September 6: Writing Prompt #249-Regrets, I’ve Had a Few

What’s your biggest regret? How would your life have been different if you’d made another decision?

I was looking back through the rest of the prompts for the year because I thought I had answered one like this before, but I can’t find the exact post I was thinking of, so if I repeat myself for this one, forgive me.  My memory is not as good as it used to be.

As far as regrets go, I don’t live my life in terms of regret. It’s not that there aren’t things I might have done different if I had the ability or maturity at the time to do so, but I’m more comfortable living the life I have now.  Considering how my life could have been different, if let’s say, I didn’t get married and move to Kwajalein (knowing heartache and divorce would follow), I get nervous.  I can’t imagine a more challenging and wisdom giving experience than my time in the Marshalls, and I wouldn’t have met the love of my life if I hadn’t made the choice to move to there in the first place.  And this is just two of the reasons why I wouldn’t want to change the choices I made back then because there’s my children, my educational and career path, the lifelong friends I made, and my very fulfilling volunteer adventures. These would have all been very different experiences if I had remained in the states.  There are times in my life when immediately after I wish I had said or done something differently, but later on, I learned from those times and became a better wife, mother, employee, manager, and daughter because of the mistakes I made and grew from.  So, regrets, not exactly.  I do wish sometimes I had learned some of life’s lessons a little earlier or under different circumstances, but I don’t truly have any real regrets, just insight from my mistakes.   

September 5: Writing Prompt #248-Imagine All the People

The next time you’re in a public place — a coffeehouse, a park, a store — observe the people around you. Pick a person, a couple, or a group, and imagine what their lives might be like.

Sorry, I’m going to be self-centered on this one and say I don’t have time to imagine and write about a random person, couple, or group’s lives because I’m too busy living my own.  In today’s world, I think we know more about how other people and groups live their lives than ever before due to reality TV, social media, etc…Mostly, I’m shocked at how certain others live their lives or I find it unfathomable because I would never have the means, opportunity, or desire to live that way.  That said, I don’t wish to be anyone else, to live any other life than my own. I am thankful for my life as it is, and taking time out of that life to imagine how someone else lives has no purpose for me. 

September 4: Writing Prompt #247-I Am a Rock

Is it easy for you to ask for help when you need it, or do you prefer to rely only on yourself? Why?

Yes, for the most part. I generally do not hesitate to ask for advice or help when I need it. I will say, though, that I do like to have the opportunity to try and figure it out for myself first, and when I get to a point that I am stuck, then I’ll ask for help. 

Right now, I’ll falling asleep while typing this, so I am going to ask for your help and patience as I make this a short one, post, and move on to my nice, warm bed.   J

September 3: Writing Prompt #246-Blogger with a Cause

If your day-to-day responsibilities were taken care of and you could throw yourself completely behind a cause, what would it be?

Children.  Children with special needs. Children living in poverty. Children in third world countries.  Children who are not afforded an education.  Children who need someone to talk to and feel safe with. Children who need to learn self-discipline, life skills, and how to take care of themselves.  Children who need a big brother or sister or an awesome Auntie to help them with homework or take a field trip to a wildlife refuge.  All children. My children. Your children.  Their children. Children would be THE CAUSE I would throw myself into if I had the means to do so. 

September 2: Writing Prompt #245-Name That...You!

Do you know the meaning of your name, and why your parents chose it? Do you think it suits you? What about your children’s names?

I know for a fact that I have already answered a previous prompt concerning the meaning of my name, so I will not repeat it here, although I am happy to share with you how I chose my children’s names.  Their first names are both Biblical and simply ones that I liked the sound of as well.  Their middle names are their grandmothers’ maiden names.  I like having a bit of family history within their given names. If I had had a third child, his or her middle name would have been my maiden name to stay with that tradition. 

At any rate, I am happy with my children’s names still today. Hopefully they are too. I have thought about other names over the years that I might have used, but I can’t imagine their names being any different now, just as I can’t imagine being anyone other than who I am, Susannah.  What about you? Do you like your name?  Does it suit you? 

September 1: Writing Prompt #244-Groundhog Day

In the comedy “Groundhog Day” Bill Murray experienced the same day again and again, stuck in a time loop until he got the day “right.” What day would you choose to repeat until you got it right? Do you think it’s ever possible to get life “right”?

After thinking about this one for a bit, I really don’t think I would choose to live ANY day over again and repeat it until I got it right. The mistakes I made on any given day are what led me to who and what my life is now, and I’m good with that.  I’ve watched Groundhog Day more than once, and I remember thinking when he kept using what he had learned the day before to get the girl how dishonest it really was.  He was only saying and doing what he knew would attract her, and it wasn’t really him. Yes, it is a funny movie, and that’s the point, but is it a way to live your life if you had the opportunity?  I don’t believe so.  If we were always able to go back and correct our mistakes, then we really wouldn’t be human anymore.  That’s part of the growing process.  We gain wisdom, insight, and valuable experiences and connections with people through some of the most stressful moments of our lives.  When we make mistakes, we also reveal ourselves to be human and vulnerable.  Being real and vulnerable often softens people’s hearts and causes them to reach out to us in ways they might not otherwise.  It’s a beautiful thing.  That’s how you know the true measure of your friends, when you’ve been through the fire with them and come out closer and better on the other side.  The craziest thing is that usually it’s not the people you would expect or even those you knew the best at the start. At least that’s my experience.  So, no thank you on my own personal Groundhog Day. I have made many mistakes, and I will make many more, but I trust that those mistakes will lead to better things because I am able to consider their impact to my life, gain insight, and move forward with more wisdom than ever!