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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: "Your speed doesn't matter. Forward is forward." Write about this in your Blog entry today. ---------- I believe this quote is talking about progress, as long as it is there, be it fast or slow. Progress's definition in the dictionary is, "Forward or onward movement toward a destination." To me, this means the destination is the aim and not the speed. To begin with, life's journey is different for each one of us. As long as we are moving forward, be it one small step at a time, we are advancing. This is so important when we are facing self-doubt, setbacks, or challenges. Good teachers know this and in very good schools, such as those operating on the Montessori system, they let students advance at their own pace and their results are fantastic. I know this for sure, since one of my sons attended a Montessori school in his earliest years. Today, he has quite a few degrees and certificates and at 56 years of age, he's still learning. Then, this idea of moving forward can be applied not just to teaching systems but to many other aspects of life, from careers to fitness to personal concerns. Unfortunately for us humans, in a world that applauds speed and instant success, sometimes we forget about patience, self-love, and perseverance. We need to remember that life is not a race where we are made to compare our pace to others. We also need to remember to keep our focus on our own life journey. As long as we are in the process of moving forward in tiny steps, without comparing ourselves to others where speed is the concern, we have a very good chance of becoming winners. |
| Prompt: Write about March Madness for your Blog entry today. ------------ Interesting prompt! But I had to look it up to find out to what "March Madness" exactly refers. "The NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams that compete in seven rounds for the national championship. The penultimate round is known as the Final Four, when (you guessed it) only four teams are left." From---https://www.ncaa.com/ I never liked to watch others play a sport on TV. I'd rather be a player in that game myself. When I was 12, one of my uncles took me to a soccer game. The poor guy paid for me and all that. But I was more interested in the people on the stands screaming obscenities and jumping up and waving their arms up and down. I was so intrigued and entertained by those people that I had no idea what was happening in the game. Soon enough, my uncle caught on to my interest in the cursing and what not. That must be why he never took me to another game again. To this day, the people in the stands fill me with wonder. Is it because they associate "their team" too closely with their own psyches? The association of "March Madness" relating to basketball came about in the 1980s. If instead of soccer, had my uncle taken me to a basketball game, I might have shown more interest in the game since I played basketball in high school...well, not so greatly, but still, I liked the game. I don't exactly know at what else we can apply the phrase "March Madness" other than basketball, but I can guess. To me, personally, there is madness in March with all the March birthdays including mine, as I mentioned in an earlier entry. Then, sometimes, a department store will advertise its sales as "March Madness" but their voice sounds definitely muted in comparison to basketball. It might just be that the term may have referred to the tempestuous character of the weather in March. And just maybe, to the people who were born in March.  |
| Prompt: "If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” Vincent Willem Van Gogh What is Van Gogh trying to tell us and what do you think of his paintings? ------- I believe what Van Gogh is saying to us is: "You don't have to go with the flow of the current ways or the common appreciation of anything. Do your own thing and let the chips fall where they may." This advice, I think, does well by us writers, also. Taking his own advice, then, Van Gogh became a missionary of some sort and was able to transform the western art. He could do this by introducing an appreciation of different, or rather, abstract ways of looking at things. In fact, he must have mixed dreams with reality and that is why what came out of his brushes has a dreamlike, mystical quality. In his paintings, his straight lines become wavy, his sun, or his sunflowers give the impression of they are in action and turning, as his brushwork is unbelievably expressive. The paint is also thicker while the colors intensify. I am guessing, he often squeezed the paint directly onto the canvas right from the tube . Above all, I think he must have had some kind of a love affair with nature itself. That may be why his appreciation of nature is carried into the views of the Parisian suburbs and city life. In the same vein, since he probably felt that he himself was part of nature, too, he painted many portraits of himself. Those portraits in their totality have impressed me greatly, partly because I was intrigued by his life and delicate psyche. As such, his last self-portraits show the restlessness in him that did him in at the end. Today, without Van Gogh, modern art would have looked very different. This may be because he gave something from inside himself to his art with the symbolism of his forms, the intensity of his colors, and his very expressive brushwork. Most importantly, to us and to the art world, Vincent Van Gogh gave himself. |
| Prompt: "If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music." Gustav Mahler What is Mahler trying to say, in your opinion? And is music more expressive than words? What do you think? ----------- I guess it is the melody, harmony, and rhythm that does it...such as, a single chord progression awakening sadness, joy, or tension. Then, there is that power of performance, also. With the violin, for example, Jascha Heifetz's or Itzhak Perlman's out-of-this-world performances come to my mind. On the other hand, if you didn't want to hide and plug your ears when your child started his first violin lessons, I would call you a saint. Another aspect of performance has to do with sight more than the sound. A live performance can offer emotion by using not only sound but also body language, and energy and interaction with the audience. With me, however, this on-stage-overacting thing never sat well. Oldies like me will remember Elvis Presley's antics on stage. I hated that part of his performances but I did love his songs when on the radio or on LPs and later on tapes and such. In fact, some of his songs are among my favorites. This is because with music, I like to listen to it without my other senses getting in the way. Yet, as much as I like listening to music, I hated playing it. Then, this may be why: In my earliest days, I took years of lessons to learn to play the piano and I did advance well enough and could, after close to ten years of lessons, play the most complicated pieces. But the feeling wasn't there. I was always concerned with hitting the right note at the right time and intensity, which took away from the emotion thing for me. So, I dropped out, to never touch those keys again. In hindsight, I'm wondering if it was the strict teacher that I had in the beginning, for he would mostly stand up behind me with a long ruler in hand and touch my fingers with it as he yelled at me when I couldn't reach a key or hit a wrong note, and as an eight-year-old, in the beginning, I felt even more confusion, fright, and frustration. Later on, I had a teacher who was less strict, but still, I wonder if those earliest negative emotions were being easily stirred up whenever I sat at the piano-bench, so when and as soon as I could, I dropped the whole piano-playing thing in my late teen-age years. On the other hand, I could always lose or, maybe, find myself in a book, since I had learned to read when I was a four-year-old. A book and its words would be so enchanting that I wouldn't hear people talking to me unless they touched me to get my attention. Still, some say that words have fixed meanings and music is universal. It is true that we do communicate in different languages, but then, each word may suggest a different meaning at times, too. This may be because words have their own strengths, and especially when used well, they can articulate complex ideas and stories with precision. Also maybe, as a consequence of my personal experiences, I ended up favoring the word-arts, which doesn't mean I don't appreciate music. In fact, I love it, and especially when I am sad or emotional in some way, music has a way of lifting me up and carrying me over my own stumbling blocks. It may just be that music does better with fine and raw emotional impact. |
| Prompt: “The guitar is a miniature orchestra in itself,” said Ludwig van Beethoven Do you like guitar music? Why? ----------- Do I like guitar music? Well, who doesn't! Imagine the sound of guitars or even that of a single guitar. To me, guitars or rather good guitarists are magical, with their intricate finger picking and soft passages and their sudden energetic solos. In the same vein, music made for guitars is deeply personal. What is deeply personal finds itself inside many listeners hearts, adjusting its notes and timbre to the feelings or each person with melodies that range from soothing to delicate to powerful and electrifying. I can understand why my favorite composer Beethoven would say that the guitar is a miniature orchestra, and aptly so. Guitar music is versatile. From Classical to Flamenco to the soulful Blues, a guitar speaks to me in many languages with nostalgia and peace. Surely, the electric guitar also can ignite much energy and strong passions. Then, with me, Flamenco and Classics are the first choices on a long line. To tell the truth, rather than an electric guitar, I prefer the simple, or rather not-so-simple, original instrument, the acoustic guitar. I remember, decades ago, falling in love with the guitar music when I first listened to Albeniz's Asturias and Francisco Tarrega's Recuerdos de la Alhambra. Soon after that Granados's 12 Spanish Dances took my breath away. And surely, who can forget the master, Andres Segovia, especially when he played Bach on his famous guitar, his fiery strumming with his each note capturing the essence of longing, love, joy, or sorrow? Each note is the keyword here, because with a guitar you may really hear each note, connecting people to one another universally, through cultures, genres, and generations. So, just six strings on one acoustic guitar and it can remake me by transporting me to many different worlds, telling me stories without words, stirring feelings of nostalgia and peace in me. Now, what could be better than that! |
| Let this thought inspire your entry today, "March may start off slow, but once it gets going every flower will bloom and every bird will sing" . Do you feel renewed energy in March like the plants and the birds? ----------- Do I feel any renewed energy? I'm not sure. Not where I live, anyway. Here, with March or rather toward the end of it, comes the warning of the scorching sun. Granted, I don't have the danger of slipping on ice and killing myself here, but I may end up frying after a couple of months. Still, March has many special meanings for me. March 1 is my birthday, but it was also my father's birthday. Talk about coincidences! Other coincidences have to do with the birthdays of many friends in March. Especially, March 15. March 15 is the birthday of my best friend and cousin and also several other friends. So for me, March is the birthday month of the year. Yes, I also have to say, as a birthday month, March is transitional. This is because it starts off slow, when the world may still seem dormant with bare trees and cold winds up north, but with a stronger sun where I am. Then, as the days pass, the weather keeps jumping up and down and huge changes in nature can be observed. This is when the flowers and plants push up through the soil in the northern regions. This is when the birds that sing to us here down south during the winter months begin offering their spring songs to the northern regions. So as March suggests, slow beginnings can lead to better or different and maybe even magnificent outcomes. It is like life when progress is sometimes slow and change seems distant. With time and persistence, however, the future falls in its rightful place. Now, if I only felt that renewed March energy like the plants and the weather warming up...Well, just maybe! With March enters some hope. |
| Prompt: What are your feelings on daylight savings? Do you think it still has a purpose or is it time to end it? ------------ This daylight savings thing annoys me to no end. Some countries have given up on that, and we still go on with the one thing that upsets the internal clocks of the American people. I've tried all my life, every six months so, to be indifferent to the change, but I have never succeeded. Maybe I'm not so adaptable, but studies show that the DST (a.k.a. Daylight Savings Time) has some major negative consequences on our health. Then, who does it benefit? It benefits those who spend the majority of their time outside such as construction workers. Hello? Not many of us are construction workers and most of do much better with routine. If construction workers ruled the earth, where would the rest of our civilization go? Needless to say, DST can cause a decrease in people’s productivity, including students and employees because of the early sunrise or the late sunset. I know from personal experience that, a long time ago, I had difficulty with calling my sons indoors during the late spring and early summer days, so they could do their homework and calm down and go to sleep at a decent hour, which was a lost battle, mostly. Then, of course, I had difficulty waking them up early in the morning, for them to go to school on time. Luckily, they've grown up and I don't have to keep after them with this, anymore. Experts say Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is one of those results of DST. Plus, USC's nursing school assistant professor Michael Wirth said, about waking up to the dark in the morning, "All kinds of hormones start moving. Your digestion starts moving. Your immune system starts moving. All this stuff starts happening. When you wake up and you don’t get that morning sunlight, those things are delayed.” I checked to find out who the numbskull was to start the DST. It was the entomologist George Hudson back in 1895. He wanted to have more sunlight in the summer so he could hunt for bugs longer in the day. As the result, all our lives turned upside down because of a bug-hunter! This doesn't say much about our civilization, does it! |
| Prompt: "If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose it's loveliness. " Mother Teresa Write about this in your Blog entry today. ------------ Yes, Mother Teresa would say that. Definitely! She always thought each person to be unique. That was why she herself was so unique in helping others, no matter what. Unique, so that we can accept ourselves as we are and celebrate the differences among ourselves and all people. This, in my opinion, is true authenticity and it has nothing to do with comparison or competition. I mean, why would anyone strive to be something they are not? Wouldn't it be better and much easier if we learned who we really are and what our abilities and unique qualities may be? On the other hand, it must be a human weakness that we imitate one another even without wanting to. Such as, when someone in the room yawns, others may start yawning, too. Something like the subconscious butting in. With or without the aid of the subconscious, sometimes, we do want to be like others or to do what they do. Such an effort may not end very well. I should know! As an aside, that's one of the reasons why I am not a mountain climber. Not that I haven't tried it on a small hill, decades ago. I was the ideal caricature for mountain climbing, and the whole thing was at best embarrassing. So, let's leave mountain climbing aside and focus on a simple garden. As mother Teresa means to say, every garden has different varieties of flowers, each with its own color, shape, and fragrance. Just like life, in which people can enrich it with their different talents, personalities, and ways of looking at things. Aptly put, if every small flower aspired to be a rose, the charm of spring with its variety would be lost and the world would become dull and boring, and lose its colorfulness. Then, instead of trying to be someone else or something else we cannot be, why not concentrate on the beauty of our own roles among our families, friends, and nations, so our lives do not turn into a mockery? |
| Prompt: “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to success is to try just one more time.” Thomas Edison Do you give up easily? why do you think some people quit at the beginning of a mission or project? And/or What is Edison trying to tell us? ------------------- Oh well, who has the stamina and the will power that Thomas Edison had! He had perseverance all right. If I remember correctly, he failed thousands of times before his famous light-bulb happened. As for me, no, I don't give up easily, but I don't also keep on whipping a dead horse, either, which shows why I am not an Edison.  Edison suggests failure doesn't come from challenges themselves but when we stop trying. Giving up, to him, is abandonment. To me, not giving up a something which doesn't work after a good amount of tries is self-torture. On the other hand, it is true that throughout our human history, the most successful people are those who didn't give up. They may have been, scientists, athletes, leaders or inventors. And I'm glad they didn't give up or else, we wouldn't have today's technology. Or come to think of it, maybe they should take it more slowly. The latest findings and adaptations to technologies are unbelievable. Then, imagine me and the latest technologies that surfaced with ai! No, you can't possibly imagine! Despite myself, I do believe in the importance of resilience and a strong mindset. Strength, most of the time, becomes persistence, and quitting early is giving up too easily. And I hope, we do get more and better inventions. Especially those that close the gap between the incompetence of humans and their companies and businesses to handle and adapt to new ways and technologies. |
| Prompt: Truth and Lies "Truth is beautiful, without doubt; but so are lies." Ralph Waldo Emerson Did you ever believe in a lie? Then, aren't some lies so good that we end up believing them? --------------- What a paradox! Leave it to Emerson to come up with something like that, like a double-edged sword! To me, truth is true and lies are false. Just how something false can be so beautiful? Okay, maybe false eyelashes come to mind. Did I ever believe in a lie? Who hasn't? Even though I've never worn false eyelashes. Yet, if I totally disregarded lies, would I still like fiction and poetry at all? I guess according to Emerson, there may be a need for lies in some instances. For example, in a difficult situation, a lie can offer solace, such as telling something is going to be okay as an offer of reassurance and strength to a person who is upset over something. In addition, the embellishment of reality in nostalgia can create longing, wonder, and positivity, however not very truthful. Then, what about poetry, myths, and fiction? In their essence, aren't they lies in some form or other? Doesn't that make us writers to be seen as liars in some roundabout way? I guess I can look at this from both sides. Yes, in a way, most fiction, poetry, and myths are lies. Then, they also expose stark truths inside them with such strong impact. This impact has the power normal truth-telling wouldn't usually be able to achieve. Still, some lies can also take the form of goals and dreams. Without our goals and dreams, without that tiny push of lying to ourselves, how could we achieve anything? Such lies, here, can be our stepping stones to accomplishing what we want to do. Yet, lies can also have deception, manipulation, and self-delusion. Their negativity can lead to heartbreak and harm if they are not found out in time for what they are. Just maybe, beauty and contentment is not always tied to the truth, kinda like false eyelashes. While truth has much more value and is absolutely essential, lies, too, if we used them with care, might also shape our lives in deep and meaningful ways. Still, I'd opt for truth first and foremost, except in the case of fiction, poetry, and sweet dreams. ---------------------------------- Just a note for an out-of-site contest here, if anyone is interested: Out-of-Site Contest Deadline May 1 Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest Prizes: $3500 each entry fee: $25. https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/tom-howard-john-h-reid-fiction-essay-con... |
| Prompt: “Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” Germany Kent Do you really want your life to change direction at the moment, and/or which values would you like to prioritize right now in your life whether you want such a change or not? ------- The general belief is that true growth rarely happens when we are in a comfort zone. So, do I want my life to change direction at the moment? Nope! At least, not in a big way. I'm, in truth, at the end or nearing the end of it all, and any major change would upset me. My now life is aligned with what I do or don't do, and in the quiet flow of my days, I find some peace with small adjustments and tiny ventures. I can see, however, the importance of the wish to take a whole new direction for a younger person. This is because human life is too short to stay in places that don't fulfill us. Luckily for me, most places and situations I was in had a lot or at least some fulfilling parts and areas. Not just for me but also for others, this has something to do with the shifting of values and priorities. What once mattered, may not matter anymore. I mean, would a person who can hardly walk dare to enter a marathon? Still, even at this time in my life, if I felt stuck or unfulfilled, I would consider a change. Life, since birth, is full of turning points, expected, unexpected, sudden or slow. Changing direction or the way we look at the situation can lead to a higher purpose and personal growth. But I am okay for the time being and I do add in small changes into my days and never ever stay idle. Recently, I started on a new project, but I'm hesitant to talk or write about it, in case I'd jinx my own project or my will to go ahead with it. This is because even a person like me, who doesn't like big changes, since I already had quite a few of them in my life, can take the time to find what brings some new excitement and motivation. Then, if a new venture or idea doesn't work, so be it. After all, happiness and peace of mind means living well with my values, passions, and goals intact, small or big. |
| Prompt: Nano-Plastics What do you think is the impact of nano-plastics on the human brain? Should we be concerned or not? -------- Although I had an inkling about the subject, to be sure of what nano-plastics exactly are, I looked them up. "Nanoplastics are tiny plastic particles that are smaller than 1 micrometer (1000 nanometers) in size. They are formed through the breakdown of larger plastic debris or are intentionally manufactured for specific uses (such as in cosmetics and drug delivery systems). These particles are so small that they can cross biological barriers, including cell membranes." —Science-Direct I also found out that nano-plastics can have neurotoxic effects on the human brain as the recent experiments showed. Oh, oh! I think we're all cooked! And I thought some of the problems I have with recall had to do with age. Now, I feel like apologizing to my age. Here's how nano-plastics can interfere with our brains: "The BBB (blood-brain-barrier) is a protective layer that prevents harmful substances from reaching the brain. However, studies indicate that nano-plastics can cross this barrier, either through passive diffusion or by being transported via proteins." Inflammation, stress, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, you name it! Well, next time I'm moody and act weird, I now know what to blame. The studies also show that the nano-plastics, once carried into the brain, attack the healthy brain cells, As if we are not being attacked by a gazillion other things already! So, here are several sources of nano-plastics: Plastic-packaged foods, water in plastic bottles, fish and shellfish that may have eaten our plastic garbage bits, some carpets, plastic-based textiles, synthetic furniture, polyester, nylon, cosmetics, toothpaste, skincare products. In fact, any products that contain supposedly innocent micro plastic particles can further degrade into nano-plastics. So much I didn't know about! I mean how can we live a quiet life with such probable health issues hanging over our heads! On the plus side, I don't eat out and I cook for myself. I also drink filtered water and store it in glass bottles. I do not use plastic bottles, except very rarely. I had some kind of an electronic filter put into the AC unit, in addition to me changing its actual old-fashioned filter often. I also check the ingredient-lists on things, if or when I remember to do so. These words, polyethylene and polypropylene, are suspect, especially in personal care products. To act the devil's advocate, however, my question is, "How come we people, unless we kill one another in wars, are living longer nowadays than in the earlier centuries? Could it be that the original human brain needed changing?" I think the jury's still out on the subject! |
| Prompt: Here's the question many of us are thinking, who ordered the polar vortex? Well, this is your moment to point fingers, cast blame or simply create the best story ever. Have fun. -------------- Inside a secret lab, a.k.a several bears' hiding place, Dr. Alien Terror tried to adjust his weather machine, which usually messed up the global temperatures, although this wasn't his intention. He only wanted to get revenge from a group of humans, his kind, who had made fun of his always changing political ideas. Now, Dr. Terror was hiding here with the bears so his reckless experiments destabilizing the globe wouldn't be detected. While Dr. Terror worked in his soundproof chamber, he kept eyeing the sleeping bears by the sides of the cave. Who knew what a bear could do, but then, bears were docile compared to the wars among his human pals, and also, the Emperor Polar Vortex, if he ever left his throne. Unfazed, however, Dr. Terror pushed another lever on his machine. "Owww!" He screeched as the lever jumped and hit him on the head. It was the wrong lever! Up to this moment, the Emperor, Polar Vortex, had been content to sit on his icy throne that swirled with bitter winds and the crazy cold, which for decades had remained undisturbed, but today, right now, something had suddenly changed. The Emperor instantly stood up as he watched the screen on a wall panel, the goings on in the world, where those tiny hapless creatures, humans, who always fought wars among themselves. And now that crazy doctor! Emperor Polar Vortex roared. "How dare he! How dare they!" After all, it had to be the Emperor to create havoc, and not the tiny humans, those stinky insects of the creation, and especially that Dr. Terror who had just sent an unasked signal that weakened the boundaries of the Emperor's domain. No wonder, it was only a reckless experiment, but how could he dare! The Emperor, Polar Vortex, roared again. "How dare you!" As the Emperor yelled, icy air, once trapped in the Arctic, spilled southward with record-breaking storms. Cities froze. Rivers iced. And the world shivered in terror of the Emperor Polar Vortex. Yet, little did people know that their terror was initiated by one of their kind, that bumbling idiot, Dr. Alien Terror. ----- And this news story, which is not the best story ever, as asked in the prompt, but maybe the worst, has been brought to you by another idiotic human, who calls herself, yours truly, and who sometimes wishes to hide in a bear's cave herself from the goings on in this crazy world and from her own stories. |
| Prompt: "The only journey is the journey within." Write about this quote in your Blog entry today. --------- I am guessing, with each one of us, this journey-within began when we were babies, when we wanted approval and was upset when we knew our caretakers were cross with us. I bet, at that time, the feelings we felt surprised and intrigued us and I guess that's when our journeys within started. As this journey within may have started in the beginning of a life, it is in reality a lifelong journey. Some spiritual groups and ideals make this 'journey-within' idea their main reason for their existence, like the Bhakti movement in India or those belief systems that throw around the buzzword "self-realization" a lot. Some liken the idea or rather the path of the journey to peeling away the layers of an onion, as when each layer is peeled, the person gets closer to the core, their true self. As much as I don't like to resemble an onion, I appreciate the simile. Simile or not, the journey takes us to knowing ourselves. With me, this journey truly began, more or less consciously at a young age, when my astute grandmother told me--as advice and not a punishment--to stop blaming others and go and stay alone in a room and think about what happened and try to see the incident from the others' points of view. It was must have been exactly at that instance I probably realized that there was something buried within me that needed some serious discovery. Now, what did this mean? This meant letting go of past baggage and finding acceptance, which became an enormous lifelong task. This, in essence, is a task for each person who wants to get to know herself or himself. This still means we'll always need to face all our old grudges, regrets, limiting beliefs, and those life experiences that keep haunting us. In this area, Carl Jung's shadow work impressed me greatly. It means keeping a private journal and answering some "shadow questions," which are all over the internet. Or asking oneself those questions, such as, "Why do I feel such disgust when I recall such incident, person, or event?" Or something like, "Why did I want people to approve me or my such and such an act?" This journey is not about striving for perfection but accepting imperfections, quirks, and flaws, as well as good points--ours and those of others. It isn't easy to do but letting go of negativity and forgiving others and ourselves is incredibly liberating. This takes courage. As to courage, courage isn't about fear or being fearless, but accepting the fear and moving ahead despite that fear. This journey is a dynamic process because we grow and evolve and try to learn not to panic when our path takes an unexpected good or bad turn. In a nutshell, the "journey within" means personal growth, self-awareness, introspection, and facing fears and successes with equal acceptance. Above all, it means living authentically, at least and foremost, within ourselves. |
| Prompt: Describe what home looks like for your Blog entry today. ----------- A home, to me, is a place that feels warm, inviting, and one that meets my needs. Most people pay so much attention to the façade of a home that they forget what goes on inside it. Surely, a manicured lawn, a well- kept building, and a welcoming front door or porch creates a first good impression on others. To me, however, what matters is in the inside, although I pay yearly the lawn people, pest control, pressure cleaners, and the like much more than I pay for the inside of my present home. The living space inside my home was created and kept up by my husband and me since the early 1990s and I still have almost the same furnishings, except for my bedroom, when five years ago I had its rug removed and had it tiled and refurnished for health reasons. In an average nice (!) home, bedrooms have soft lighting and calming colors and the bathrooms have good lighting and plenty of storage. Kitchens, unlike mine, are large and easy to maintain, and they can even have a dining nook or table. I. however, don't pay much attention to such details, nowadays. If those places are usable enough, that's okay by me, as long as I can keep my things, my books, computer and related devices, and I can relax and live quietly in what I call my home. Then, when all is said and done, a true home is where one lives with their loved ones, where its living arrangements meet everyone's needs. It's a place where people feel comfortable, safe, and at ease. |
| Prompt: Whether you are acquainted with them or not, who is the one person (in your opinion) who has recently done or is doing great things for you, for anyone else, or for the public? Would you want to thank them in some way? ----------- This is a difficult question to answer for me because so many people have done or are still doing great things for me. The problem is deciding between which of their deeds are good and which are great. So, I'm going to generalize them rather than naming people. First in line are my family members who have had a great impact and a positive effect on my life. Then come my dear friends and some co-workers I was lucky to know once upon a time. As of today, say, during the 2010s and 2020s, I'm noticing several organizations, individuals, and companies that dedicate their works to improve the lives of all people. I appreciate them greatly. A few examples I can think of, I'll try to write about, again, in general. Most importantly, mental health awareness has been made much better due to the work of public figures and organizations. Especially, autism has come to the forefront, whereas during the 1960s, for the disabilities of an autistic child, parents' handling that child would be criticized, whereas even the word autism wasn't in the public domain, at that time. It was the mother who spoiled or the father who was distant, you name it! Then, the Covid pandemic during the recent few years has highlighted the important role of those who deal in public health and healthcare for everyone. Plus, as far as companies go, some, though not all, are showing a social responsibility. I only hope they do keep up their good works and are not discouraged by the economy or clueless rulers of countries and states. I'm guessing the very rapid advances in technology has also led to important improvements in our lives, even if they are difficult to keep up with and their negative sides can shock some of us who are not technologically adept, like yours truly. If I were out to thank everyone who I think has done something great for me and the public, I'd run out of time, but I do feel gratitude for their involvement in our lives and I think they are all fine advocates for the betterment of our lives. |
| Prompt: What do you like doing the most, these days? What do you not like? Does it make sense to hand off some of those things that you don’t like as much, if you have someone to hand them off to? ------------------ My answer is going to be so dull! As usual, I like reading and writing the most with a few twists into the mix. One of the twists is that my eyesight is not doing as well as it used to but it is only old age and I'm not going to go out of my way (i.e. get an operation or something of the kind) to fix it. So, at the moment, I'm depending more on listening to books, although the joy of actual reading one is lessened for me. I still like fooling around WdC and the internet some, and nowadays, I'm trying to write in my blog daily. I do write longhand into journals, too, which doesn't take much eye-work, so to speak. I used to like to fool around in the kitchen, but now that I only cook for me, I'm taking a whole lot of short cuts. My sons are very good in visiting me and I'm grateful for that, but they each have a different kind of diet and when they come, they cook for themselves. So when we are at the table, my two sons and me, there are three different kinds and ways of eating, such as a vegetarian almost vegan, muscle-builder with 90% meat, and me with my own mix of everything, and nobody passes the salt. I think passing the salt went away with the 1970s but I may be wrong. Then, of course there are those few people I like to connect with, although with the passing of time, most of my beloved friends and family are not here anymore. I miss them all, since there's something deeply human about wanting to connect, share stories, and simply be around the people I care about, but I still have a few friends and family I cherish and try to keep in touch regularly. Being with others I like is not the same as mindless entertainment. I still learn from them, as difficult as learning becomes in old age. When alone and not reading or writing, I also play word games on my pad, which does not take a toll on my eyes as the images are much larger and I wear special glasses for looking into the computer and such devices. This has become a blend of technology with leisure for me and after a few minutes of game playing I feel refreshed. About the things I don't like, I don't like loud noises, what's going on in the world as wars and misunderstandings and such, and not being able to do as much as I could do once upon a time. As far as doing goes, I don't have much to hand off to others because I like doing my stuff for myself. I guess this part of the question would interest the younger set who are still working out there in the world and are made to do jobs they don't like. The only thing I don't like to do is to see someone I like in trouble of any kind, and that would be something I wouldn't want to hand off to anyone else. |
| Prompt: On this day in 1820, Susan B. Anthony, a pioneer crusader for the women's suffrage movement in the United States, was born in Adams, Massachusetts. In Texas, there is a motion to ban women who do not have the same name as on their birth certificate will lose their voting rights. What do you know about Susan Anthony? How important is the suffrage movement to us today? ----------------- I think it wasn't Susan B. Anthony alone to start the women's movement, but before I get to that, I'll talk about today and the SAVE Act, a bill introduced by Chip Roy of Texas. The bill makes it very difficult for women to vote since women change their last names when they get married. Today, for many Americans a birth certificate used to be, and probably still is, enough proof. Now, in addition to the birth certificate, a government-issued photo ID is required. If the documents don't match, voters may have to produce additional documentation, which could be more difficult to vote where married women or other people who undergo legal name changes (i.e. adoption) are concerned. I can, however, see the reason behind such a bill since many illegals have creeped into the US systems, especially during the later years. On the other hand, married women, since their voting is made much more difficult, may just decide not to vote, thinking one vote (theirs) won't make a difference. But it does. Especially when the difficulty is on such a large scale. So this bill means at least 50% of the population will have difficulty with voting. As to Susan B. Anthony, although today, she gets all the applause and the fame, she wasn't alone. Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Amelia bloomer worked just as hard for the movement as well as many other nameless women. These women, to attract attention to their seeking of full citizenship, which was only granted to men before, wanted to use some symbolism to attract attention to their cause. So, one of their first symbols was a woman riding a bicycle in trousers, instead of staying home and doing the chores. Those trousers were called bloomers. That bloomer trick didn't work very well and soon the women dropped the idea. There were other symbols, too, but one of those later ones was the cat. That poor cat represented domestic women who sat by the hearth and took care of the home. Yet, symbols aside, their fight kept on. Then, since New York was the first state to give women the right to inherit and own property, the first convention of the women's movement was held in Seneca Falls in 1848. Other conventions and demonstrations followed and the movement went through several different stages during the following decades and World Wars, spreading the ideals not only for women but for all people worldwide. As of today, therefore, fights for women’s rights are connected to global human rights—for racial, immigrant, and labor rights--not only for women but for all people. Is it working? Maybe in US and England and several other countries, to some degree. But still, in several places in the world-- Afghanistan comes to mind--some people and especially women are not given the same rights as most other people. |
| Prompt: Legend says that one of the men, Valentine of Terni, wrote the first “valentine” greeting to a young girl while imprisoned. What do you do on Valentines Day for your loved ones? Bake a special dessert, send a card, call on the phone or maybe something else? --------- The way I see it, if you really love someone, every single day is a Valentine's Day. On the other hand, I also appreciate what Valentine of Terni (a.k.a St. Valentine) did to remind people that love overcomes all other negative feelings as he performed secret marriages against the ruling of the current Roman Emperor who thought marriage made people idle. It is probable that St. Valentine's getting beheaded was the result of this; also, it is true that love sometimes causes us to lose our heads, as well. I don't do much on Valentine's Day unless I'm in a celebratory mood. When my husband was with me, he brought me gifts and cards, and we went out to dinner on this day, and only because he liked to do something for me. In return, I usually made a dessert he liked because he had a sweet tooth. The funny thing is, little did my husband know that I never cared for eating out unless the place was at seaside with a view or something. After he passed away, I never went to a restaurant and neither did I get any take-out. I think one doesn't have to celebrate Valentine's day in order to love a special someone or love many or all people. Love is in the heart and not in the showing. Still, I appreciate the opportunity it provides for people to express their feelings; so, while they are expressing them, their relationships are strengthened. This day also encourages social connections and interactions, not only among couples but also among friends and family. What I don't like about Valentine's Day is that, since we are such fallible beings, we end up commercializing it, which takes away from the importance of the idea behind it. Still, it is an opportunity and an occasion to celebrate love in its many forms and it is very welcome into our lives. |
| Prompt: "The human heart has hidden treasures. In secret kept, in silence sealed. The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures. Whose charms were broken if revealed." Charlotte Brontë Write about this quote in your Blog entry today. --------- Thanks, Megan, for the quote and the prompt.  I love the phrase, "silence sealed." I love it because I think we need to keep to ourselves "what is the most valuable" and seal it in our hearts. Yes, the best and the most intimate parts of the heart contain that sealed silence as this phrase alone is Brontë's way of expressing that what is hidden is the most important. This is because we all carry a private world within each of us. Luckily for me, that private world does not make noise or show up unbidden at times; however, some people, for what I know, cannot keep anything secret, no matter how precious and how important it may be to them. For me, a hidden treasure gets its power since it is most beautiful when hidden, but its beauty is somehow tarnished when displayed. In my case, secret feelings, ambitions, and quiet joys like to stay unspoken partly because I shelter them from the world's judgment and interpretation. Do I feel lonely when I do this? I don't think so. This, of course, means some kind of a loneliness but not the type of loneliness I'd feel if I had no human contact. It is the kind of loneliness, I certainly cherish, maybe because some experiences are simply too personal, too nuanced, and too sacred to survive when put into words. After all, we all are on this journey of life and we might need some kept magic when our destination is reached. |
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