October 10: Writing Prompt #283-Fright Night

Do you like being scared by books, films, and surprises? Describe the sensation of being scared, and why you love it — or don’t.

I like being in suspense when reading books or watching movies, and I don’t mind happy surprises.  My brand of “scared” entails an Alfred Hitchcock movie or a murder mystery book, maybe even a crime scene investigation TV show, which has elements of suspense and a bit of fear here and there, but not the stuff of nightmares.  I don’t like to be overly spooked because I will have bad dreams about it and get nervous about even going to bed in the dark, waking up in the dark, etc…with thoughts of the scary scenes I saw or read about.  I’ve gotten better about it as I have aged, but I still would choose to see or read almost any other type of genre over a horror movie or Steven King type scary book. 

October 9: Writing Prompt #282-Can’t Get Enough

Have you ever been addicted to anything, or worried that you were? Have you ever spent too much time and effort on something that was a distraction from your real goals? Tell us about it.

Well, if you had asked me this yesterday (on the actual October 9, 2015), I would have told you I was a bit addicted to writing this blog, which IS one of my real personal goals, but not a goal that is more important than all the other goals in my life. For example, I make sure I complete this blog every day, but sometimes that means my professional development class assignments fall behind because my personal goal to blog daily for a year is my addiction; whereas, my professional goals are my livelihood, a bit more important, wouldn’t you say.  I sometimes sacrifice sleep for my blogging and sometimes put my son or husband on hold until I finish writing and posting. If that’s not a type of addiction, I don’t know what addiction is, I guess.  J 

That said, I now know that it is not as serious an addiction as I originally thought because until 5 pm TONIGHT, OCTOBER 10, I forgot to write my Oct. 9^th blog on addiction.  This is the first time in the 281 finished days of 2015 that I completely forgot because some family concerns took precedence over my mind and heart. A true addiction would have overridden even that, so thank goodness, I am not hopelessly addicted, only marginally addicted to blogging.  So, tonight, unfortunately, you get double-duty, just like me, as you read two blog entries. 

October 8: Writing Prompt #281-Bloggers, Unplugged

Sometimes, we all need a break from these little glowing boxes. How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen?

Let’s see, I know it’s time to unplug when my eyes start hurting and my legs get stiff from sitting.  Lol. Just kidding. I definitely know if my body is hurting that it’s time to take a break, but it’s rare that I ever spend enough time on my devices to get that way. 

Otherwise, I know when I haven’t heard what my son is saying to me (especially if he’s standing right in front of me). I know when my husband asks me a question, and I don’t recall hearing it.  I know when my dog starts whining because he’s not very patient, and he wants to go for a walk (a.k.a. RUN). This is the best indicator because it actually gets me outside and exercising too! J 

What do I do to make it happen? I log off and close down my computer (or put my phone away or my Kindle down.  Period.  I stop what I’m doing and go enjoy real life outside the “glowing box.”  :-P

October 7: Writing Prompt #280-Exhale

Tell us about a time when everything seemed to be going wrong — and then, suddenly, you knew it would be alright.

Funny, but the thing that comes to mind is when I finally settled into my Bachelor’s Quarters after making the decision to take the next step in separating from my then husband.  I had been so stressed and depressed for so long that I didn’t realize what a burden would be lifted when simply having a tiny space of my own that no one could impose upon or make uncomfortable for me.  Everything was so confusing during this time and having a quiet retreat only for me was what I needed to clear my head and begin figuring out who I really was and what had been lost in the last decade of my life. It was what I needed to heal, even though it was not an ideal situation (being away from my boys and all).  Just the fact that I felt this way, even on my first night there, was what convinced me that it would be alright.  Of course, there were many, many more rough days, weeks, and months ahead, but it reaffirmed that the difficult decision to let go of a relationship that had gone beyond repair was the best decision for everyone involved in the long run (even the kids).  It was the one place I could truly exhale during one of the most painful times of my life.

October 6: Writing Prompt #279-Mixtape Masterpiece

You make a new friend. Make them a mix tape (or playlist, for the younger folks) that tells them who you are through song.

I don’t know how much “for the younger folks” this will be, but my playlist to give them a sense of who I am would include:

1. Saving Jane’s “Imperfection” (how I would describe myself to others)

2. Jon Gibson’s “Found a Home” (describing my faith)

3. and 4. Colbie Caillat’s “Oxygen” and “ Bubbly” (for the way I feel about my husband)

5. Sarah McLaughlin’s “Mary Walks” (echoes the kind of pain I often felt during my last years in high school and first years in college trying to figure out who I was and who I wanted to be.)

6. Keali’I Reichel’s “My Love is a Natural Thing” (for the way I feel about my 2 precious baby boys)

7. and 8. Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone” and (dare I list this one?) Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” (for how I felt during the toughest days of my divorce)

9. KT Tunstall’s “Heal Over”  (the quiet after the storm-describes where I was emotionally after moving into a BQ without my boys)

10. and 11. Shine Down’s “Simple Man” and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole ‘s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (to remind me of the simple days/weekends on Roi spent with the 3 loves of my life and of my wedding in Oregon)

10. Pharrell’s William’s “Happy” (to describe my new life in WA)

There’s plenty more I can relate to and that I would probably add to my playlist if I had more time to do so, but 12 makes an album, and these are the first dozen that come to mind. 

Music can say everything so clearly in just a few catchy lyrics, more than I could ever do in my wordy ramblings.  Thanks for reading. Maybe I’ll actually put together that playlist someday, so you can “listen” too! J