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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 impresses you the most and how about the role that a certain activity (sports, theater books, music, etc.) has had on your life? And can you predict what will impress you in 2025? =========== Even without a second of hesitation, I can say what impresses me the most is good writing and word usage, and sincerity. After that, books and theater take the front row. As to sports, I liked them only when I could play them somewhat, but just the simplest ones, like tennis and bowling. Watching others on TV play them so well pains me now.  Where music is concerned, I'm a piano-playing dropout; however, I love music especially if it's in the background while I'm reading. I don't know what is going to impress me in 2025. World Peace would, I guess, and greatly, too! I would also be impressed if my own memory and eyesight improved a lot. Then, if nothing broke down in my house and the economy got much better in our country and if I could handle the new technological changes and AI much better, those things would impress me greatly, too, and quoting Emily Dickinson: "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all.” I hope, therefore, for all our lives in 2025 to turn out to be fantastic with good health, happiness, and much success. So I say, cheers to this new year and to another chance for us to get things right. |
| Prompt: Worldview A worldview is a person's or society's fundamental way of thinking about the world, including their knowledge, culture, and point of view. Do you ever challenge your own worldview or any other views? And have you ever replaced them? -------- Have I ever replaced my worldview! Several times and in big ways, too. Especially with all the so-called revolutions taking place all the time and changes in my personal life and especially because of losing loved ones. Still mostly, my worldview is getting renewed all the time due to not being able to keep up with the all the new ways that seem to change in an instant, without any warning. For example, this morning, I went to the bank and the bank was closed, and even its ATM was closed. It isn't even a bank holiday, today. I used to like this bank because it is close by. Now, I think banks should have the courtesy to at least put in their online pages if a certain branch would be closed aside from their regular holiday closures. I mean this may be something temporary or not, but gone are the days when businesses were more customer-friendly. Today the lens through which I view reality about this bank and its place in my life has changed big time. Worldview is exactly that, the lens through which we view reality and ideas about life, morality, human nature, spirituality and everyone's place in the world. Personal experiences play a big role and other beliefs and education help, too. Add to all this the changes in media and technology that is always jumping up suddenly, my worldview keeps going into revision after revision. On the plus side, exposure to new ideas and disciplines, travel, reading, and being curious other perspectives can be beneficial for personal growth and open-mindedness. Yes, there may be many benefits that can come with good and timely changes. I find, however, the older one gets, the more resistant is one to change. In my case, no matter how I strive to keep up with the changes, I am falling behind. And if worldview is related to social identity, oldies like me have something to worry about, because it seems, not only in my case, but in the case of many other people close to my age, our views of personal competence are going down the drain in a big way--partly due to technology and partly due to how we treat one another--together with the ways we view this world. |
| Prompt: Today is National Card Playing Day. What card games do you enjoy? Do you ever play cards for money? ----- Cards and Me When I was a young kid, I was allowed to spend the New Year's Eve at one of my uncles' house, where several other family members and their friends, and better yet, most of my beloved cousins would be present. That was when I was introduced to the card games. Not cards themselves, mind you, for my mother used to tell her own fortune--and she was very much into that--through her own personal cards, but I wasn't allowed to touch them. They were sacrosanct. In those days, however, every household had several decks of cards. Coming back to the New Year's Eve at my uncle's house, I was the worst card-player ever! My uncle would pass secret chips to me under the table so I wouldn't fall into disgrace by losing all my play-money. I may not remember the games but I do remember, with much love and gratitude, all the attention our extended family gave to me. I can also recall some women, who were friends to the family, who used to play bridge and who had bridge parties, in those days. I can still not wrap my mind around Bridge and other games like that, and I don't recall ever using real money in a card game, at least not in my family. I bet I am still not good at card games, even though I recall my mother's cards' rushing into each other as she took the deck in her hands and shuffled them to randomize them more. I believe I liked those sounds very much. Nowadays, I don't think anyone I know plays with actual cards. Some play online, and others play with friends they know in real life, but still online. As to my incompetence with cards, nowadays I like to play games by myself on my computer: Word Games. math games, games that challenge the memory, and games that emphasize strategy. I'm still bad with most of those games, as before, when I was a kid. Except maybe word games, some forms of Mahjong, and solitaire. Solitaire, maybe because I was an only child once. Also because I have to take after my mother in some way, haven't I! |
| Prompt: Have fun with these words: explode, promote, reasonable, density, composition, compose, moment, prediction, reconcile and shallow. ----- How I Write when thoughts of *density take hold a *composition I muse, wild and bold can I *reconcile dreams I might chase and *reasonable lines I may place? thus a *moment hangs by a fragile thread while stars *explode, my fears are fed I stand and face a *prediction unfound to *promote my words, my rhymes rebound beneath my plight, *shallow brooks flow I *compose this poem and whisper low ideas in fragments line up to be named for after the chaos, my storm is tamed |
| Prompt: Write about your Christmas. Or anything about Christmas. =========== This Christmas, I wasn't alone as I had my sons with me. So for that, I am really grateful. Christmas has many faces that blend religious significance with cultural traditions, community connection, and personal reflections. It is basically a Christian festival that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, whose real birthday is not known for sure. I don't know if it's because of the vagueness of the exact birthday, but not all Christians celebrate this birthday on December 25 exactly, and some don't at all, possibly the Christians in Russia, the Ukraine and Romania, and the Greek Orthodox Christians celebrate it on the 7th of January. Christmas is really a fun holiday; however, it is highly commercialized in our day, so much so that it loses some of its real meaning. Many religious services, including Midnight Mass, are held, and various customs reflect the spiritual significance of this holiday. Yet, religious connections aside, Christmas is about reminiscing, catching up, laughter, and the warmth of family and friends. Acts of kindness are encouraged during this time, which--in my opinion--should be encouraged throughout the year. Why we encapsule the goodness of our actions during this time is really beyond me. So I keep asking myself, why not have Christmas throughout the year, instead? But then, our human make-up wouldn't allow it, would it! At least, not for every human. |
| Prompt: A New Holiday Tradition Did you ever think of starting a new holiday tradition? Which kinds of new traditions would make you feel happy and excited? ========= A new tradition! I haven't even mastered the old ones...In addition, something to become a tradition it has to be around for sometime, hasn't it! Well, maybe I can bounce some ideas off this page, but I'm afraid they won't be all that new and some or most of them could be the revised versions of the old ones. So let me count the ways:  An annual time capsule? How about it? It could be something a large family can enjoy putting together, such as notes, photos, or small items that represent the past year, to open it in five or ten years later. Adding gratefulness notes to the Christmas tree by each person in the family. A story jar could be something fun. In a jar, each member of the family--and friends, too--can write about a memory or a story from the past year and. during family gatherings and parties, a few of those memories could be read. Traditions are meant to be meaningful and enjoyable if they can take hold. For that, time is of the essence and I'm not talking about hours, days, months, but years and decades and even centuries. Talking about tradition, there's a town around where I live by the name of Tradition, which was built on the southern Florida swamps. Let's hope that this Tradition stays forever because it does house the nicest people and a very good hospital. What I mean by this is, it doesn't matter how good a "tradition" is, people shouldn't build it on swampy ground with the danger of it being swallowed up and forgotten.  There is also that Canadian movie called Tradition, in which something judicial is being made fun of. I meant to see this movie for some time, but didn't get around to it, yet. Maybe this could be another tradition, to watch a movie we haven't watched yet, the day after Christmas or on whichever holiday we may be celebrating. Warped as my thinking is, tradition by its very nature is described as, "the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way." In theology, it is "a doctrine believed to have divine authority though not in the scriptures." Far be it from me to mess with the established customs or beliefs or any theological doctrine! I think I'll be better off by just sticking to the already established traditions and routes. |
| Prompt: Gifts Do you believe some gifts, like a Christmas gift, can have the power to bring out the best in their receivers? And what kinds of gifts can do that? -------- The way I look at it, gifts are more than objects. In fact, they are quite meaningful. If chosen with thoughtfulness and care for the receiver, they are also inspirational. I also like gifts that say something about the gift-giving person, especially if it shows their creativity and care. Then, sometimes, a most powerful gift isn't a tangible item but a gesture of support. I have lived this in my own life. When I was nine years, I showed one of my uncles, who was into literature, a poem I had written. It really wasn't much of a poem, but my uncle acted as if it were heaven-sent. He congratulated me, shook my hand, and made a big fuss over it. My head just swam over the clouds, then. And his action, I'm sure, inspired me and my life immensely. I can't now recall what that poem was about since it might have been discarded inside one my childhood notebooks, but I did enjoy the accolade and to this day, I can feel the effect of my uncle's words and actions over it. Nothing else that I won or achieved after that can equal those feelings of the nine-year-old me. Coming back to tangible gifts, I guess my picks start with books, but the book I give as a gift has to resonate with the receiver's interests, and I try to make sure of that. After books, come the tools that the receiver can use, especially if someone is talented in art, writing, photography or cooking. People can always use household items, true, but most of us have an overload of those and with what we may give as a gift--unless we have done some research as to the receiver's needs--we may be adding to their clutter, and the same goes for clothing items. I mean, imagine giving running shoes to a person who can't even walk well or giving someone a red blouse without knowing that she hates the color red! Then, there are the kinds of gifts that fall somewhere in between the tangible and the intangible, such as tickets to a concert, a workshop or a trip. These can create memories and lead to new ways and perspectives in the receiver. Still, such gifts, too, need research as to the receiver's time and availability for such undertakings. Gift giving is more than a gesture. It is something to inspire, motivate, and make the receiver smile. This is because gifts, when objects, can show an understanding of who the recipient is, and when they are not objects, they can offer understanding, care, encouragement, and appreciation. |
| Prompt: Garrison Keillor said, “A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.” or Benjamin Franklin said, “A good conscience is a continual Christmas.” Let one of these quotes inspire your entry today. -------- I'll have to say both of these quotes can be true according to the people involved and where and what. This is because the excitement of events, shopping, parties, and traditions can be intense, however short-lived. Still, for most, at least on the outside, this holiday stands for values like generosity, love, and good will, which may mean "good conscience." On the plus side, the idea of Christmas--or rather this good conscience--is a starter, with the hope that what it starts on Christmas Day to be carried throughout the year. Maybe for a few, this can be true because traditions, family ties, spiritual reflections, and the fun of creating memories can inspire a purpose of faith and peace. Yet, are we as human beings so peaceful? Just look at our world today! Where is all that positivity hiding? Also, some Christmas gatherings--like many others--can bring the worst out in people. At times, altercations at the dinner table may take place due to the hidden conflicts among the family members. Add to this the stress and commercial elements, any holiday can feel like a storm. Then, for some, are the unmet expectations, loneliness, or grief. In short, Christmas is what we think of it and make of it. I certainly wish we make it work, by creating a much needed understanding and empathy in our world. Maybe someday in the future, we shall realize that this holiday is much more than parties, a decorated tree, tinsel, wreaths, lights, gifts... Someday, before it is too late for the humankind! |
| Prompt: Write an acrostic poem about Winter Solstice. Yup, it will have two stanzas one with the first letter of each line spelling winter and the second stanza with the first letter spelling solstice. Have fun. I can't wait to see what you come up with in your entry. -------- Winter Solstice Weather whispering through pine trees Into my soul, as if icicles that tease Nights stretch long, days down to a trace Thoughts linger toward a gloomy place Earth in its unbidden celestial dance, Races into my musings' quiet trance Stars shining bright in frosty air Over me, as if some spectacle rare Light, then, on its way to a slow return Soon, inside me a yearning will burn Turning the wheel of memories to keep score Inviting tears into my life, now and once more Cope I must, with changes, dark or light Eternal cycles reigning, those I cannot fight. ------------ Note: Solstice in Latin means the sun stands still before reversing direction. As to its symbolism, it represents the triumph of light over darkness and vice versa. It, in fact, points to a cycle of renewal within the cycles of nature. The winter solstice, in the Northern hemisphere is around December 21 and December 22. It marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. This is due to the earth's tilt. Some old cultures like the Mayans and ancient Egyptians built monuments aligned with the solstice. Even in our day, solstices are celebrated in many places in the world. |
| Prompt: Do you ever wish you could take your precious, cherished memories, wrap them up in tissue paper, put them in a big box with your Christmas Decorations then get them out at Christmas and relive them? How would it make you feel? Write about this in your Blog entry today. ------------ Such a fun prompt! But it is not me who'd wrap and put away cherished anything. Especially with such memories, I like them within my easy reach. Come to think of it, visiting them around Christmas would be nice, too. Anyway, around the Christmas table or on any other sorts of family gatherings, don't people always bring up the good memories and wonderful friends who are no more? Memories, especially the cherished ones, mostly transport me to happy moments and make me smile on a hard day as they offer strength and clarity. Some of my memories --I guess this has to do with age - are very vivid; others are soft distant echoes of my bygone days, just as profound. Some of my beloved memories have to do with my grandmother's hugs in my difficult times or when I had done something she had approved.Talking about my grandmother, in such an occasion when the whole family would be around the dinner table, she'd be the one to correct other people's memories. And when she got an objection, such as, "I remember it this way...," she'd say, "You memory is faulty. I lived the longest among all of you, here. Therefore, what I'm remembering is the correct version." Then, she'd top it off with one of her loud and happy laughters. I learned from my grandmother that remembering is not a passive act, but it is honoring the past, its moments, and the people who have given meaning to my life. Thus, when I visit such a memory, its beauty lights up the present. It means its value wasn't just in those old cherished moments and remembrances, but in the ways I and others in my family have carried them forward with a deep gratitude for their existence. |
| Prompt: Reading What books are you reading right now? Write about this in your Blog entry today. ------- I read a few chapters from The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov who died in 1940. It was translated from Russian by Mirra Ginsburg. From so far that I've read, the story seems to be about the existence of God. The novel begins in a night in Moscow at Patriarch's Ponds, where Mikhail Alexandrovich Berlioz and Ivan Nikolaevich Ponyrev have a mysterious encounter with a weird guy, Professor Woland, who is the devil. The thing is, here, the devil tries to tell the Russian unbelieving people that God exists. Then, there is also another time of space of 2000 yrs. ago with Pontius Pilate and Yesha Ha-Nozri conversing. Pilate, although he tries not to, condemns Yeshua to death. Their discussion is similar to that of the devil and the non-believer Russians. There are themes, ideas, and imagery from Christianity and the supernatural. I guess this book could be called a dark comedy that criticized the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. For that reason, this novel was published two decades after its writer's death. I'm really trying to get the meaning in this novel more thoroughly, and I'm sticking with it because it won many awards and was made into a film, if I'm not mistaken. My problem in reading The Master and Margarita especially happened between the first and the second chapters. I saw no explanation why the story jumped to 2000 years ago, and there was no ease of passage between its chapters. Maybe, I'll like this book and maybe not, but I'm sticking with it till its end. Tomorrow, Ta Nehisi Coates' book The Message in hardcover is scheduled to arrive. At this point, I'm probably more interested in reading that one. Also, I just got in Kindle, Money GPT: AI and the Threat to the Global Economy by James Rickards, and Letters by Oliver Sacks. I'm actually dying to read these two Kindle books plus the hardcover one that'll arrive tomorrow. Still, I'll finish Mikhail Bulgakov's book, as well. I promised myself that. By the way, Mikhail Bulgakov was an Ukrainian, born in Kyiv at the time. and yet, he was and still is much hailed as a very famous Russian author. Go figure! How things change! |
| Prompt: Friendships "There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first; when you learn to live for others, they will live for you." Paramahansa Yogananda What do you think this prompt means when it comes to making friends? Is total unselfishness the only way to make friends? And how do think friendships deepen? --------- First, I would never act totally unselfish just to make friends. If I were that unselfish, I couldn't live in this world, for sure. This would be because I would think twice before eating meat or even plants, using the environment, and driving on a lane in front of other cars, for example. Imagine trying to give way for all the other cars pass in front of you. You'd get nowhere, and besides, you'd hold up the traffic. The way I see it, total unselfishness could be the yogi-like way of speaking, but it doesn't work in the real world. Then, while selflessness is a quality much admired by all and might be a front factor in making friends, it is not the only way. Plus, it doesn't work in the long run. This is because any friendship needs reciprocity from both parties, so it can grow on mutual respect, care, and understanding. What really means something in making friends is beyond selflessness. In my opinion, authenticity has to be the first requirement. Why would anyone want to be friends with a made-up person? Anyhow, most friendships begin from shared interests, not because someone sees the other person being totally selfless. Also, being dependable is quite important. If you say you'll meet a friend at a certain place or time, and you don't show up without a good reason, that would make you undependable and any friendship with you might not be considered again. In addition, just maybe, showing empathy and sharing one's feelings, experiences, and thoughts can be important, too, as this would build trust in between people. In short, being overly self-centered can alienate people. No one wants to be around those who are always looking for their own benefits and prioritizing their own deeds and works. I think the ideal way for making friends has to do with finding the right balance. One has to have boundaries, and at the same time, has to value and support the other person. To put it in a nutshell, true friendships are built on give and take without any resentment or burnout. |
| Prompt: Never giving up? "If you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise up against the odds." Jesse Jackson What do you think this quote means? Is it a good idea to never give up on something, someone, or some project that seems like a dead-end? Do you give up easily or are you the kind of person Jesse Jackson was talking about? ------------- I have to say, "Never say never!" This is, although Jesse Jackson was such an admirable person with tenacity. I may not be exactly the kind of person Jesse Jackson was talking about, but I don't give up easily, either. Let's face it, we saw the results of Jesse Jackson's perseverance and determination in the face of what seemed, in those days, totally useless, but then, it wasn't useless. It opened up a whole new era for our entire country, if not for the world as well. Still, as much as Jesse Jackson himself and this quote by him is a powerful motivator, the effectiveness of never giving up depends on the situation and the problem at hand. On the plus side, I think this advice encourages mental toughness so I don't give up when facing the smallest kind of difficulty and I can overcome most obstacles and failures. Then, when I keep at a difficult task, I can also gain new skills and so I can develop internally and emotionally. While growing up and learning new languages and such, one of my options was for a language that had an alphabet with very different characters, signs, and letters. It was a difficult task and some people laughed at me, but as the result, I learned a lot about not one but three or more different cultures and ways of being. I am very glad I did that, so when world events turn one way or another, at least, I can see the effects of linguistic misunderstandings among the many nations. As much as not giving up helps to build resilience,--here I go again, with resilience --there is also that risk of burnout. Although I wish I could somehow, had I tried to learn all the languages on earth, I'd probably not have lived my own life the way I would like to. There wouldn't be enough time for that and the whole effort would end up in a burnout, wouldn't it! This just goes to show that not every goal can be feasible or even doable.In addition, persevering at something without adapting to the conditions and the difficulties of the task, can lead to missed opportunities elsewhere. From that angle, walking away can be the most practical choice. Plus, that "never give up" thing can create excess pressure on a person, especially when there is no clear direction. This pressure can lead to feelings of guilt, especially when success is not achieved. Therefore, while "never give up" can be a valuable motto, it is also just as valuable to know when to quit or revise or change goals. So, from my point of view, real success mostly lies somewhere in between the two poles of any one goal. |
| Prompt: On December 14, 1911, Norwegian Roald Amundsen becomes the first explorer to reach the South Pole, beating his British rival, Robert Falcon Scott. If you were offered a free trip to the South Pole to help with research, would you go? ---------- Would I go? No, not unless I was given a new life with a stronger body that is immune to cold. This, however, isn't because I don't want to or that I don't understand the research being done there. Also, Antarctica is possibly the one, if not the only, place where we stupid earthlings do cooperate with one another. There is a treaty for that and I hope no one messes with it, ever. Through such a treaty and understanding, just maybe, we might handle the management of our resources and face climate change as one world. I hope I recall this correctly, but I think someone in Cape Canaveral also mentioned once, that South Pole mimics the conditions in space, and so it makes the outer space exploration a bit more possible. It is also said that the oceans around Antarctica have diverse ecosystems and that they are testing those effects of melting ice on the kinds of fish and other marine life. Then, South Pole also has fresh water in its ice sheets and a high altitude. That's why they have telescopes and other detectors there for exploring many facts, still unknown to us. Their findings may even let us know more about the future climate changes and our earth's conditions. Still, as much as I applaud all those unselfish scientists working inside the South Pole labs and braving the ice and snow and freezing weather in snowmobiles and kayaks, I have no business being there just to make a pest of myself to them.  After all, even Santa is said to live on the North pole! |
| Prompt: Do you have Friday the 13th superstitions? ---------------- No, I have no problems with Friday the 13th or any other day or date. Friday the 13th is just another day. True, some terrible thing happened on that day, but then, other similar terrible things do take place on other days, also. For a superstition involves several well-understood psychological processes, including our sensitivity to coincidence. It has to do with fear of the unknown, and heaven forbid, if something bad happens on a certain day! That day and others carrying the same name or number will be cursed in our minds forever and ever. It isn't that I don't have any superstitions, but my superstitions are very different. One that might be considered a superstition for me is doing stuff without thinking it through. On the other hand, one sometimes has to do that. Would I not help out another person caught in some kind of a fire or another immediate danger? Should I have to think through that whole action before hand? No, there'd be no time for that. I'd just have to do it. Sometimes, regular routines turn into superstitions. For example, I have a daily routine after I wake up in the morning, and if I don't do it even just one day, I might subconsciously or consciously think that my day is off somehow. And in here, can be hidden another birth of a superstition. So when that happens, I warn myself. My mother used to be a very superstitious person. Some of her superstitions were: Don't look in the mirror at night; you'll see a demon. Only cut your nails on Thursdays and Mondays. No laundry on Saturdays, it is very bad luck. She would also knock on wood and pull her ears. It was always things like that. And she wasn't a stupid woman, either, and in many other ways, she was very intelligent. Yet, this was her way of coping with the unknown. I bet, since she couldn't trust real life, she put her trust in magic or chance through her established false understanding of cause and effect. So at one time in my life, I decided not to be like her. Granted, I'm stupid in my own ways, but at least, to the best of my conscious knowledge of myself, I haven't borrowed or used my mother's, my family's, or anyone else's superstitions. |
| Prompt: What books have you read that you find yourself thinking about years later? Write about this in your Blog entry today. ------------ OMG! This prompt hits the hornet's nest...in a nice way! First, almost anything I read has an aftereffect of 15 minutes to a lifetime. Then, whatever I read in my youngest days have a way of still haunting me. I bet this this has something to do with memory fading with age. There are some books from those days from which I still recall exact scenes, but for the life of me, I cannot remember the authors or the names of those books. I recall one author's name though, Comtesse de Ségur a French writer, as my mother had started reading those stories to me even before I was four. I think those books were about young children, one of them not so good (her name was Sophie), but the others were very obedient and their stories got good endings as the result. My mother's reading to me must have had something to do with my learning to read so early when I was three or four. From those earliest times, when I was ten or younger, I can still remember Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and St. Exupery's Little Prince. This may be partly because I reread The Little Prince later in high school. I have been a big reader. I used to read 100 to 150 or more books a year. Now that my eyes are rebelling, I try listening to them, although I still miss the joy of reading from the pages and holding the book in my hands. I guess, as much as fiction and how-to books, I also read a lot of writings from all different religions because religion always has been a magnet, and I still find something good inside each of those books. Since I try to stay away from the discussion of religions in my blogs, I'm leaving those out, at the moment. Then, there are the fiction books I read during my high school and young adult years. They begin with everything from Dostoyevsky, which may be partly due to our high school lit teacher's adoration of him. To make sure, I reread a few of those later on and found that my awe of Dostoyevsky had been real and I still recall bits and pieces of his writing and characters. Also, from those earlier times, I recall quite well, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Later on, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Ian McEwan's Atonement, John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go and Klara and the Sun have also impressed me deeply. The same is true of Anthony Doerr's Cloud Cuckoo Land. Then, my most memorable reading or listening has to do with memoirs and memoir based fiction. They start with Helen Keller's book, The Story of My Life, which I had read in high school and was impressed deeply by it, then. I was also impressed very much by Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl, and especially Viktor E. Frankl's Man's Search For Meaning. Also, Elie Wiesel's Night, Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, and a few others that I'm afraid their titles and events from their insides will come back to haunt me later. I am sure I forgot a whole lot of good books that did something to my psyche, here. Since I love words for what they can do, however terribly sometimes--like "Heil Hitler!", I truly love reading books almost as much as I love playing with words myself. Also, there have been books, no matter what the hoopla about them, after I've finished reading, I have thought, "Now, why did I waste my time on this one!" Those, however, I immediately forget about. So, I guess reading is a mixed bag which is highly personal to me. |
Prompt: "Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before you. : Denis Waitley Write about this in your Blog entry today. -------- The way I look at it, this all boils down to resilience. I think I mentioned this before in one of my blogs; however, here it is again. A much loved high school home-ec teacher of mine, Miss Lindsay, once told us in class that the most important thing to get through life is resilience, and we should do our best to acquire, secure, and keep it through all phases of our lives. I never forgot Miss Lindsay's words and tried very hard to live up to the meaning of resilience. I'll always be indebted to Miss Lindsay, not only for her teachings but also for her sparkling personality. This is because that idea of resilience did help me through all sorts of life events. Determination is part of resilience, as is resolve. Both determination and resolve speak to the incredible potential within each of us and enable us to remain focused on our goals and our lives. I might probably describe determination as that spark of persistence hidden in every human, or in other words, the inner fire that fuels us all. Yet, it is not something that pushes us forward blindly. It has a clear purpose. It wants to reach a goal. Through determination, we do not lose our optimism and we keep building on successes over successes. Through determination, we refuse to give up even when we come face to face with huge difficulties. This helps us to solve problems, persevere, and even be creative. As to resolve, it is our inner fortitude. It points to our mental strength to make firm decision and act on them. It has more to do with keeping to our purpose and integrity. It helps us to rise after we've fallen down. It helps us endure hardships. It helps us keep our clarity of mind in the most uncertain of times. There's an incredible amount of potential in each one of us. It is up to us, to focus into that potential and live good lives and hopefully, along the way, inspire others, also. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& And in Relation to the Original Entry: I just finished reading a short book by Akash Karia, 7 Things Resilient People Do Differently. So, to put the words of this author in a nutshell: 1. Accept what you cannot change. Focus on what you can control and express gratitude for what you already possess or have done. 2. Talk nicely to yourself. Don't call yourself names and don't let your inner critic change facts. Instead use positive affirmations. 3. Ask better questions. Don't ask the creation, God or whatever, "Why me?" "What's wrong with me?" Instead, ask, "How can I grow from this?" or "What can I learn from this?" 4. View stress as a growth challenge and an opportunity. And manage stress positively through relaxation techniques, humor and social support. 5. If need be, seek help. Your helpers could be friends, family members, mentors, and even professionals. 6. Take action. Do not procrastinate or give in to worrying. Break down bigger tasks into manageable steps and celebrate your progress with them. 7, Cultivate a growth mindset and try to learn new skills. During the process of learning, your resilience will increase, even if the outcome of the skill is not perfect. |
| Prompt: clothes What do you think about clothes in general and what types of clothes do you think are the most comfortable to wear? On the other hand, which types of clothes are not comfortable to wear? ----------- I happen to think that we humans are so off with just about everything, and especially our clothes! This may be due to our make-up NOT being environmentally friendly, since our skins alone could not, did not fully protect us, ever. So we came up with the idea of clothes, envying the lush fur of the felines. Why were our skins not good enough, is another somewhat related question. Now here, goes wild my imagination all the way to us being outer space people, but let's just stick to our earthly clothes for now. Clothes show cultural and social identity. This type of identity, however, belongs only to our species, I'm afraid. I've seen all kinds of house cats with all kinds of markings and colors act friendly with each other. Their relationships did not involve the fur they had on. Yet, if the humans were cats, they would probably choose the cats with markings and colors similar to their own, so they could make friends with them. That is why in many societies, clothing fulfills cultural expectations of modesty and provides a sense of privacy. So here is my deduction as an answer to clothes being emblems of social and cultural identity for us humans: Our thinking is warped and cats are smarter. Another thing that is warped may be the fashion trends. Just watch an artsy fashion show and you'll be embarrassed by the thought that outer space aliens are watching, too, and laughing their heads off. Not to mention the idea that what we wear shows status and symbolizes to which group or class of society we belong. For example, if attending a professional or formal event, would you dare to walk in wearing old jeans or a housedress, while everyone else is clad in suits, ties, and formal dresses? All this is because, we human dummies prioritize appearance over comfort. To be fair to the latest generation of us humans, there is that influence of history, butting in from the background. Many uncomfortable clothing traditions and choices stem from the historical practices, and whether we acknowledge this fact or not, they influence modern designs. Then, even the very idea of comfort depends on one's personal likes and dislikes. To me, comfortable means I don't think about what I am wearing or be pinched or itched by what I am wearing. This is why I applaud the growing trend toward more comfortable clothing, based on functionality and personal preferences with a tad of acceptance for social considerations. Just maybe, we might be learning, at last, from watching other species such as house cats and all other felines. |
| Prompt: Climbing What if you were to climb to the top of a very high mountain, would you do it? And/or if you wish, what does the word "climbing" bring to your mind? ------- Hahaha! I can't even climb a steep set of stairs ever since I came down with asthma during my mid-forties. I may like to be on the top of a very high mountain, which I imagine has to have the most fantastic view, provided there's an elevator to that spot. The first thing the word climbing brought to my mind is a climbing ivy. In fact, I'm looking at it while I type this. "This plant," the seller said when I bought it, "can thrive indoors. It doesn't need much of anything. Just a bit of water a few times a week." It was just a potted plant in the beginning and I never thought of it as a climbing anything. About a year or two later, it decided to climb just a tad. Now, over the several years, it has climbed on the wall where I have a few family photos hanging and of all the other photos, it has encircled my late husband and his sister's childhood photo. I had nothing to do with it. Those who see it think I trained the ivy that way. Nope, it did all that on its own. Not the other photos, though; just that one! Climbing as a metaphor may describe something rising in value or numbers, like the stock market, eager people, temperature...etc. It can also refer to overcoming obstacles or struggles, such as moving up a career ladder or moving into a higher economic or social status. Then, of course, even indoor plants can be climbers, too, as I found out.  |
| Prompt: "May and October are the best-smelling months, but I’ll make a case for December; evergreen, frost, wood smoke, cinnamon." — Lisa Kleypas What are your favorite December smells? Why? --------- My favorite December smells are bouquets of clean pure fragrances, such as those of warmth, festivity, appreciation, and that bittersweet aroma of nostalgia. When we lived up in North, the crisp cold air and the smell of fresh snow carried a clean, pure, slightly metallic feeling for my nose, however sharp and invigorating it was. Do I miss it? No! It was then; this is now. Wherever I am, whether I am under the hot Florida sun or enjoying the fragrance of pine forests, or the smell of damp earth, or fallen leaves, December always brought the warmth of spicy anything...cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cookies, gingerbread, and pies baking. Then, who can resist those gooey jelly doughnuts? I love their smells so much that I use all those spices throughout the year to add to the comforting hot drinks like cocoa, tea, and coffee. And yes, even in the scorching Florida climate. All these things, especially the songs that carry smells like "chestnuts roasting on an open fire," inspire feelings of togetherness, reflection, celebration, and thankfulness to add to the traditions that linger in my heart always. As much as I try to be grounded in the present, all those aromas and memories have a way of pulling me toward the past, and as the result my past and present unite beautifully. For that alone, what can top the scent of December any better! |
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