May 5: Writing Prompt #125-The Glass?

Is the glass half-full, or half-empty?

Most of the time, half-full! J  It’s interesting that this is the topic for today since just last week, this was my mantra at work…”Let’s make it a glass half-full day instead of half-empty” I heard myself saying to staff members at 6 am when our day started, and there were already issues to discuss. At any rate, by the end of that day, even though I started half-full or maybe even three-quarters full, I was very dry and thirsty, tapped out, but thankfully my co-workers had filled their glasses as the day went on instead of draining them, and they were able to renew my faith in the power of optimism.

I have several friends and family members going through serious health issues right now, and I can’t help but think of them as I write about my glass.  It’s so important to stay mentally and emotionally strong and optimistic in tough times, especially through physical health problems because our state of mind can really affect our health either positively or negatively.  I really believe in the power of the mind and positive thinking in healing the body. When you approach life with a sunny outlook, it improves not only your own perspective on challenging situations that come up throughout your day, but it can also affect other people’s moods and empower them to enjoy whatever activity they are engaging in at the time OR on the other hand, it can ruin their day, if you are operating with a negative half-empty mindset. 

So, I encourage my friends who are struggling with family, personal, or health issues right now to seek out the silver lining in the situation, to look at the glass as half-full instead of half-empty, and carry that mindset with you throughout the day, week, and entire challenge.  And when you feel drained, get some rest, call a friend, and put your glass back under the faucet for a refill.  And know that I am always here for you when you need a pick-me-up!! I’ll be your cheerleader, and I have more than enough optimism to share, most of the time, that is. J 

May 4: Writing Prompt #124-It’s a Text, Text, Text World

How do you communicate differently online than in person, if at all? How do you communicate emotion and intent in a purely written medium?

I still haven’t gotten fully drawn into the texting thing yet. Most days I don’t even look at my phone except before and after work and when it rings or dings (that is, if it’s near me…I don’t have it on my person at all times).  As far as texting goes, that doesn’t even happen on a daily basis.  In fact, looking at my phone just now…the last time I sent or received a text was on May 1^st.  Looking back further, sometimes I’ve gone 9 or 10 days without texting at all.  One of the reasons why I probably don’t text very much could be because I’m too wordy. I text the same way I write and talk…in great detail and with attention to proper grammar and complete sentences. J   This is not to say I don’t ever use an LOL or u, 2, or other type of texting shorthand, but mostly, I write it all out, just like I do here.  Emotion…I use smiley faces a lot, but not much else. 

Having been an English teacher at the college level in a former life, I would say most people write how they talk, and the same goes for me.  I enjoyed reading the papers students wrote for my classes because it was fun to “hear” their voices through their writing.  I could literally “listen” to them in my head as I was reading.  In person, I may sum up a story with less detail because of interruptions or people who I know are busy and don’t have time to listen to the whole scenario. I may shed a tear, show anxiety or anger in my facial expressions or be unable to contain a sharp, short tone of voice if I am stressed, but other than that, I write just how I talk. 

May 3: Writing Prompt #123- The Little Things

Describe a little thing — one of the things you love that defines your world but is often overlooked.

TREES-There are so many different kinds and throughout the year they evolve, change, and renew themselves (except for the evergreens, of course), and they are AMAZING! I didn’t realize how much I missed them until returning stateside. Yes, we had tress on the island, but there were almost entirely coconut palms.  Pine tree and plumeria transplants, and I’m sure a few others were dotted around too, but mostly, it was palm trees.  The ocean overshadowed the trees there anyway, but in the NW, the trees rule!!

My cell phone is full of pictures of trees, trees with moss on them, with colorful autumn leaves, with spring flowers, and with beautiful evergreen foliage.  When I’m on the road somewhere (especially in the passenger seat), I am in awe of the trees. They are dense and all over in WA, even on the sides of the interstate, which probably makes them easy to overlook for long-term residents, but for me, they are one of the little things I love. And yes, they do define my present world in the Northwest.  It’s what stands out to me about this part of the U.S. and it definitely defines the area, the Evergreen State.

May 2: Writing Prompt #122-Mad Libs

Turn to your coworkers, kids, Facebook friends, family — anyone who’s accessible — and ask them to suggest an article, an adjective, and a noun. There’s your post title! Now write.

A Fluffy Mountain

On my way to work each morning, I round the corner of I-5 as I head into the Nisqually area and look for my favorite fluffy mountain, Rainier.  As the days grow longer and clearer here in the NW, I have begun to see her more and more often.  Some mornings all you can see is the “fluff,” the clouds surrounding the area where you know she stands tall and wide with her snow covered crevices and sharp edges.  My husband, son, and I personify her regularly.  On the days she reveals herself, we say she is happy today. She is not embarrassed by her large size, but instead proud of who she is.  Other days, when she is shrouded in cloudy, white mystery, we say she is feeling self-conscious then, so she covers herself with fluff to hide from the world.

It’s been over a year now since we moved to WA, and just like the blue-green coral filled Pacific in the Marshall Islands that I NEVER grew tired of looking at in 17 years, I cannot imagine ever growing tired of seeing my fluffy Mt. Rainier. I love the spring here when the days get lighter and lighter for longer and longer (8 more minutes each day I believe is what my son’s soccer coach told us when practice first started in March, and they were practicing until it got dark). I also love spring here because it’s when my beauty reveals herself more and more to the world.  She sheds her heavy coat of snow and glows bright in the illusive WA sun.  I relish rounding that little corner of I-5 on the way to work and being “surprised” by her.  “Hi Beautiful,” I’ll say out loud to her with a smile.  Starts my day off right!!

May 1: Writing Prompt #121-Personal Space

To what extent is your blog a place for your own self expression and creativity vs. a site designed to attract readers? How do you balance that? If sticking to certain topics and types of posts meant your readership would triple, would you do it?

To be completely honest, I would say my blog is mostly a place for my own self expression and creativity versus a site to attract readers, so there’s not a whole lot of balancing to be done. 

As much as I have always wanted to write for a living, I’m not not sure that I would stick to certain topics and types of posts in order to triple my readership. I say this because I don’t think doing what you are most passionate about for a living is always what it is cracked up to be. Sometimes when we get paid for doing what we love and are contracted to someone to do our jobs a certain way and on a certain timeline, it takes the fun out of it, so to speak. So, I don’t know that I would. 

That said, I can’t say 100% that if someone asked me to write something for money here and there, I wouldn’t give it a try and see how it went (because I have always wanted to be able to just stay home and write) but I would hope that if writing what I was asked to write ever became something that took my passion for writing away from me, I would stop.

After all, the bottom line for me is that I want to continue to spark my love for writing, so I’ll keep writing as long as the spark is there, but not necessarily to try and impress anyone or to increase my readership because that’s not really part of my reason for writing in the first place.