Daily writing prompt

Who was your most influential teacher? Why?

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My high school Spanish teacher, Mr. McGregor. He was funny, intense (he was also the football coach), he took his job seriously yet also had a sense of humor. He made it very clear that he cared about the subject matter, and us. He spent a year in Guadalajara, Mexico, immersed in the culture and language. He wanted us to learn and would walk out of the room to cool down when it seemed clear we hadn’t done our homework.

He drove an MG Midget. I never had another teacher who came close to his passion for his work.

Looking back, it was an interesting dynamic: he was demanding, but no one seemed to mind. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he burned out and left the profession prematurely.

Daily writing prompt

What do you wish you could do more every day?

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It’s a bit of a quandary. On the one hand, find ways to be more useful, purposeful. On the other, really make every day an open book with blank pages, totally open for whatever I feel like doing or not doing.

On the purposeful end, write with insight and passion, find new recipes to actually try, get into a stretching routine, expand my workouts at the Y, practice piano regularly, create a reading list, a household fix-it list, get going on the workbench I want to build, organize old pictures and slides, find an activity or activities that both of us enjoy, get out with my camera and walk around taking pictures, either service my bicycle and use it, or try to sell it, start learning about the stock market and dabble in some investing, find a part-time job that I’d actually be willing to commit to– as disappointing as that would be to have to contemplate. I still really like being retired.

As sad as it may sound, somedays I’m perfectly fine with wandering aimlessly. I’m still taking notes, though. Maybe I should gear up for the coming days– it’s looking like we’re all gonna be called upon.

Daily writing prompt

What tattoo do you want and where would you put it?

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I have no desire to put a tattoo anywhere on my body.

Daily writing prompt

What is one word that describes you?

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Hesitant.

Close second: cautious.

Daily writing prompt

What was the best compliment you’ve received?

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Way back in a moment when it mattered, almost 30 years ago, I overheard a respected member of the congregation to which I was recently called say, in reference to me, that I was the real deal, or something to that effect. I was buoyed by that for a while, even as I knew I couldn’t let such things go to my head, and even as I felt I must have somehow pulled the wool over her eyes.

Daily writing prompt

You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?

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Flying, with some sort of vehicle rental awaiting at the other end, sounds appealing but also expensive. And we’ve often talked about a train trip, since we’ve never done that. I suppose if we did the math, we might have a better idea of what makes sense from a cost perspective. Still, it would probably be by car, though I’m not sure I’d want to take either one of the ones we have now. They’re both eleven years old. We’d have to get the OK from a mechanic before venturing out on a long trip.

Car, though, gives us flexibility, makes a change in plans or spur-of-the-moment side trip a lot more feasible. And we’d have the time.

Daily writing prompt

Who is the most confident person you know?

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I guess the relationship is brother-in-law by marriage– not sure. Anyway, this guy is willing to try just about anything. He’s a craftsman, a blacksmith, a carpenter, a surfer, a skier who uses skis he makes, a connoiseur of fine homemade spirits and good wine, beer– you name it. I’ve never met anyone quite like him. It seems there’s not much he won’t try and fewer people he won’t strike up a conversation with. I think it’s a combination of confidence and unbounded curiosity.

A close second would be an uncle on my mother’s side. He’s 91 now, slowing a bit but still active, a jack of all trades. There’s little that he hasn’t tried his hand at and not done well. He spent his life as a mechanical engineer and consultant. He loved pulling his boat and being on the water, fishing and exploring– whether fresh or salt. He and his wife– my aunt, who was a bundle of energy and endlessly curious herself– traveled to remote Alaska, among many other far-flung places, for years. They were the world travelers of the family, quite the couple. They made a good team.

Amazing people– to see such a zest for life, and blessed with a certain fearlessness.

Daily writing prompt

What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?

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I’m not quite sure which negative feelings are implied here– competence, self worth? I’ve never had many strategies. Most times, I wallow, mope, and scowl for a while, hoping that “this, too, shall pass.” I sometimes try to explain what I’m feeling, but most times I muddle through, knowing that it will subside and life will go on.

Having said that, I think I’m getting a bit better with letting certain things go. Self-criticism– as opposed to self-loathing– has its place, but it’s easily overdone, mis- or excessively applied. Writing, sometimes reading, taking a walk, exercising, having an honest conversation (the hardest), and working on some project are all ways that divert my attention, pull me up, and improve the mindset. There was a time when I would have enthusiastically added prayer to this list, but there’s a caveat anymore: I wonder who I’m praying to, if anyone is listening.

Daily writing prompt

What activities do you lose yourself in?

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Writing, sometimes reading, a good movie, cooking, working in the yard, golfing, taking a walk, sitting in the carport, listening to the sounds of the day; sitting by water, whether still or moving, taking in the landscapes and scenery when we’re driving somewhere; watching, with the grandchildren, the sun sinking below the distant hills, then the full moon rising behind us.

I try to be engaged in most everything I do, with the exception of going through stuff in the basement we’re trying to get rid of. I think I’d rather watch paint dry.

Daily writing prompt

What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?

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The Wizard of Oz, The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Forrest Gump, Castaway, Jaws, Hidden Figures, The Help, Back To the Future 1 and 3, Titanic, The Sixth Sense, ET, Mrs. Doubtfire, Close Encounters…, Good Will Hunting, The Blues Brothers, the first and third Indiana Jones movies, and probably some others. Only a few at the theatre, most when they show up on the small screen.

TV series– haven’t binged any whole series five times, but we’ve gone though Ted Lasso and Shrinking twice. We’ve watched multiple seasons of M*A*S*H, All In the Family, The Andy Griffith Show, Gilligan’s Island, Candid Camera, The Lawrence Welk Show, The Carol Burnett Show, Mr. Ed, Green Acres, St. Elsewhere, E.R., The Cosby Show, Cheers, Seinfeld, Home Improvement, Everybody Loves Raymond, probably several others.

Yikes. That’s a lot of time in front of the television.