Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Problem Solving, Comfort Zone, & Dracula's Family Crypt

Today's blogs...

BLOG CITY – Day 217

Prompt: What is your process for problem solving? You choose the context as best fits your life.

How do I solve a problem... I admit, I sometimes hide from problems... emotional ones especially, at least for awhile and then I move in and tackle them only after the pain of hiding gets too intense.

Work problems are a different matter. I tackle them head on, because I know the sooner I deal with them the sooner they can be resolved.

Even doing this blog, I have left it and done three other blog prompts before coming back to it.

What is my process.... I guess I consider my options. Write out a list of possible actions and decide which one is the most viable at that time. Then I take action and see what happens. Reflection considers what went well and what needs improvement - regardless of success or failure in the attempt. Building my confidence in a positive outcome helps me to tackle things better the next time. Failure means redoubling my efforts and evaluating what needs adjustments and change. Asking for help comes in as well.

30 Day Blogging Challenge

What was the thing you did that brought you completely out of your comfort zone?

Teaching brings me out of my comfort zone in that I have to step up and lead a groups of students. There is anxiety, but also excitement. As a child I was painfully shy. I would hang behind my mother whenever I met new people. Even now I stay close to someone I know when meeting new people. I did not feel comfortable around my peers. Most of my good friends are younger than me.

Now as an adult, I seem to by pass this shyness or I push through it, because I find the rewards of teaching far greater. Children are interesting and I am lightened by their experience and outlook on life. How they see the world and interact with it. Humour often plays a part and I find that their laughter and acceptance in the realm of learning is enlightening and uplifting. I do find I prefer to work with primary students or students with special needs... they are more accepting and open, than grade 6 students.

Welcome To My Reality – Week Forty – Two

3. Describe at least three of the best moments in your writing career/hobby.

My first best moment was getting poems published in a high school anthology of student work. Now I will admit, I don't think anything was not included unless it was not appropriate, but still it was the first time I saw my poems 'published' in a collection.

Next would be NaNoWriMo 2012... getting together with writers in my area to write together for a month of writing and being part of something.

That got me writing more consistently and searching for something more. NaNo awakens that group, but many hide again once the month draws to a close. I began searching for an online community. Writing.com was one such link. I started off slow, but as my involvement grew so did my confidence. Since then I have entered many contests and actually won a few. I have been an active reviewer and have taken workshops to improve my reviewing and my writing. I have come to find friendships here that I cherish. Writing.com is my cyber home and I am happy and blessed to have found you.

7. Tell us about your worst rejection and your best acceptance.

Rejection is not foreign to me. My early trials in friendship were sometimes met with the occasional bout of rejection. One such time came when I was around eight or nine. I had spent the following summer playing with a girl down the street from my Grandmother. We had had a great time and I was looking forward to seeing her again and spending another wonderful holiday with a friend to call my own. Shortly after arriving at my grandmother's I went to visit her and was told that she was not home. I think I went to check several times over the next few days and then it happened. A knock came to my grandmother's door and the girl's sister stood there with a serious look on her face.

"My sister does not want to be your friend anymore."

That was all she said. I had nodded my acknowledgement, just as seriously and then the girl left. I remember feeling shattered but I kept my emotions down deep inside. I probably went off to my room to have a cry, but no one saw me go and no one asked if I was okay. I avoided going that way down the street for the rest of my visit and although I saw her outside playing with other girls I stayed away. I did not want any further humiliation or cruel words hurled at me. I was already quite familiar with that scenario and I buried my hurt.

From there I go to my best acceptance... again friendship. Either later that same year of the next summer, I went to stay at my aunt and uncle's in Guelph. Next door lived a little girl two years younger than me. She had been told, her mother and my aunt were friends, that I was coming for a visit and she wanted to meet me. I don't think I was at my aunt's an hour, when there was a knock on the door and this wee girl of seven asked to meet me. I was shy and not sure what to make of her energy and constant interest in hanging with me. Being an only child, I was not used to being around other children so much. Sleepovers was not something I had ever done, yet Michelle insisted on having one.

After several days of playing together, my need for solitude reared its head and I asked for some time along. Michelle had looked a little sad, but she had gone off to play with the other neighbourhood girls. After about half an hour I went looking for her and asked if I could play again. I expected rejection, it usually happened, but Michelle surprised me. She included me in her game with the others like everything was normal.

Years later, we still laugh about that summer. How my odd behaviour made her wonder, but not hold it against me. It was the first time, beyond my family, that I actually felt accepted for just being me. I knew she was a keeper. We have been friends for over thirty- eight years! Time and distance have not broken our friendship. Some people just 'get you' and I am blessed with her friendship.

The Haunted House - Day 4 - The Dracula Family Crypt

When I came to, I found myself in a muddled heap. My body felt sore with every movement that it took to straighten myself out. All I could make out within the pitch darkness was a cold concrete floor that sent shivers up my body. I groped for a wall and found more hard concrete. But it was smooth to my tentative touch so I thought it would be fine. I pulled myself up, then search my pockets for my flash light. Panic rose when I could not immediately find it and my head swirled with my quacking imagination. 'Where the hell was I?' I fumbled around and finally found it. Throwing the switch did not much help. Grey concrete spanned the walls.

Into the deep quiet, I could no longer hear the witches and gave a prayer of thanks that that was the case. I sent up another one hoping to never see them again.

I let my flashlight tour the room as i stayed rooted to the spot I was in. I could make out large box shaped objects with details carved into their sides. There was more than one and they lined the walls and another couple held center stage.

'What the hell were these?' I wondered, moving towards the biggest one in the center, my curiosity taking hold of me like a vice. I let my hand reach out and touch the carved designs. The surface, although devoid of colour, felt like smooth wood, like that of.... I swallowed and took a deep breath. These were coffins. I squelched the scream that rippled just under the surface. Wide eyed I counted thirteen of them!

My mind spun with terror, racing, trying to make sense of this and how I would get out. I moved the flashlight in search of an exit. To my right there was a gaping hole and I moved that way first. Ears straining I could make out strains of music. Dark and eerie and I trembled as the waves of chords landed heavily, off key. The disharmony sent a shiver along my spine and I move away.

I made my way to the other side of the room and pointed my flashlight up the stairway. I caught a glimpse of thick cobwebs and a glow of eyes staring down at me. I backed up letting out an awkward squawk as I came up against another center casket.

I let my flashlight flip onto the coffin's carvings and made out letters... D... R... A.... C.... U.... L.... A..... The blood drained from my face so quickly I felt faint and dizzy. These were not dead people. These were... Vampires! My mind swam, murky I managed to deduce that it was probably still day time, but I was not so sure. How long had I lay passed out on the concrete floor?

In a frenzy, I shone my beam of light towards the third gaping dark hole in the wall. I began to move towards it hoping maybe it would lead to an outside exit. I was but a few steps away from the opening when I heard the creaking behind me. I turned to see a hand rise from the center coffin, the lid pushed up by the other arm. I stood transfixed, as I watched a dark head shift up as the body rose to sitting. It was Dracula!

He paused a moment sniffing at the air then turned his head towards me. I saw his lips twist up and reveal his long fangs in a chilling smile that froze me to my spot.

"Fresh Blood." He said in a voice that sent a tsunami of fear flooding through my body.

His voice signaled the other coffins and they all through up their lids, emerging to turn their red eyes at me.

I stood gasping, trying to drag in air as I watched Dracula rise from his coffin and move towards me. I was mesmerized by the grace he possessed. The shuffling of the other vampires broke my gaze and I felt my body loosen from his chilling stare.

In a burst of adreneline, I swiveled my gaze back to the gaping hole in the wall and ran. At this point, I did not care where it took me, just so long as it was away from here.

Next is the Monster's living Room.