%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
A new blog to contain answers to prompts |
Since my old blog "Everyday Canvas "  became overfilled, here's a new one. This new blog item will continue answering prompts, the same as the old one. Cool water cascading to low ground
To spread good will and hope all around.  |
| Prompt: Laughter "There's great value in being able to step back and laugh at yourself, at life, and at attitudes. Laughter helps you put everything into perspective." Jim Henson what do you think about this prompt and do you ever laugh at yourself? --------- I am hilariously wacky, at times, mostly due to old age...I think. Well, mostly! As the result, I have no choice but stand back and laugh at myself. And there's a reason for that. Laughing at myself makes the situation seem smaller because I have zoomed out and I'm looking at the situation with humor. Such a situation could be missaying things, repeating what I had just said, petty frustrations, misunderstandings, and above all, forgetfulness, with which I am becoming a master. So when I laugh, I put an emotional distance between me and the situation. And that situation, now, seems suddenly smaller and more manageable. This way I don't let any disappointment or embarrassment consume me. This isn't dismissing the problem but deflating its power. Still, laughing at myself is one thing, but hurting others' feelings is another. I draw the line when it comes to others' misfortunes. I mean, laughter may not always be positive for relationships. Some people wouldn't want a stranger laughing at their embarrassing faux pas, for example. This kind of unshared laughter can have the opposite effect. Still, talking for myself, I would probably join that stranger in laughing at myself, anyway. This is because a good laugh acknowledges the struggle but refuses to let it be the final word. It also connects us and dissolves boundaries. Our mutual laughter signals that we see the world in the same way, if only momentarily, and it boosts our sense of connection. Then, laughter tells us that life isn't meant to be taken so seriously, all the time. Yes, things may be difficult but they are also comically imperfect, as are we, the people. Somehow, this makes me feel a little more okay. |
| Prompt: Have fun with these nine words: junket, exhibition, care, introduce, sketch, door. flock, wreck and discrimination. --------- A Frame in Time once on a *junket to a place afar, I found an *exhibition under the stars it was all *sketch and lore as if a key to a locked *door and our guide, with *care in voice and grace on his face, set to *introduce art pieces for we were to unlock the truth in minds of this fancy *flock but, a *wreck of dreams, and my hopes were stillborn, since one frame held a form twisted and torn, a slave in chains, and I heard the ring of *discrimination's sting yet, this pain so deeply stored must open hearts, minds, and doors, just to show the darkness and scars, if only to prove that, like time, art, too, should always move. |
| Prompt: Writer Francois-Marie Arouet, who was better known as Voltaire was imprisoned on May 16th in 1717 for his outspoken opinions. Let one of these Voltaire quotes inspire your entry today: "Doubt is an uncomfortable condition, but certainty is a ridiculous one." "Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do." "Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers." "Optimism is the madness of insisting that all is well when we are miserable ------------- I think all the quotes have great or some value in themselves. I may or may not agree with parts of them, but they are somewhat indicative of our human condition. So, I'll take each quote and write a short answer to it. Then, I'll try to bring to surface about what I think about anyone who may be too judgmental, say, as if to imitate Voltaire. 1. Doubt : Yes, doubt is uncomfortable. Personally, I hate it. But then, as is certainty. It is like putting all your eggs in one basket. 2. Man or woman, if given the chance or the occasion, hold back from doing good ("Good" in the quote needs definition), certainly some guilt can be attached to their indifference. 3. Judging one by his questions rather than by his answers, in my opinion, is a fault in itself for judging anyone because what they think and do or by their questions or answers in their personal lives is nobody's business. In fact, judgmental people throw me off completely. 4. Optimism vs. misery is another thing. It is every person's right to be optimistic or wallow in misery if they choose to do so. And here goes that judgment thing, again. So now, I'll write a bit about being judgmental here. Forming opinions and conclusions about other people quickly and harshly, based on limited information, can have terrible outcomes and negative effects. A judgmental person may feel a fleeting sense of control or superiority, but this can come at a high cost. It damages relationships, limits personal and social growth, and does away with empathy. In my opinion, the first victim here is the judgmental person himself. For, if he persists in being judgmental, his empathy will be shut down and he'll understand nothing about the human condition. This may limit his compassion and deeper connections with others while providing him with a very narrow view of human behavior. Also, being judgmental reflects insecurity and hidden fears. Such a person may judge others harshly to feel better about himself, or to conform to social standards, or to deflect from his own perceived shortcomings. Then, on the larger view, judgmental attitudes fuel stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination, because they reduce people to labels and create social divides. It also creates a negative mindset that may be copied by the more vulnerable people in our societies. Having said all that, I still think we are all judgmental to some degree, or else we wouldn't be able to survive in this complicated world, since we would end up being flaccid, weak people who cannot form true opinions or acceptable behaviors. I think, therefore, it is okay to judge fairly another person or situation inside us, but yakking about it openly and especially in a hurtful manner can come at a high cost to ourselves. If for nothing, but because being too judgmental openly can create a false sense of superiority and can put limits on our learning from others' behaviors. |
| Prompt: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. " Plato Write about this quote in your Blog entry today. --------- Since I promised myself, a very long time ago, to look at events and people through rose-colored glasses, so to speak. Accordingly, I hope, being unkind doesn't apply to me. Yet, I wouldn't let anyone walk all over me, either. In fact, I try not to fight or say unkind words to anyone if I can help it. This may also be because I had no siblings and I never learned to fight properly.  In everyday dealings with other people, though, I know it is important to hold my ground while paying attention to compassion and empathy, and I guess this is what Plato (or whoever?) may have meant. I say "whoever" due to the possibility that Plato's or other peoples' quotes might have shifted over time or were attributed to different origins. In any case, this quote calls for a pause before we respond harshly to anyone. This is because inside each person lies a struggle we may not see or understand, such as pain, worry, grief, or pressure. Before making a quick judgment, therefore, it may be a good idea to hold back from making unkind, wrong, and complicated assumptions. Instead, we may even offer understanding, if only because we know that some people hide their pain behind smiles and easy conversations. By acting with understanding, we may not be able to solve everyone’s battles, but we can make their fight a little less lonely by offering empathy and compassion. Choosing kindness, then, may mean choosing connection and accepting others' humanity. |
| Prompt: "All the world is made of faith, trust and Pixie dust." Write about this in your Blog entry today. -------- I tend to believe that "all the world" is a kindergarten, making us get ready for the first grade. That may be why faith and trust are needed, so we learn to behave in class. As to pixie dust, it brings to my mind Tinker Bell who scattered around a golden, sparkling powder, which now, may also enable us to fly and grant us other abilities so we can pay attention to the preliminary teachings of our lives. Sprinkles from the fairy's wing urges my heart, again, to sing and cheer, with no map, no path, no need to fuss—just faith, and trust, and pixie dust shimmering like stars in moonlit nights, whisper where my truth lies and offer me skies to leave this world behind with faith, trust, and pixie dust. So in bliss, I close my eyes and I dream to fly with a spirit high and Power to guide, hoping to try for a life like magic with just faith, trust, and pixie dust. |
| Prompt: What drains your energy in your life? And in what ways can you stay grounded in stressful situations? ------ In my life, right now, things getting broken or not working properly drain my energy. I'm not a handyman, so it is quite disturbing to not know where the trouble is. I mean if it is a small appliance or something it is easily replaceable. When it has to do with the plumbing, AC or things like that, I'm at a loss. Then, of course, managing money is also on the table, which I have gotten quite good at, but it still is a source of stress. Normally, I try to fix most anything if I can, or I try tp find someone to do it for me. If the culprit is not fixable, I try to steer my mind away from such situations. I guess not taking care of one's physical and emotional needs may have an effect on the energy drain, mostly. I believe, I manage better in such areas than I do with plumbing. Then, with most folks overcommitting with activities or responsibilities can add to their energy-drain, same as unresolved issues and past hurts knocking on memory's door. Negative relationships and family issues can drain a person's energy, too. Luckily, at the moment, my stress is only the result of the AC's thermostat, which I am sure, will be taken care of soon by the handyman who is going to arrive sometime during the week. I just hope the weather complies. |
| Prompt: Let this quote inspire your entry: “In May, anything seemed possible. If only I could learn to harness time itself. To make every month like May! Or, perhaps, to live backward in time, so that whenever the end of the month arrived, I could turn May right around and live it all over again.” ― T.A. Barron ----------- I don't know what makes May so special, for T.A. Barron. I think he must have had a fantastic May to want to live it over again. In my case. though, I'm usually more curious about tomorrow than today, as beautiful as today might be. This could be because I hesitate to relive anything that has passed, for fear that the second replica won't feel the same. It is, however, a fact that May falls on a crossroad between the end of winter and the beginning of summer. For many people, this time of year signals energy, creativity, and optimism. On the other side of the coin, this quote can be taken as a quiet lament. May, no matter how radiant, does pass like every month. This brings up a universal human desire to hold onto our inspirations and happier selves and, so to speak, to a state of awakening. Not that I'm lamenting the end of May, but as much as I like looking forward, I also fear a scorching June and the rest of the summer for, where I live, summers bring hurricanes and awful heat. Then, it is possible that, at times this summer, I may want to go back to May again. |
| Prompt: Mothers Did you ever believe that mothers really had eyes in the backs of their heads? And what about mothers in spirit? Was there anyone in your family or among friends who acted as a spiritual mother to you or to someone else that you know of? ---------- Three women, in addition to my mother, have been mother figures in my life. They were my aunt who couldn't have a child of her own, my grandmother, and my grandmother's foster daughter whose only son died soon after he was born. I am very lucky to have so many mothers in my life and that my existence helped to fill a certain need in them. As to my mother's eyes in the back of her head, Haha! I don't know about if I ever thought my mother had eyes in the back of her head, but I certainly thought she was psychic, in the least, so I never lied to her, well, at least while I was growing up. This was partly due to her elevating her motherhood to godly levels. She repeated this very convincingly: "I know what's happening to you at any time. I know your liver, your intestines, your lungs and all that you carry inside you, because you are part of me." And the other three "mothers" backed her up. And silly me, I believed every word of this until maybe I turned ten or so. Then, I began testing her in small ways. Yet, I so believe that she did love me. I was her only child and I was very obedient until I hit my thirteenth year. Then, the storms showed up. Luckily enough, my mother and I did both recover from my "difficult years" and by the time, I was sixteen, we were friends again. Then, several years later, I became a mother myself to two very lively boys. They were quite happy, free, and well-fed, and never in my life, I acted like I knew everything about them. I let them fill me in with whatever they felt like telling me about themselves, and that's fine, too. Now, they are two very independent men and the exact opposites of each other. At times, my late husband and I used to wonder: "Who raised them!" In hindsight, though, as fantastic as my sons turned out to be, I sometimes wonder if I should have told them what my mother told me to keep me in line: "I know what's happening to you at any time. I know your liver, your intestines, your lungs and all that you carry inside you, because you are part of me." Yet, I am happy my sons are who they are and that who they are has been their own choice. Truth is, I don't really know about their livers, intestines, lungs, or such. I just hope they keep on being decent and loving human beings, whether I'm around or not. |
| Prompt: Eight climbers die on Mount Everest during a storm on May 10, 1996. It was the worst loss of life ever on the mountain on a single day. Author Jon Krakauer, who himself attempted to climb the peak that year, wrote a best-selling book about the incident, Into Thin Air, which was published in 1997. Every year despite the book about the deaths that occur each year climbing people pay thousands of dollars to climb Mt. Everest. If you had the money would you try or not? What do you think the fascination is with climbing? ------------- OMG! Is my face red! The one and only time I tried climbing was with a tour group, probably about 40 some years ago. This wasn't my idea but the group decided on it. And what we were offered to climb wasn't even a mountain but a tiny hill compared to Everest, Alps, or any other high mountainous region. Now, because of allergy-related asthma, I can't even go up steep stairs. Imagine me holding on a rope with two assistants, one on each side, just trying. I managed a bit, at first, but then, my arms gave up. Even what little I could accomplish was with people helping me up and egging me on. Anyway, they let me down while the most of the group made it. Frankly, I wouldn't have tried it, if the group hadn't opted for it. Yet, I do have an admiration and fascination for high mountains, especially the Alps, but I have no wish to try climbing again, no matter what. I'd rather be picked up by a helicopter and dropped on the summit, instead. And now, even for that, it is too late. Anyhow, I can't exactly wrap my head around to what makes people so enchanted with climbing a mountain, no matter the height or the challenges, not to mention the probability of death or worse, like becoming maimed for life. For, at the very least, even those who aren't in a climbing accident can suffer from frozen fingers and toes. Yet, climbing enthusiasts themselves say it is a healthier lifestyle. Where's the "healthier" in it when one pushes himself so close to death or lifelong pain! Then, yes, the view and the environment can be incredibly beautiful and pushing oneself up over others can be exhilarating. Also, accomplishing something few others have accomplished can be some kind of an ego trip, but still, it is thrill-seeking, at best, from where I stand. I can understand the risks people take for a good reason, such as what those brave fire-fighters and all other rescue-workers and explorers do. I just can't understand taking such great risks for no real reason that wouldn't benefit anyone, let alone oneself. Speaking for myself, as hooked up on books as I am, I have no intention of reading "Into Thin Air" or any such book, written as the result of an empty thrill-seeking. |
| Prompt: Have fun with these words: passion, wit, common, celebration, information, extraordinary, and mystical. ------ Each Day no throne, no crown, no grand decree I'm here being just only me, going on a *mystical and mindful path that opens up each day without a wrath, nothing *extraordinary and, this to me, isn't *momentary, but in quiet *celebration, I gather *information and in crowded rooms, I stand in my fashion, with *passion and *wit, maybe just a tad split, no *common doubts, no chained frame since I've traded fear for inner flame for I'm the path, the fire, the throne my each day is a gift, I'm not alone |
| Prompt: "I believe in me and am grateful for all that I have. " Write about this in your Blog entry today. ------ Nice prompt! As to what it is asking, I really cannot say I believe in me. This is because I am not made of stone and I can change. It is a good thing, too, to be able to change, and I have changed over the years...I think. I also cannot say I believe in me because my memory is not what it used to be, especially due to aging.  Still, at the moment that I say anything, I mean it...usually. As to being grateful, yes, that...I am. I always have been grateful even during the toughest times. In fact, one of the journals I keep is a gratefulness journal that I write into everyday. And I don't jot down only the positive events. With the negative ones, I try to find and cultivate reasons, solutions, and possible outcomes. I think this practice adds to my resilience and helps my focus away from negative thoughts and outlook to more uplifting ones. Keeping this journal also taught me to appreciate the tiny joys like the cute salamander on the screen and finding a new leaf on a plant I thought was dying. Then, some of the things may sound like the repetitions of other pages, such as shelter, food, family, friends, WdC, etc., but they are the truth, and so be it. Maybe, then, my gratefulness journaling is some kind of a self-belief, since it is so unlike the absence of self-belief about where I put my reading-glasses last or why I'm in a certain room at the moment or to do what did I come to the kitchen for. |
| Prompt: "If you look the right way, you can see the whole world is a garden." Write about this in your Blog entry today. ----- I guess the trick in this quote lies in "if you look the right way." Yes, we should encourage and maintain the power of perception and the ability to find beauty and goodness in the world. This, of course, is a choice. But is it a choice to remain unaffected and mostly happy enough all the time? After all, who doesn't want the happy feelings, permanently! Come to think about it, if that means turning a blind eye to the wars, injustice, and human suffering, doesn't such an approach make us extremely selfish? Plus, this type of uncaring, too, will have an effect on us and on those who turn a blind eye to what's wrong. This is because what we don't want to see and acknowledge can come to our door, into our houses or inns where we are hiding, and it can haunt, bother, or hurt us. Then, what about the idea of social consciousness, humanitarianism, and altruism in general? What about empathy? Having looked at this from both sides, now, I am also going to add that having a positive outlook may not be about ignoring reality, but about recognizing that meaning and beauty often exist beneath the surface, somewhere. Personal struggles or uncertainty comes to mind, here. In my own case, I have greatly benefited from donning my positive lenses, almost always. Those positive lenses, even if they don't clear the negativity, they've let me view a situation from different angles while helping me get over the initial shock and heartbreak of any bad situation. So, yes, if the quote is suggesting that our experiences are shaped not just by external circumstances but by the correct lens through which we view them, then I agree with it. But I won't look at a dying, injured living being and think, "How beautifully crimson is his blood!" I bet no one can do that, either. |
| Prompt: “Something must have gone awry with the programming. I have no idea where or when we are.” Steven Decker, The Balance of Time Do you think there is programming in our existence and do you ever feel like Steven Decker with all the goings on in this world? ----------- I think, we are programmed through our DNA's, to start with. Genetic code aside, if anything has gone awry, I can't tell if it was due to any booboo on the other types of programming or not; however, our behaviors, ideals, and other tendencies seem to change from century to century and even from decade to decade. So this means to me what programming exists, it is bound to change. Then, in the same vein, isn't it possible that our brains' neurons were programmed by nature and later, they were-and are-subject to some kind of a revision programming? I am quite sure that we all were born with some innate reflexes and instincts, until learned behaviors set in and changed all those. Here enters our social and psychological or, if you will, socio-psychological conditioning, in addition to biological, and neurological tendencies. This conditioning, in time, affects our offspring's neurons or even the DNA. Does this mean we have a cultural software built in? I tend to think so; however, as deeply embedded as that software maybe, we human beings also possess something called the free will. Plus, some or rather very few of us become astute enough to recognize our own programming, and then, if it doesn't serve us, we deliberately alter it. Changing the ways of life, ideas, beliefs. and religions come to mind, here. Then, unfortunately, most people are not aware that they have the capacity to change their programming and they end up staying enslaved to what was put into them, especially by the parents and the societies they are born into. I seriously think that is how and why we have wars. With wars and disagreements, I don't want to name any actual sides or groups, here. So, for example, let's just say purple people are programmed to look down upon or even hate the magenta people for any outward reason. Then, any little thing the magenta people do, irks the heck out of the purple people. So, with the slightest provocation, they go at the magenta with huge armies and bombs, and of course, they get a similar response from the magenta people because the magenta people also think that, surely, magenta are the better ones by nature's or even by God's decree. With or without wars, groups, nations, etc., programming is a layered construct in its essence. In addition to being a poetic metaphor and a scientific concept, it shows up as a testament to --or a curse-- what programming really subtracts from or adds to our survival as human beings. |
| Prompt: "It was only a smile, nothing more. It didn't make everything all right. It didn't make ANYTHING all right. Only a smile. A tiny thing. A leaf in the woods, shaking in the wake of a startled bird's flight. But I'll take it. With open arms." Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner What is this quote saying to you, and how and why, do you think, a smile can be so important? ------------ The way I see it, a smile is a nonverbal communication. Plus, inside a smile can be hidden messages like warmth, friendliness, reassurance, gratitude, or even sarcasm or malice. On the positive side, a smile overcomes language barriers for me if I don't know the language of the other person I'm with. This is because a heartfelt smile creates a sense of connection and trust. People who send genuine smiles to others can be viewed as more approachable and likable. Imagine this: You are in the middle of a busy store, searching for a specific object. And one of the clerks smiles at you. Wouldn't you be more likely to ask him or her where that something is that you're looking for? Then, a genuine smile can be contagious because it lifts others' moods, lightens tense situations, and encourages a more positive environment. Also, it helps how other people--and I, too--will perceive a person. Would I be more likely to talk with a person who smiles at me or would I be talking to the person who is looking away? Surely, I'd go with the smiling person, unless I'm some kind of therapist who wants to help all the frowning people or some kind of a psycho who likes to get beaten upon. I'm also quite sure that overall positivity plus a smile can help one's mental health and look on life as well as having a positive effect on the people around. Come to think of it, maybe even physical health, too, for I suspect my sons' and friends' smiles do help my physical health. Not that I am always smiling, myself, though! But I wish I could and I wish everyone could. Then, maybe we'd be living in a much friendlier world! |
| Prompt: “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.” Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest What do you think about this quote, and now that we're totally into our techie toys and the internet, do you keep a diary the old-fashioned way? ----------- If you don't count the train service between Long Island and Manhattan, it has been at least five to six decades that I have stepped in a train. I'm trying to picture in my mind how anyone can read their diary on a train full of nosy passengers, unless of course, one has a private compartment. As to diaries, yes, I still keep a few for jotting stuff in, every now and then, and I have a special one I keep on a daily basis. The daily thing is a small notebook, regular off the shelf kind and not one of the fancy padded and beautified ones. I write in it every evening just one page at a time. I think I established this habit as a mental-health-care thing, and even if it might not have improved anything intended, this notebook became very close to me, as if a really good friend. Then, I have another notebook I write into, every now and then, just to let my mind run wild and free, by using a sort of a stream of consciousness style, without even lifting the pen or correcting anything. This way, I'm simply capturing thoughts as they come. Just about for everybody, keeping a diary or a journal reduces stress and anxiety by releasing thoughts and emotions and daily events down onto the paper. Even sometimes, when life hits hard, as one writes, one may come up with a solution to a problem one probably didn't think of earlier. Especially a gratitude journal, in which one can write everything one is grateful for, be it a found penny on the ground, helps just about anyone to look at life with more positive eyes. Then, there are several kinds of keeping a diary or a journal. A painter friend I once knew used to keep a sketch journal. He sketched anything and everything he found interesting. During the eighties, I too was keeping a journal for recording my dreams. The other day, I found it and laughed my head off at my long-ago dreams. This means we can use a diary or a journal in any way we wish. During these last few years, with all the new techie toys that are offered to us, I still cherish the notebook-and-pen kind, but then, there is nothing wrong to use the technical media if one so prefers. In fact, I came across this website where one can keep a private journal for free. https://penzu.com Although I have no intention of using this or any other such service for myself, this can be some help to many traveling people who only carry a cellphone or a small electronic pad with them. No matter how and why we keep a diary or a journal, there is no right or wrong approach. It's all up to us. The simple act of getting in touch with ourselves is what is truly important. |
| Prompt: On this day in 1937, Margaret Mitchell wins the Pulitzer Prize for her novel "Gone with the Wind". Have you read the book? What did you think of the inherent racism of the novel and the sexual tension throughout most of the story and the suggestion of marital rape? Should it have won a Pulitzer Prize in your opinion? ------ I have seen the movie, since my mother took me with her to a rerun to watch it, but I haven't read the book. At the time, Clark Gable was admired by all. Unfortunately, then, I didn't even know that the movie came from a book. So, afterwards, I didn't want to read the novel. Movies do that to me. They ruin any good literature, although if my memory serves me right, it was a pretty good movie. I know my mother discussing it for days and weeks. Should the book have won the Pulitzer? I think it told the truth of its time. I understand that the novel itself was written from the perspective of a slave holder. It's said that the writer of the story, Margaret Mitchell, was a racist with this work and her other writings. I am not defending her but we have to consider that, in her time, most people were racists. I apply it to our time when we have grown up thinking that democracy is the best policy for governing a country, but what will the later generations think about that, say 100 years later? We'll have to live and see... Back to the story inside "Gone with the Wind, " come to think of it, why would any author choose a spoiled, selfish, and stupid girl as her main character in an epic novel, a girl who was frivolous to the nth degree especially in the beginning. Yes, she did get what she deserved--well somewhat--at the end. The movie was a success due to the excellent portrayal of her by Vivian Leigh, who won an Oscar for it. I remember a lot about the movie because, later on, it showed up on the TV screen several times. In those earliest days of the movie industry, it is said that the movie-makers were more loyal to the books they made the movies from. Yet, I bet, if I read the book itself, I would be fuming at Margaret Mitchell's third-person narrator. From the clips that are online, now, the ugly prejudiced way she relates the events of the day turned me off totally. Yet, as they say, the characterization was superb in the book as it was in the movie. So who am I to judge! Then, at the end, I have to repeat Rhett Buttler's words to Scarlett, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!" |
| Prompt: Let this quote inspire your entry today: "Inspiration comes from within yourself. One has to be positive. When you're positive, good things happen." Deep Roy ------- I think with this quote, the word positive needs a much better definition. Positive about what? Does this mean the authors have to be positive to embrace any idea that pops up their minds or does it mean they have to have a positive view of people and life, in general? Or does it even mean acting politely and nicely to any person, idea, place. or thing, even while not believing in its qualities? As to inspiration itself, is it that eureka moment when the ideas come up suddenly or is it the result of wanting to create something? What about the common adage, 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration? Just where does inspiration come from? People have different experiences and ideas about that, and so far that I know, there is no consensus. Then, there are quite a few very famous authors who were not positive about some or most things. For one, Kafka might not have been positive about his own work. As he was hardly known in his lifetime, he ordered a friend of his to burn all his manuscripts after his death. That friend ignored Kafka's dying wish. totally. So, now, Kafka is famous and keeps on influencing those who try to imitate him. Also, Fyodor Dostoevsky, whose work explored the human psychology and impressed me deeply during my high school years and still keeps on impressing me, was a depressed, complex person, with sometimes too strong, controversial religious and political views. He might have had moments of positivity, but in general, he wasn't really positive. To top it all, Shakespeare, a poet and playwright that I admire for his dramatic flair, also had a volatile temperament that showed up every now and then. How about that! As for me, I do like "positive" in my real life, and I try not to be a drama queen; however, I don't think whether I am positive or negative has an effect on my work in any area, let alone on my puny writing.  |
| Prompt: What is a happy home to you? Write about this in your Blog entry today. --------- At this point in my life, a happy home is a place or rather a situation where I have freedom to be myself. But then, I always was myself, at different stages of my life and with different or changing, maybe revolving, family members. I say revolving because my sons take turns to be around me nowadays, after they've flown the coup, and sometimes we manage for all of us to be together, even though other very important family members are not here, anymore, Yet, those who are deceased are still with us in our hearts and memories. For me, a happy home is where, in addition to be myself and other members to be comfortable enough to be themselves, love is practiced all the time, laughter is common, and every member feels like they belong. This means much more than a physical space, but an environment where everyone feels accepted, valued, supported. and safe. This means respect, communication, encouragement and much understanding among the people in this happy home. When we achieve these things and such cooperation, then we find that the time spent with the others in our home is one of quality and stability where we all feel we truly belong. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
