Daily writing prompt

What villain actually had a good point?

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I’m not that familiar with TV and movie villains, or real villains, for that matter. Well, except for people like Hitler and Jim Jones and Vladimir Putin. I know that, in general, people we consider evil are convinced of their own “good” intentions, their own beliefs and zeal for drastic measures and certain results. I suppose one could argue that the “villain” moniker is a matter of perspective, but I don’t believe that is relevant in every instance.

Anyway, the one person who did come to mind is from V for Vendetta. V at one point says that people should not fear their governments, but governments should fear their people. Or something to that effect. I seem to recall hearing this being spoken lately, or seeing it in print, and find it to be of some relevance, given what we’re facing here in the U.S.

Living under the thumb of a repressive, oppressive dictator wannabe has led to anger and revolt. Donald Trump appears to relish the role of troublemaker and fearless leader, and can easily be dismissed as a shallow pretender who never grew up, who always needs to get his way. But he wields great power and as such commands our attention– even if it’s the people around him, lurking in the shadows, who are more scary and focused and zealous.

In any event, such hard-headed conviction and delusions of grandeur exact a toll on the person harboring such beliefs, and eventually the oppressed win the day. Even if, agonizingly, it takes a while.

Daily writing prompt

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

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In a place untouched by strife and petty bickering and climate change.

In other words, right where I am. Because there is no such untouched place. We can always visit other places, but I’m content to stay put.

Daily writing prompt

Is a little chaos actually good for us?

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Honestly, only as a frame of reference, only as it provides contrast to moments of calm and relative peace. I’m tired of chaos, since that’s pretty much all we’ve been getting since 2016.

There’s a difference between the chaos of hosting a houseful of families with children for a long weekend and the constant drumbeat of manufactured drama and insolence and blatant incompetence of a second Trump term. Both come with a shelf life, but the former is a bit easier to tolerate.

I’m at the point where it’s a big No to even a small amount of chaos. I’m tired of it, I abhor it, at least in the context of daily dealing with this gaggle of shysters and low-lifes we loosely refer to as “leaders.”

It does make for some interesting viewing if one is watching a World Cup match, though.

Daily writing prompt

What’s a lesson you’ve learned recently that shifted your perspective?

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I’ve mentioned this in different contexts, and it’s not a recent learning, but one that has led to significant personal reassessments. After reading Sapiens, by Juval Noah Harari, my view of religious faith changed. A certain doubt took hold. I suppose one could say that it was a mistake for me to pick up the book in the first place, but it was there to read and I had heard good things about it. It ended up changing my perspective on lifelong beliefs and practices. Or perhaps it was just confirming doubts I had already been harboring.

A more current revelation is that the 4th of July I’d prefer to observe has nothing to do with what’s going on in this country at the moment. The current leadership is useless and hateful and uninspiring. I am simply remembering and honoring the events and people associated with what went on in the late 1700s, when a group of leaders put their names on a remarkable document– an act of defiance that would have gotten them hanged if things had worked out differently. Such courage and conviction and imagination are nowhere to be found among this present-day hodgepodge of sycophants and pretenders.

Daily writing prompt

What do you do to improve your sleep?

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Lately, I’ve started going to bed earlier. I also try to limit fluid intake after a certain time, in hopes of getting up less during the night. I don’t eat anything heavy after supper, maybe apple slices or dry cereal or a bowl of microwaved popcorn made in a Pampered Chef silicone family sized popper. I turn on one of those tall, rotating floor fans and keep it on low, just to get some air movement.

That’s about it.

Daily writing prompt

Hit 5,000 steps today and drop your achievement here — we’re cheering you on!

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Probably won’t happen today. I did have 14000+ steps on Saturday, when it was still hospitable for humans to be outdoors. So I’m gonna count that as having some in the bank… 🙂

Had a “feels like” temp of 116 here yesterday. More of the same today. And tomorrow.

Kudos to all who get it done today.

Daily writing prompt

What’s the best way to deal with negative thoughts?

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I had written and was ready to publish a whole post offering up various ideas and suggestions but decided to nix that, given that I quickly headed into the weeds and water that was over my head. I started to wonder if “negative thoughts” gave license to tackle the topic of depression and decided this was a bridge too far, outside the bounds of a reasonable and responsible treatment of a topic with which I am not that familiar.

So, I will treat this prompt from the perspective of someone who understands “negative thoughts” to be of a more garden variety that looks like anger and frustration– with oneself or with the state of affairs in this country or the world.

Explore these thoughts, recognize an overreaction when you see one, take a walk or run, exercise, help someone, work them out on paper or in a blog post, talk them through with a friend or a therapist. Or make a rational attempt to work through an issue with the person who may have caused the negativity in the first place.

You could just ignore these thoughts, because we all have a bad day every now and then, and given the current state of world affairs, we’re allowed to be a bit sour or angry on occasion.

But an unrelenting cloud of negativity is never a good thing, so it helps to have trusted friends, support, someone who can offer a healthy perspective and some light to counter the darkness, along with the recognition that a constructive response helps lighten the load and disappear the sometimes self-imposed frown.

And now I realize I’m touching on depression, anyway.

Daily writing prompt

What do you love now, that you hated when you were younger?

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Getting up early, going to bed early, being left alone with my thoughts, having less guilt over being idle; working in the yard and tending to the lawn and gardens; broccoli, beets, and chickpeas– but only after they’ve been turned into hummus (the chickpeas, that is).

Daily writing prompt

Emperor Palpatine has announced open elections for a new Emperor — and he’s nominated Darth Vader. You get to nominate one challenger.

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Pete Buttigieg. He’s smart, and likely capable of keeping us grounded in reality.

Daily writing prompt

What’s a piece of media (book, movie, song) that changed how you see the world?

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The one movie that has left the greatest long-term impression is Selma, because it drove home the idea that life isn’t a take it or leave it thing. Yes, we do have a say in whether or not we engage or disengage, whether we dive in or just dismiss any sense of obligation. But this movie made it much more difficult to treat life with a certain cavalier disinterest.

A book that changed the way I view the world is Sapiens, by Juval Noah Harari. Among other things, it has clouded my understanding of religious faith, which is no insignificant development.