Hmm… they can be company, and guardians. They can be examples of loyalty and grace. They can provide some humor, tease out the caregiver in us, and they are a connection to the non-human life on earth.
Tag: dailyprompt
It Adds Up
Daily writing prompt
Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).
Together, my wife and I recently ordered a stick built shed to replace the one that was falling apart in the back yard. Personally, I guess it would have to be a camera or a component stereo system. I’ve parted with a fair sum for a lot of woodworking tools, too.
Few and Far Between
I don’t listen to many podcasts. The only time we cue anything up is if we’re on a road trip, and then we listen to mostly Stuff You Should Know, and an occasional Pod Save America or Fresh Air. They do help pass the time, relieve some of the monotony.
Escuchen Ustedes
The only class that stands out in my memory is high school Spanish. I’ve talked about this in other contexts here, but I believe it is because the teacher was such a standout individual. Mr. McGregor was passionate, intense– which wasn’t always fun– and he sincerely cared about us and that we worked to get better. He did not suffer apathy very well, but he also had a way of keeping things light, making it… fun. Spanish was one of the rare As on my report card, and it was because Mr. M taught it well, and I understood the process.
An Addiction, of Sorts
I don’t, exactly. I treat screen time like a filler, something to do, and I’d gotten into the bad habit of looking at my iPad after I hit the hay at night, which I know isn’t great for the eyes. I’m trying to cut back on that usage. Sometimes I just get in a quick game of Solitaire– there’s always time for Solitaire– and other times I treat screen time like a reward, after having worked outside for a while, taking a shower and relaxing for a bit. There’s so much to look at.
One of my favorite things is getting the iPad out after having taken a few pics with the phone at the kids’ house or being out somewhere and having taken some scenery pics. They’re better on the bigger screen.
So, I’m currently not very good at managing screen time. There’ a bit of restraint, but I could be better about it.
Unless we can find another word…
Time is a construct, but since we’ve long noted certain astronomical cycles and broken up the year into twelve months, most with a comparable number of days broken down into 365 or-6 24-hour cycles, then invented calendars with pretty pictures, and clocks and watches that track and mimic said cycles, and since many of us love our gadgets, we are well aware that the sun rises, a day unfolds, the sun sets, the moon waxes and wanes, our biological clocks always hum in the background, and we find ourselves eating lunch around 12 noon and maybe trying to stay in synch with all of it.
But we don’t need time. Time without end is all we have. We might say we want more time, but we already have this endless flowing existence limited by choices, by actions and inaction, by the vicissitudes of human existence and certain biological realities that render us finite beings.
The View Changes
I don’t know, really. There’s been an evolution in the way I think about the future. It used to be that it was marked by a certain open-endedness and a feeling that there’d be time for everything. Anymore, I hope I’m still kicking, still able to get around, take walks, play golf, work outside, interact with our kids and their kids, be of use around the house, maybe even continue being able to help our son with his landscaping business, if he’s still doing that.
At this point in the proceedings, a lot can happen in three years, and not necessarily things one would put on a To Do list.
Maybe in three years, Trump’s days in office will be numbered, if he makes it that far, and that would be something to cheer about.
Just Because
Daily writing prompt
Invent a holiday! Explain how and why everyone should celebrate.
This holiday occurs multiple times in a year. Call it 5th Friday, Even Though It Might Be a Tuesday. It’s a day off from work anytime a weekday occurs five times in a month. October 29th on a Tuesday (not to mention Wednesday and Thursday!)? August 31st on a Monday? Perfect. If it unfolds for the fifth time in a month, you’ve got yourself a reason to sleep in, or party, get away to the woods, renovate the bathroom, clean the garage, write a tome on how to achieve world peace, or spend time hangin’ around in sweats and drinking coffee until you can see through walls.
January 2026 will offer up a nice long weekend for ya. So will March, June, July, and September. And even if they don’t string together for a long weekend, a 5th Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday is a nice mid-week break.
Not sure what would happen to productivity or SAT scores, though.
A Relative Handful
WordPress, YouTube, Wikipedia, Chat GPT, Flipboard, Amazon, the local newspaper, and the newsfeed option on my iPad– it gives me a nice sampling of current events and other things. I find that I’m often checking the Popular Mechanics link, along with Space.com, The Atlantic, and Washington Post— their articles are often available even without a subscription to Apple News.
For various reasons
Any of the early years of our marriage, maybe my junior or senior year of college.
Though there was a lot of work to do, maybe my senior year at seminary, when the five of us traveled back and forth to Harper’s Ferry every Sunday and other times as well.
And I wish I could have back the last couple of days my mother was alive.
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