worked your ass off and done everything you were supposed to do. You'll realize that you don't want something or you've taken your life in the wrong direction. The formulaic life can only take you so far, you can't account for all variables.

Surprise success.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, sometimes life's nonlinear path will work in your favor and something amazing will just fall right into your lap. I know I've had it happen. A completely random event that turns out to be very much so in your favor. A matter of right place, right time. You're just minding your own business when an opportunity appears. You have to be ready to heed those chances.

Existential crisis.
Some of us will be in an existential crisis for our entire life, apparently.

But even if you're not one of those types, you'll definitely have a time period where you're entirely unsure of your life's purpose and value. What am I doing? Why am I even here? Is this all there is to life? Am I making the right decisions? Is all of this pointless? I have zero advice to overcome an existential crisis, but I'm all ears if anyone else has advice for me.

Prompt via "Blogging Circle of Friends " : What is something blogging has taught you about yourself?

I like this prompt so I thought I'd drop a few lines here too. I've been blogging here for over 5 years and here are a couple things I've learned about myself:

I can write about anything.
Sometimes I encounter a prompt and I just have no idea what to do with it. Blogging has taught me that if you take a minute to think imaginatively, you can come up with anything on any topic. Don't think in terms of "I have no experience with that so I can't write about it." That's not what writers should do. Sometimes I have to take a couple minutes to research something. Sometimes my entry isn't entirely stellar. But as long as I'm willing to put forward a bit of thought and effort, I can write on any topic.

I can talk to anyone.
Interaction is absolutely so important when you're blogging on WDC (or doing any type of writing). Look, best case scenario, you're going to comment on a bunch of people's entries and get maybe half of them to read your entries and comment on them as well. I've learned that even if I really disagree with someone's ideology or opinions, I can still communicate with them through our blogs. Especially if we're writing on the same prompt, I can start to see people's perspectives that I'd never have on my own. My best advice for anyone who wants more interaction on WDC is to 1) blog (which includes reading/commenting on other people's blogs and 2) review. Also, post your entries where they'll be visible to others.

I can be pretty open.
I've surprised myself in my ability to be honest and genuine in my blog. In real life, I have even more of a wall up than I do here. I think the fact that I can maintain a little bit of anonymity here helps me to be more open about my real life experiences. In practice, I don't go around telling people about my feelings or anything that's going on with me. That means a lot of people on WDC who might read my blog know more about my life than people who actually know me out in the world. Strange!

People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone

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