Daily writing prompt
If you could instantly master any skill, what would it be and why?
Sight reading any piano piece.
Tag: dailyprompt
Growth of a sort
Physically heavier and a bit softer– I haven’t been to the Y since January. I’ve tried to get some exercise in other ways, but it can’t approximate what I’d be doing in the gym.
And I don’t know if it can be called growth, but my attitude in general has been weighted toward cynical skepticism– if that’s even a thing– as I realize the fate of the world is currently in the hands of lunatics and pretenders.
Not Exhaustive
Daily writing prompt
Write your guide to setting healthy boundaries in relationships.
Work on creating a culture of trust. Laugh often. Give each other the benefit of the doubt, at least in the beginning. Recognize that the other is a one-of-a-kind human being with their own origin story. Listen to the story. Check in, but not so often that it gets annoying. Do an unexpected nice thing every now and then. Give each other space. Support each other in their aspirations. Push each other from time to time, but not constantly. Be realistic. Relax. Don’t be in a hurry to move on to The Next Thing. Enjoy each other’s company. Breathe.
Meh
Daily writing prompt
Do you think humans will ever colonize Mars? What would life there actually look like?
I don’t really care. If we do, we do. I’m just not sure what purpose it will serve, other than proof that we could do it. There are most likely visionaries who can see all sorts of benefits, or vendors and manufacturers with dollar signs in their eyes, but colonization would be only for those who could afford it, were handpicked to propagate our species, and who could stand the 7-9-month trip, based on current modes of propulsion.
It’s cynical, I know, but I don’t see the value. And quality of life would be assessed in a different way, couched in a certain amount of restraint and restriction, since the Martian atmosphere is much thinner and colder and harsher than Earth’s.
I’m not a big proponent, but there are those who figure that we’re doing a fine job of messing up our current planetary home, so we best develop a Plan B. If there were important learnings that could benefit us back here on Earth, I might soften the skepticism a bit.
A million of ’em
There’s one with the Dos Equis guy that has a picture of him with the words, “I don’t often crop pictures, but when I do…” and the last line is unreadable.
There’s a short video clip of a woman fresh from a dentist appointment who can’t close her eye and has a droopy lip. I laugh every time I see it, and that’s without the sound turned on.
Another is a picture of a young, attractive couple who must be candidates for a home improvement show or something, with the caption, “I walk iguanas and my wife sells umbrella insurance from home. Our budget is $2.1 million.”
And from the El Arroyo sign, somewhere in Texas: “What if soy milk is just regular milk introducing itself in Spanish?”
There are so many.
Sunset… Sunrise
Daily writing prompt
What’s a cultural tradition from another country that you wish existed in yours?
Maybe Midsommar, or Midsummer. I remember my Mom and Dad returning from their trip to northern Sweden and talking about how on the day they arrived, they got to celebrate the festival with some of the long-lost relatives they had traveled there to visit.
It was June, maybe mid-June, and they were far enough north that the sun set for only a few minutes before it came back up again. There was much frivolity and food and merriment, and it sounded like something that would be highly anticipated every year.
Of course, if we adapted it for this neck of the woods, the sun’s disappearance and return wouldn’t be quite as dramatic. But I think we could replicate the rest of it.
Well, we’d also have to have a vacation cottage to head off to. Many over there have a place for a summer getaway.
Soundtrack
Song names aren’t coming to me yet, but probably something singable, tuneful, maybe with a beat and some now-familiar riffs that strike a chord within, and maybe get the body moving and toes tapping.
Nothing current, probably something from the late 60s, early- to mid-70s from The Beatles or Steely Dan or Chicago– Here Comes the Sun, Bodhisattva, Beginnings, respectively. Maybe Your Mama Don’t Dance, from Loggins and Messina, or Crazy Little Thing Called Love, from Queen, released in 1979.
Something like that.
Quite A Show
Thunderstorms. I think I’ve just outgrown the fear and understand them better. Anymore and for quite a while now, I’ve found them intriguing and awesome, but still something to be respected. It’s not wise to be cavalier when lightning is involved.
Perspective Shift
I think it takes a certain fearlessness, a bit of determination, and finally just saying to oneself that you can’t live your life fearing mistakes or a cold shoulder. No one is perfect, and the ones who look like they are have taken a few falls along the way, have put in the time and effort, and have simply decided to engage rather than withdraw.
It sounds a bit clinical, but there is trial and error involved, whether it’s learning a skill or simply interacting with other people. A certain level of trust begins to replace fear and suspicion, and confidence grows. One also hopefully learns that a good mentor is a gift, and that losing or failure are definitely not the end of the world.
It’s the old cliche about putting oneself out there, and being mindful of an Albert Einstein maxim: “Failure is success in progress.”
Truth Be Told
I initially joined WordPress because I felt I needed an outlet for the observations and opinions rattling around in my brain. I wasn’t giving much thought to having people who, on a regular basis, actually read what I wrote.
But there is something wondrous, something rewarding and seductive about publishing entries that people from all over the world respond to, seeing the Views and Likes spike, relatively speaking, every now and then, and getting an occasional comment.
I’d be lying if I said that a loyal and growing subscriber base isn’t something I occasionally think about. I do appreciate and have become familiar with some of the names of folks who check in on a daily basis and click the Like button. Thank you!!
But a larger scale development of readership isn’t going to happen without much more effort on my part to improve the look of my site, or improving my writing, which is not something that happens overnight.
Other than being consistent– trying to contribute at least one post every day– I don’t take advantage of the graphics or layout options available, doctor up the presentation, or spend any time making my site more appealing in a visual way.
It is the written content of the posts themselves that I will always be more concerned about.
My goals, such as they are, are modest. I simply appreciate this platform as a space in which to express myself. I’m not that interested in, or perhaps not that motivated by the packaging.
In my perfect world, the writing would be enough to interest and sustain anyone who visited the site. That is the ongoing inspiration and challenge.
3 Cents' 