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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.

September 2, 2019 at 12:06am

#965381

There were conventions?

Artist: Pink Floyd
Song: Echoes
[Embed For Use By Upgraded+]

Prompt via "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" : As you may or may not be aware, in the early days of Writing.Com, SM and SMs hosted in-person Conventions for members! From everything I’ve heard from the site’s veteran members, these get-togethers were beyond memorable and so inspirational. Take a trip to the past by reading this item advertising the 2006 WDC Convention: "Writing.Com Convention 2006" . Then, share your thoughts on what a Convention hosted today might look like. Where would it be hosted? How many members could attend? What activities would take place? Who would you want to meet in person? Have fun!

WDC Convention? I've honestly never heard of this in my 5 years on the site.

But what really caught my attention on that page was...

WDC Scholarship Fund

For those who didn't know or didn't click on the link, it's a scholarship to help someone in financial need attend the convention, NOT a school scholarship as my academic brain immediately thought.

I think this is a really cute idea. I don't know how many people would attend these days, but I imagine a lot of people in the general area of wherever it's hosted might stop by for the convention at least. Somewhere central seems like an obvious choice, but because we have people all over the world, that's hard to do. Plus, even if you're talking about central to US WDCers, it's still just as complicated. The center of the continental US is in Kansas and that's a pretty far drive for, well, most people.

Personally, I can't do itineraries. They make me anxious just seeing them. I understand the purpose and necessity of them, but I personally have difficulty attending things that require an itinerary. I'm guaranteed to be late to every part of it and confused about what I'm supposed to be doing at any given time. Any trips I take are very casual and not time sensitive in any way. It works best with my personality.

Okay, so we have a WDC Convention in Lebanon, KS because that's the center of the US. Who attends? Almost everyone is going to need to either fly in or drive some distance. I guess that rules out everyone who doesn't have the money for roundtrip plane tickets or gasoline or a hotel. It also rules out everyone who doesn't have vacation time from work or school.

I'm seeing why this tradition didn't last.

I can't even imagine how much work went into planning these conventions. I can also see why they happened when the site was smaller and probably even more tight-knit than it is now. I feel like people might feel left out if there were to be a WDC convention now and most people couldn't go to it. I don't know why I have that feeling because I wouldn't personally feel that way. It's just something that came to mind.

Activities? Hmm, drinking for sure. I'd exist in that Midnight - territory if I were to attend one of these things. No one would see me in daylight.

Other than that, it looks like they had lots of fun activities then. I can't imagine what could be done now. Raffles and auctions seem pretty popular here these days so maybe a real-life version of those?

OH, I know! A merit badge costume contest. Dress like you're favorite merit badge and vote on the best costume. I know that shit would be going down.

I'd like to meet everyone in person. I think it would be a lot of fun to see a different side to people than we see here in the site. At the same time though, I do like the separation of my online friends and real life friends. And I don't think my real life and online life would be a good fit. I'm much quieter and more moody in real life because I don't have that opportunity to just walk away from an email or message without responding for a few hours.

In real life, everything is instantaneous so I'm probably less pleasant. If I respond to something online, you know it's because I have time and want to do that. Definitely don't get the same options in real life!

I learned my lesson yesterday with naming specific people because that's just a never-ending list. So, yeah, I choose everyone.

And through the window in the wall
Come streaming in on sunlight wings
A million bright ambassadors of morning

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