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 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: What does the sky look like today? How does it make you feel? ===== Right now, at 12.06 p.m., the sky is clear blue with a fluffy white dot on the horizon, a fluffy cumulus cloud I believe. It looks pretty but like all pretty things it is misleading, tricky, and illusory. The reason is, it is hot out, 95 degrees now and the temp will probably rise more during the next few hours. It goes to show that one shouldn't equate beauty with trustworthiness. When it comes to trustworthiness, our South Florida sky is a stage for dramatic weather events. Sometimes, sudden ostentatious afternoon thunder storms erupt here with an impressive power. Yet, that's only the beginning of it. The rumble of a passing cloud and thunder is nothing compared to what the coming seasons, late summer and early fall, might bring. Yes, I'm talking of hurricanes loaded with tornadoes inside them. So here in Florida, we start worrying when mid-June arrives. Well, at least I do. While nature can be theatrical here with all its fury, possibly after July 15, it is also very pretty with the early morning and late evening skies. Sunrise and sunset arrive with humidity over the low-lying land, scattering the sunlight and creating lovely displays of color with oranges, pinks, and purples bleeding into one another. So right now, it is only midday and the beauty of the blue is out there, above me, but then, I know better. I know not to be fooled by beautiful things, mesmerizing though they may be. |
| Prompt: Typos Does a typo annoy you? And can a typo ever lead to a misunderstanding or maybe even to an idea for a story or poem? ---------- Since I'm having a tiny bit of a problem with my eyesight recently, in addition to the smaller keyboard of the new laptop where my fingers end up hitting the wrong key, I keep making, no, I keep committing, typos a lot, whereas much earlier, I'd do next to nothing of the sort. Looking over what I write helps, but that's not always possible and neither is it reliable. So, yes! Typos I make annoy me greatly. I can, however, overlook typos in others' writing. On the negative side, a typo in a cover letter or a business email can hurt credibility. Then, a typo on social media is liable to mark a person for a long time, especially if a typo is a missing letter, such as the missing l in the word public. The worse is when I reread what I write before I send or post it, I might not catch that missing "l" and neither would AI or any other misfiring autocorrect. As in the word public with the missing l, a misplaced letter, an omitted word, or switched around syllables can turn a serious or a heartfelt text into something nonsensical or downright embarrassing. Then, what if typos aren't just mistakes but they are sparks for the imagination instead? Just picture someone writing 'grape expectations' instead of Great Expectations! While this could turn Charles Dickens in his grave, another writer could end up with a winning parody. Then, what if we talk about the angles in heaven instead of the angels in heaven? Can you imagine all those angles the residents of heaven may have to contend with? So, in this light, typos can act as portals opening to strange, funny, or eerie dimensions, to inspire us writers. This is even though typos may frustrate editors and writers themselves. I will, therefore, think twice over any typo I commit, since I have now looked at this situation from both angles, with all the writing angels hovering above me. Now, what are typos for? Nuisance or opportunity? I think it all depends on the eyes that catch them and what those eyes are willing to see. |
| Prompt: Getting Along What do you think can be done to help people, groups, or countries with different opinions get along better? ------ At this point, right now, it seems the bottom hole of the world has enlarged greatly and all the rotten stuff is getting out poisoning all of us. As to the groups and countries, enmity, negative competition, one-up-man-ship and old grudges are leading to all out wars. The way I see it, while differences in opinion are natural, conflict in all its forms should be avoided. Better results can be had with a mix of empathy, communication, and mutual respect. But then, how do we do it? First, by not taking sides, especially when a conflict has flared up somewhere or in some group or country or between two people. Second, we can encourage open dialogue without either side fearing being attacked or silenced. People, as well as groups and countries need to be heard. Then, all listeners, if an open dialogue can be achieved, should try to understand both sides by asking clarifying questions and paying close attention to the details. A warning here, though, if either side feels their perspective isn't respected, the dialogue ends. Also, even in the most divided situations, there will be something both sides care about. Identifying and pointing our those shared values can usually lead to cooperation and joint effort. In addition, showing empathy to both sides, to show them what it's like to be in the other's shoes, can soften rigid thinking. Understanding motivations and struggles of the other side may change the view of the opposing side. With international diplomacy, neutral parties who use empathy to both sides are very effective to lessen the tension between nations. Plus, leading by example can start a worldwide change. Take the recent flare up between two Middle-Eastern countries, for example. Many nations, including ours, started right away to take sides. This is not good for world peace and it will ruin both those countries in question. Leaders of the world who show respect, patience, and kindness, even toward those they disagree with, can influence others to do the same. Change often starts with one good example. I certainly hope my country will provide that example and bring about a lasting world peace. After all, when all is said and done, I can only hope, can't I! |
| Prompt: Father's Day Why should Father's Day be celebrated? And who is or was the most impactful father figure in your life? What has he taught you? ----------- Why? Because it has to do with tradition, gifts, and heartfelt appreciation. This day, today, goes far beyond a celebration and its material gifts. It has to do with the deep love and appreciation for the men who shape their children's lives. This is mostly due to the multi-faceted roles fathers play. In fact, the celebration and the Father's Day was founded in the beginning of the last century by a woman who was solely raised by her father. Yet, this day isn't for the single fathers who do such a great job with their offspring. It is also for the men who are caregivers and companions, mentors and guides, role models and sources of strength to their children. Such men may not be their children's biological fathers, all the time. Sometimes, it is a male family member or friend who takes on the duty of a father when biological father is not in the picture. Such men did father me and I am very grateful for their attentions. This was because I was born during World War II and my biological father was away at the time. By the time the war ended and he showed up, he and my mother couldn't get it together, and he moved out. Then, after some time later, he suddenly passed away in an accident. If I put all the days that I have been with my biological father, their count would end up to, at best, being a month and a half. Due to my then age, it is a miracle that I still have flashes of remembrances and even some very good-sized memories of him. After him, the first person in the family who took over was my mother's uncle who was a doctor and he felt and understood about the empty space in my young life. He asked me to address him as Daddy, and I did. And he was a true father to me in every way possible until he passed away when I was eleven. Then, two of my uncles who were my mother's cousins took over. Both were wonderful men, but I was more impressed with one of them who was into literature and words and he encouraged me to keep writing. I am always very grateful for these men who went out of their way, to the extent of paying less attention to their own children, at times. I believe I was one of the luckiest orphans who wasn't really fatherless. So, Father's Day is a multi-dimensional celebration for me as it made me appreciate not only the men in my life but all the dads and father-figures in the world. Happy Father's Day, Writing.com!  |
| Prompt: Have fun with these words- subitaneous, reflect, address, wave, fuss, restrict, key, waist, and chronography ------ Doing My Best I write, I try, I do my best to *address the heart within my chest then, a *subitaneous *wave rolls by, I can't stop to worry or question why I try to *reflect, to still the *fuss for clocks *restrict what's left of us I tie a tight belt around my *waist, to slow the march, to savor the taste of *chronography and days past, the hours are *keys for moments to last so, for the heart within my chest I write, I try, I do my best |
| Prompt: Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition. Did you know according to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, an estimated 17–21 million people in the United States are affected by Paraskevidekatriaphobia (fear of Friday the 13th), making it the most feared day and date in history. Are you superstitious? Do you know people who are afraid of Friday the 13th? Do you carry some kind of lucky charm? Do you avoid activities because of the date? ========== I don't know anyone who is afraid of Friday the 13th, and I certainly hope I'm not superstitious at all. But then, I grew up with a mother who was extremely superstitious just about anything. Luckily, I had my uncles come to the rescue. They kept scolding my mother and told me not to believe and follow her ways. One of my mother's superstitions was not to do the laundry on a Saturday. She wasn't Jewish, so that wasn't it. Still, she made such a fuss over it that, to this day, decades after her passing, I feel funny when I do the wash on a Saturday. So, I might be participating in superstitious thinking or behavior, often without even realizing I'm doing it. Another one was, eating standing up. "Don't eat standing up. Satan will steal your food from inside you." But then, there was a time I had to eat lunch standing up because the school cafeteria would be so crowded that there was no place to sit and they had high tables without chairs for those of us who had to eat standing up. I bet no one had their food stolen from inside them because they had to eat standing up. The list of my mother's superstitions are endless, but I don't recall her being afraid of Friday the 13th or the number 13 itself. I still wonder about the psychology behind her magical thinking, and if it was hurting or helping her and by extension, yours truly. As to the origin of superstitions, I'm guessing they are born either from the fear of living or from ritualistic behavior, only because I have noticed that when I don't do what I have set as a ritual, I feel uneasy. Such as in the mornings when I first get up my ritual is bathroom, wash up, get dressed, make the bed, get breakfast. So far I've never had breakfast without making the bed, first. If I step away from a ritual, I feel uneasy. Is it me or my mother's influence, I haven't decided yet. In essence, I believe that those who favor superstitions too much are suffering from an anxiety disorder, only because I have seen it in my mother and in others like her that those who are the most superstitious are people who worry a lot and become anxious about any new change in their lives. Then, maybe, most of the superstitions people engage in are perfectly fine, and not pathological. This may be because the superstitions do help people to make them feel they have control over their environment and the events in their lives. This may be a false feeling, but it may help them deal with difficult times and boring everyday lives. |
| Prompt: How do you approach self reflection and how has it impacted your understanding of life? Write about this in your Blog entry today. --------------- Self-reflection for me is like holding up a mirror to better see myself and understand who I have been and who I am becoming. Sometimes, this mirror enlarges the image and sometimes erases parts of it. Still, it helps me to deal with life and to understand my own behavior as well as that of others. In other words, mostly, it is like chewing the fat on myself. Why do I do it? At first, we were taught how to do it in the psychology class in college. That was an eye-opener for me. It gave me the awareness that I was neither to be applauded for my good sides nor to be blamed for my faults. In that class, I learned that our experiences in childhood, especially during our formative years made us who we are. Even so, no one is to be blamed since it is our own psyche, here, and it is up to us to fix what's wrong and what's missing. So, since to fix or make better who we are is up to us especially during our adult years, it doesn't help to blame our parents, failed relationships, or even our children for our misery or shortcomings. Heck, I wouldn't touch my children in this. I think both my sons are very good people, and they are especially good with self-reflection about themselves, maybe better than I am at mine, but I might be prejudiced in the matter by a lot. I think self-reflection, whether done regularly or whenever we feel like it, gives us the insight into what works and what doesn't, and instead of suppressing or ignoring emotions, we end up exploring them to understand their source and hopefully manage them in healthier ways. Another positive on the matter is that some self-reflection improves our decision-making, because this way, we make our decisions to fit our needs, our lifestyle, and our environment with family and friends. We also become more empathetic, open-minded, and less likely to project our issues onto parents and other loved ones. Then, in the process, we begin to see what truly matters to us, even if mistakes are inevitable; however, reflecting on them can turn them into learning opportunities. In other words, we can grow from setbacks instead of wallowing in grief or self-hate. Having said all this, I can think of many people I know who blame other people and events a lot for the mishaps in their lives. Yet, I don't fault them because life is hard and frequently offers hardships, tragedies, and unexpected turns. I believe we all try to deal with our own actions and what happens to us the best we can. |
| Prompt: Life "Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love - enjoy." Sai Baba What do you love about life? ------- To begin with I love this quote. However, do I do what it suggests? Nope, not all of it and not all the time. This may be because I am not good at challenges and contests, anymore. Maybe it is because of my age. Nowadays, I shy away from challenges or contests, even those lovely contests here in WdC I used to so love, once upon a time. Okay, still, I have a love for life, be it dimmed somewhat. Life can be messy, unpredictable or overwhelming, but it has truly precious moments I may tend to overlook. So I stick to those moments like flotation devices in deep water. Then, there are the sensations, some physical, others imagined: warmth of the sun on my skin, the taste of my favorite food, the sound of my son's laughter, the pretty sight of the first rose on my new rosebush, my cousins' voices saying hello on the phone from all over the world...All these small pleasures echo inside me even after they end. Surely, writing and reading, and learning something new each day, be it how to cook something or a new word in a language I once studied, help me embrace a new understanding, a new passion, or a new skill. Not only these things give me the satisfaction of accomplishment, but also, they encourage my curiosity for further explorations. Ultimately, what I love about life is a deeply personal journey of discovery. It's about identifying what truly sparks a happy feeling, what ignites my passion, and what gives me a sense of purpose. |
| Prompt: Pets Do you like pets? Why do you think some of us love pets more than anything? Did you ever have a pet that impacted your life in a big way? ------------- I love cats and dogs and all animals in general; I don't like, however, keeping a snake, a gorilla, a lion, or a tiger inside a home unless one lives on a preserve. Pets become more than animals who share our homes; they become companions, confidants, and even family. I've had cats and dogs as friends some of the time, in my life, except for the years when we were traveling too often. For me, as for some of us, our bonding with an animal is so strong that it surpasses most other loves. This is because once they take to you, animals offer unconditional love, and they really do care for us. I am not sure if this is because they need us or we need them. Five years ago, several months after my husband's passing, my son told me they were going to take their first cat to the shelter because she had become a nuisance for fighting with their second cat and annoying the dog. Also, she was thrashing the house and peeing all over the place. My heart sank when I heard what they were planning. This black cat, Noche, who was 12 years old at the time, had been with them since she was a tiny kitten, probably 2-3 months old, with no known problems. From the beginning, she was a very independent cat who had a mind of her own. My son's other animals were adopted after Noche. Then, when my son and his wife went on trips, they would bring their two cats to us and take the dog with them. So, I was very familiar with Noche and I had seen no such trouble. True, she sometimes got mad at and hissed a long time at the other very mild-mannered cat, but that was it. So, I said to my son, "Please don't take Noche to a shelter. I'll take her if you don't want her," and that's what my son did a day later. As he dropped her off, he said, "Mom, this is only temporary! I don't want her thrashing your house, too." For the first two or three days, Noche evaded me. Then, she started sitting in the same room with me and we slowly began a cat-human conversation. I bought a small cat stool and put a pillow on top of it and set it near my computer. Then, I picked Noche up and put her near me. She liked that, and she sat there for a long time. This was probably the beginning of a love affair between me and Noche. Did she try to upset me? Yes, she peed a couple of times on a cushion, which was washable anyway, but I didn't scold her or anything. In fact, I have never scolded Noche. I didn't need to. Once, Noche and I understood one another, we became best friends. This cat who had had a wild streak in her became the gentlest, nicest animal I ever had. She wasn't a lap cat, but when I picked her up and held her and loved her, she purred and was happy. Plus, she literally worried about me when I coughed for example or when I left the house for a while. In fact, she went out of her way not to upset me, ever. She was such a wonderful companion who comforted me after my husband's passing, more than most anyone. Unfortunately, Noche passed away one very early morning, this last August, from a sudden heart attack. I was in shock for days after that, and I still miss her. I am not going to get another animal, though, because I am old, and it wouldn't be fair to any animal if he or she got used to me and I died. Noche's love was simple, honest and endlessly giving. In return, she took all the space she needed in my heart and I am still keeping that space for her, forever.  |
| Prompt: Minor mishaps Which kinds of minor mishaps annoy you the most, minor mishaps such as getting drenched in the rain, dropping something, annoying phone calls, etc. Then, when such a thing happens, how do you handle it at the moment that it happens? ---------- I could start by saying , "Imagine this," but you don't need to imagine because this has really happened and recently, too. So try to see this in your mind's eye: I am deeply engrossed in an intriguing book, and suddenly the alarm in the kitchen goes off since the stew on the stove has spilled over to cause some smoke and mess. I drop my book and go turn off the stove and start to clean the stove top. While I'm in the middle of that, the phone and the doorbell ring, both at the same time. I stop the cleaning, pick up the phone, and yell toward the door, "coming!" In a rush, I answer the phone on the way to the front door. It is that scam-caller, again, who says, "Hi Grandma, I'm in jail!" I utter a small curse as I open the door. It is my next-door neighbor who has heard me curse. She looks at me questioningly. I point to the phone and say, "Scam caller!" while I roll my eyes. She says, "Oh, that!" Hopefully, she has caught on. I ask her in but she refuses, saying she has to go back to pack their bags and also has something on the stove. Well, tell me about it! She is asking me to pick up her mail from her mailbox while they'll be away on a short vacation. This is because we have stopped to ask the post office to hold the mail, since several break-ins have happened in our neighborhood after the "hold mail" request. After she leaves, I go back to the task at hand. Luckily, the stew is AOK, except for the small spoonful that somehow boiled over and caused the mayhem, even though I had set the dial to slow-simmer. This brings to mind my slow evolution in dealing with mishaps. When I was a kid, my mother always told me, "Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill." To which, my grandmother always added, "Everything is a mole hill." Later on, my late husband was wonderful in handling all the steep mountains but not molehills or mishaps. So, that was where I had to come in, and we had a wonderful 54 years together. In hindsight, it was a good thing that I was thought early enough about handling mishaps. All mishaps are annoying, but over the years, I came to accept that mishaps are mostly small-sized. They, however, should be handled right at the time and place that they occur. In my case, if a mishap happens outside of me, I'm better at handling it than, say, when my concentration wears thin and my mind wanders. So I guess, my mind's wandering is the one mishap that annoys me the most. The remedy? I get right back at the task at hand or get up and walk around and drink something cool. Taking a short break usually helps, if getting back to the task right away doesn't. Then, multi-tasking doesn't help either, but I can't help that since some things need to be done all at the same time. Also, I have come to accept mishaps as small interruptions and keeping my cool and my memory processes in an orderly shape have helped me to bounce back from such mishaps and interruptions. |
| Prompt: June 7th celebrates Chocolate Ice Cream Day. What's your favorite way to enjoy ice cream by itself or as a side? Favorite flavor? ----- Well, then...Happy June 7th, Chocolate Ice-Cream Day, Everyone! Ice-Cream to me is fun food, and I like my fun pure, so to speak. Still, I'd never say no to any ice-cream if it's served on the side. My favorite flavor is coffee, although my cardiologist doesn't know I take coffee in an ice-cream cone. He thinks I don't drink coffee and have nothing to do with coffee, at all. So, okay, that's his assumption for him to deal with. As to the finer point of between having the ice-cream in a dish or a cone, I prefer the cone. Possibly because I assume we people eat food from a dish, mostly. Ice-Cream to me is not food. As I mention earlier, it is fun...it is entertainment. Talking about cones, I don't like the cones that taper to a point at their end because you can be sure it'll somehow break through that bottom tip and drip on me. I sort of like my cones come to a full circle on their bottom. Then, the dripping is less suspect. Why I like ice-cream is something that made me think. I think I like the coldness of it rather than its sweetness. One reason for this could be because I have an emotional connection to ice-cream. As a young child, I had problems with my tonsils and my mother made sure I didn't have too much or any ice-cream while my cousins were enjoying their cones. This so-called cruelty at the time, made me cry out loud when the ice-cream vendor passed by. It could just be that, now, in the back of my mind, I am making up for those tears. To this day, I can't tell if I was mad at not being able to do what my cousins did or the ice-cream itself or if I was missing the endorphins that was the result of the joy of licking that cool taste on a cone. Then, was coffee ice-cream always my favorite? Not really. I have liked the coffee flavor during the last ten years or so, which may explain my childhood tonsils-problem's connection to my cardiologist's "banning" advice, in my old age. It is very possible that I don't take well to no-no's. Still, my tastes went through several stages, like that of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, cherry, mint...Well, it is a countless list. In short, whichever flavor I have ever favored, I still do think ice-cream is nothing but euphoria. |
| Prompt: On June 6, 1933, eager motorists parked their automobiles on the grounds of Camden Drive-In, the first-ever drive-in movie theater, located on Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Have you been to a drive-in movie? If you have been to a drive-in was it with family or with friends or on a date? If you haven't been to a drive-in, can you remember a movie that featured scenes with drive-ins? ------- After the sunset, the world seemed to slow down and the giant outdoor screen came to life. In the dark of the night, fireflies and stars watched as young loves sparked, couples and families laughed and enjoyed the show as relationships deepened. Magic and nostalgia so poignant...right? Not for me! I didn't go to any drive-ins until I met my husband. Commack in Long Island, NY, had a good drive-in theater that was managed well and there were a string of shops behind the place, which were mostly kept open until midnight for the movie-goers' purchases. Among those was a deli-ice-cream store, which we liked to visit often. Even then, even for that ice-cream, we went to the drive-in only a few times because at the time, most movie theaters had air conditioners put in anyway, and across from that place, a movie theater was already established next to the bowling alley. The movies I recall with a drive-in scene, if my memory isn't mistaken are Lolita, which I hated, and Grease, which I loved. My mother's appreciation for those two movies was the exact opposite of mine, which goes to show what a generation gap is. Then, one other reason I didn't like to go to drive-in theaters is because of the insects and flies that bite people. I have the kind of body that is an insect magnet. There may be 100 people in a place and one insect, and that one insect will come to bite me. Also, I don't like any distraction when I am watching or reading something. In those days, there usually were couples in other cars that used the privacy of their car as their bedrooms, and they became rather noisy, sometimes too noisy, until the guy who was overlooking the place came and knocked on their car to warn them or someone from another car yelled, "Cut it out!" So much for that cool summer air, blend of starlight, crackling speakers, and popcorn and soda venders that knock on each car's door when the movie is at its height of excitement. Yet, people still fool themselves with the false memory of nostalgia, moonlight, and the glow of the projector beam at the far end of the theater. |
| Prompt: Do you use Apps on your phone? What are your favorite Apps? ------------- I somehow believe that all phones work with apps nowadays. After all, we are living in an app-driven world. My favorite apps, however, are still the search engines because in one of them I have placed WdC, permanently. Although, I rarely if ever, write anything on that tiny screen, my phone is a good device to check on the site during the day when I am away from the laptop. Apps were very humble in the beginning. They could do only so much; however, they are catching up real fast, especially those communication apps, such as Phone Apps, What's App, FB, and Instagram. Since my phone's screen is small for my old eyes, I like the apps on my pad, much better. On the pad, I have several apps for Word Games, which I like to play just to ease off stress and make my mind work a bit. On my phone, I also have apps that manage schedules, but I rarely, if ever use them. They are there because my son put them in to help me; however, I'm still the kind that writes on and consults the wall calendar. The same goes for shopping apps like Amazon, with which my phone is not in the picture, although the app is in it, as well. This is because of the small screen, as I mentioned before. My sons, on the other hand, use their phones for just about anything. So, I guess, phone apps favor the youth much more than an oldie like me. I am hoping in the future, apps will be integrated into our lives in a more usable and easier way. Maybe AI will help, but we'll see, as I am mentioning or rather taking AI with a grain of salt, since so far, some companies have really messed up its integration into their systems. For that reason, it is easy to see red as a user when a company's app is nothing but useless. |
| Prompt: What color do you feel like today and why? Write about this in your Blog entry today. ------- I've never thought of applying any color to my feelings, although I know that colors may use a language of some sorts: a silent yet powerful, subtle yet deeply expressive, language without saying a word. On the other hand, the language of colors may not always be universal, but it is accepted enough that different cultures apply different colors to the same feeling. For example, in some eastern cultures, brides wear red, while in the culture I am in, a bride is decked in white. Nature also uses color because color communicates. Flowers use color, mostly in yellows and reds, to attract insects for pollination. Even the colors of the sky change to signal time and season. This is because color has emotional weight. Such as red means passion and power or sometimes anger or danger, as in, "She's seeing red." Then, remember the road signs in red or orange that point to danger? In the same vein, blue is for calmness and trust; yellow stands for optimism; green means balance and growth; black speaks of mystery, grief, seriousness or sophistication; white suggests purity and clarity and is tied to peace and new beginnings. All this and more is used to great extend by designers, advertisers, and artists. The main reason I don't apply color to myself, my actions, or my feelings is because I don't like branding me and subconsciously easing myself into a certain mode or emotion. Yet, when I dress up, I don't like to wear clashing colors. Just maybe, that says something about me. |
| Prompt: Outer Space True or false, a whole lot of information is on the web about the outer space these days, by means of Nasa, James Webb telescope, and the Voyager probes. Do you believe in what they tell us or the UFOs and/or life on other planets and space? -------- I would tend to say true if for nothing but for the ridiculousness and the impossibility of believing we're the only living beings in the universe. Still, my answer as "true" has its iffy points for questions such as: *Is all life, as we know it, the same in the universe? I ask this for the reason that even on our tiny dot of a planet, the variety of life animals, plants, microbes, etc., abound. Imagine the variety in such a large environment, if applicable... *Are we getting the right information? This always offers some food for thought, because we are looking at what life is in our own terms and as we know life. I am sure our scientists and explorers or their explorations are sincere, but maybe there are other factors to life other than being carbon-based. *Then, which information are we going to believe? I mean especially those fly-by-night, click-baiting U-Tubers who take the information from a serious source like a Voyager probe or a Nasa telescope and impress on it some fantasy photo or picture and tell people that "We are in Danger!" Surely, I can only call them sensationalists since any better word would sound as if I am cursing at them. As such, when all is said and done, we won't be done in a very short time, unless the earth is no more. In the meanwhile, it is a good idea to stick to the serious stuff and applaud any advancements on the subject. After all, who knows, the future of human beings may depend on it. |
| Prompt: Fishing Have you ever gone fishing or been on a fishing trip? If so, what was your favorite part of the trip? -------------- During my pre-teens and a bit earlier, my two uncles used to take me with them on the boat when they went fishing. I loved being in an open boat in the middle of the sea with fresh air, sunshine, and the smell of the salty water. Even more than all that, I liked being on the boat with my uncles, since I enjoyed our conversations because I always learned from them, especially the younger uncle who was deeply into literature and he had met and was friends with some famous poets and authors at the time. Looking back, the only reason I loved those trips were my uncles, and not the fish. I say not the fish because I never liked to see the fish pulled out of the sea, thrashing for air, and I turned away when the fish was being taken out of the hook. Once the older uncle who might have thought I was being a sissy, made me hold the rod and said, "You won't know what you are missing until you try." So I did, hoping the fish wouldn't bite, but it did. Then, I had to turn the reel, slowly at first, then fast, to pull the fish in. All was fine so far, until the fish was in the boat. At that moment, I handed the rod to my uncle and escaped to the end of the boat, and while doing so, making the boat rock. Luckily, nothing went overboard and the boat didn't sink. After this incident, when my uncles went fishing, they only asked me to join them out of politeness. I knew they didn't mean to take me with them again, but just to show that I appreciated their kindness, I still went once or twice and that was that. It isn't that I don't like the taste of fish. I do and a lot. But the fish I eat is already dead and I don't have to kill it to eat it. |
| Prompt: Decisions What is your approach to decision making? Do you decide easily or do you take too long a time? Do you also believe some people can or do make snap decisions? ------------ My approach to deciding on something has to do with what the item, action, or idea is that I have to decide upon. I mean I don't spend an hour thinking about deciding whether I should sweep the floor or not. I just do it if the floor looks dirty. Surely, there are other more important things that need much more attention, knowledge, and TLC. With those I may take some time on how to go about them, but in general, I don't spend too much time thinking whether I should do something or not. As to snap decisions, I might have made a few over the years, and that is true. On the other hand, I dislike indecisiveness a lot more than I dislike snap decisions. All this may be because, I think, any good decision making is not about always being right, but it is about being intentional, adaptable, and thoughtful. It is a good idea to consider the short and long-term effects of any decision. This is because, if pros and cons are not weighed properly, a short-term gain may mean a long-term regret. For that and many other reasons, a good decision-making involves what I want to achieve; in other words, a well-defined goal on which I have weighed all the pros and cons. Then, being informed about the subject and having all or almost all the relevant facts should also be in the picture. On the other hand, I've made some snap decisions that ended up with great success, but also, there are those on which I spent much more thought and effort and they didn't end up that well. After all, it is life, and we all get served with our share of curve-balls. |
| Prompt: Words Have fun with these words- talented, adjust, public, nuisance, endorse, strength, strange. stumble and actor. -------- On Stage His heart in flames, chasing fame the *actor stands, beneath the light, and the crowd, his *public, their eyes aglow they lean forward to feel the show of this *talented one, while his words rule but a *nuisance, a cough so loud and cruel, still, he stands, but *stumbles over his words askew, now the stage feels *strange...new, yet with *strength, he shakes off pain, to begin all over again, for if nerves rule one's own play, no script could *adjust what his heart may say, while critics can choose what they can *endorse, only the applause will chart the course. |
| Prompt: " There are people who live socially correct lives but become a shadow of themselves versus the people who sink themselves deeply into all levels of life, exploring their dreams fully regardless of the cost and to attain their goals. Are certain individuals predisposed to take risks and others not?" Lene Gammelgaard - Climbing High. What do you think? Have you chased or known someone who has chased a dream regardless of the cost? ------------- I am not very good at chasing anything. If my husband hadn't shown up on his own and I knew of his existence, I might have chased him, but I got lucky in that, too. Fact is, I never had to chase anyone. Well, except my wild younger son when he was two years old, and he could and would run into traffic... Where anything personal is concerned, I always kind of do what I like, and in some instances, I can also do what I am forced to do, things like chores, with no complaints. As the result, possibly fame and fortune has evaded me, but I don't really care about fame or fortune, in the first place, and I think I did okay with what I could do without having to butter up anyone or harm myself trying to climb higher. Yes, I know people who have hurt their own well-beings, psychologically, emotionally, and even physically, while they did just about anything to reach a dream. One of them committed suicide at the end. The others became somewhat fake people. That much ambition, sometimes seen as social climbing, is not worth it. I am not, however, against working toward a dream, but it has to be logical with a good view of the cost. After all, hope requires sacrifice, which costs something, but also, it may yield something greater, too. Here the question is: What am I ready to sacrifice? My time, my health, my sleep, my family? Or maybe even my morals? I mean there is a ceiling--or a stop sign--over everything, even our hopes and dreams. |
| Prompt: "I am not be perfect, I'm here to be real." Lady Gaga Write about this in your Blog entry today. ----------------- Well, nobody's perfect. And I totally agree about being real or at least trying to be real. On the other hand, I have to question the origin or rather who the person is who has uttered this quote: "Is Lady Gaga for real? If so, was she born as Lady Gaga? Why doesn't this quote carry her real name?" I mean, she has built a perfectly fake façade in order to became famous, hasn't she! Most of us, possibly, try to be real, as to whatever the word "real" means to us. Then, we all have flaws, quirks, and moments of vulnerability. Trying to hide these aspects of ourselves behind a mask of perfection can be very tiring, in itself. Instead, accepting our imperfections and choosing to be real, even when it's uncomfortable, could make us live a more fulfilling life. To begin with, being real reduces stress and builds better connections to other people, since we are allowing ourselves to be imperfect and accepting it. Being real, especially to ourselves, can be the best kind of self-care, too, emotionally, physically, and in many other ways. Also focusing on progress, not perfection, is a good route to learning anything. To me, that is a part of being real. After all, who needs the pressure of being so perfect! |
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