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About This Author
My name is Joy, and I love to write.
Why poetry, here? Because poetry uplifts its writer, and if she is lucky enough, her readers, too. Around us, so many objects abound to write about. Once a poet starts with a smallest, most trivial object, he shall discover that his pen will spill out what is most delicate or most majestic hidden inside him. Since the classics sometimes dealt with lofty subjects with a lofty language, a person with poetry in his soul may incline to emulate that. That is understandable. Poetry does that to a person: it enlarges the soul and gives it wings. Yet, to really soar, a poet needs to take off from the ground.
 
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Everyday Canvas
"Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself."
CHARLIE CHAPLIN
Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn
anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.
David Whyte
This is my supplementary blog in which I will post entries written for prompts.
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February 29, 2024 at 1:37pm February 29, 2024 at 1:37pm
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Prompt: Leap Year Day. Write something about Leap Year for your Blog entry today.
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Isn't it odd that the leap year day happens every four years? This is because the Gregorian calendar we use has 365 days to a year, but the earth's orbit around the sun is slightly more than that.
It must the work of some bright-eyed and bushy-tailed calendar maker to come up with the leap year day as February 29, to make up for the sun's goofing. Some say this leap year thing was Julius Caesar's doing with the Julian Calendar. If so, what can one expect from a dictator who is addicted to wine and women and gets himself done away with by his own adopted son!
I think the more logical way would be to divide the 24 hours of the leap day equally among the 365 days, which could be in minutes only. But then, we wouldn't have the Leap Day babies, would we!
Also, what would happen to all the quirkiness associated with the leap-year day! When would women be allowed to propose marriage (Thanks to St. Patrick), if not on February 29 or, as the latest anomaly, how could the French do without La Bougie du Sapeur, the satirical and the least frequently published newspaper in the world, that comes out once every four years on leap day, since 1980?
Maybe not all this is for nothing. Did you know some people, with the slyness of foxes, are leaping into today with deals and opportunities for you? I would guess the deals are more for them. See here?
https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/jump-into-these-deals-and-...
Happy Leap-Year Day, 2024, Everyone!
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February 28, 2024 at 12:12pm February 28, 2024 at 12:12pm
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Prompt: What are 3 things you appreciate about nature?
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Only three things? You drive a hard bargain. At my end, it is a lot of things, and even more than that. Everything!
Yet, still in a general sense, here are the three things I truly appreciate.
Animals. They are cute, innocent, tamed, wild, tiny, huge, smart, stupid and so much more. Their variety on earth is astounding. They help sustain the planet and add a lot of beauty and meaning to it. Starting with my own cat, tamed animals provide companionship, truly original experiences, and love. Then, observing the behavior of animals in their natural habitats is also educational and entertaining. Whether it's the intricate dance of bees pollinating flowers or the majestic migration of birds or the wild cats at play, wildlife shows the wonders of adaptation and survival.
Plants. They are another form of life like the animals as they sustain all life and feed us. They are also very beautiful, interesting, charming, colorful, standing straight or creeping along or even into the ground. Sometimes, when I stand by a tree, I feel as if the tree is talking to me. No wonder there are tree-huggers among us homo sapiens!
Scenery. The scenery on earth, large or small, is breathtaking if I am alert enough to see it. This is because nature grants us with a unique array of landscapes, from grand, magnificent mountains and sparkling blue lakes to spirited green forests and wide, far-reaching oceans. At times, the sheer beauty of larger panoramas or the smaller sights, like that of a single tree or a flower, leave me in awe.
Now that I've listed the three things, I'll also add to them the calming effect of nature on my mind. Feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin, the cool breeze on my face, or the refreshing touch of water connects me to the basic elements of Earth. The gentle rustling of leaves, the rhythmic sound of ocean waves, or the sound of a birdsong always soothe me and provide a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life. This is because nature has positive effects on my well-being by serving as a stress-reliever and offering relaxation.
In essence, I cannot contain nature in a blog post, nor can I show its diversity fully. This is because within itself, nature weaves an awesome, intricate, and beautiful web of life on our planet.
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February 27, 2024 at 12:46pm February 27, 2024 at 12:46pm
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Prompt: Tear Jerkers
Have you ever cried over a movie or serials or sad novels? What do you think brought on your tears?
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Crying over fictional works? I might have shed tears over stuff like that a few times, but I can only recall one such spectacular incident when I was a teenager. Funny, I can remember it even after several decades!
A friend of my family had invited me and a friend of mine who was a year younger than me to the movies. I think the name of the movie was Christine, and the actors were then-famous Alain Delon and Romy Schneider. It was the story of a love affair in which the male lead was killed in a duel at the end.
At the end of the movie, both I and my friend were in tears. We cried all the way home as the three of us walked, and our poor host was shocked by our reaction. He kept saying, "He shouldn't have been killed, but he could have been wounded on his arm." Today, I recall him repeating those words over and over more than the movie itself.
Why did we cry like that? I think, now, that it was more hormonal than anything else, as we were both in our teens. My friend, however, might have had a better reason than mine, as she had been made to stop a love relationship with a navy officer through her family's intervention.
Our and others' tears over a movie, serial, or novel may have to do with emotional connections to the story or the characters. Then, maybe, we, as human beings, are wired to feel empathy and we extend it to fictional characters.
Then, we might be releasing suppressed emotions from our daily lives, too. We cry because the story reminds us about our own losses and struggles.
Also, of course, the kudos for our tears can go to the beauty of the storytelling, writers, actors, and people who create such visual or written sad pieces.
All I can say is that tears can be caused by a multiple of factors, but ours when we were teenagers were the tears of our emotional reaction to the love-gone-bad theme. Still, I can't help but laugh now, when I recall the antics of that day when we watched "Christine."
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February 26, 2024 at 11:22am February 26, 2024 at 11:22am
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Prompt:
How does it feel not being able to see what is in front of you or ahead of you? Could this be due to smoke, fog, or haze or being worried about what the future holds?
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Once I had to drive through a street where on the side was a huge fire and we were led to drive in single columns. This four-way street had become densely clouded with smoke, doubt and fear.
The smoke became so dense that it enveloped everything around my car, and although I made sure the windows were shut tight, I did smell the burning. Then, I began coughing while trying to keep my eyes on where I am going and being careful not to hit the car in front of me. I tried not to panic but the acrid scent of the burning I couldn't get rid of. The worst was the uncertainty. It loomed like a shadow, and the fear and the thought of what lay ahead heightened the worry gripping me.
Yet, inside this haze, I felt a flicker of resilience and the determination to get out of there and to forge ahead. That was when a thought, a realization, dawned in me...a realization that some kind of a strength can be born in the face of adversity. True, my journey through the haze was scary to say the least, but afterwards, I congratulated myself for driving through, despite my obscured vision.
Yet, in hindsight, I also saw where I had gone wrong. This smoke was visible earlier while I was on the road. There were side streets and an alternate route I could have taken, but I hadn't. I hadn't used a proactive approach to my driving, despite my so-called adaptability and resilience during that stretch of that smoke-filled street.
In a way, I was both right and wrong. Although worrying about the future can be a bother for most of us, it can also become a driving force for personal growth. I think what the life coaches and religions tell us to do has great value in that making more informed choices can result in happier outcomes and better control on our lives.
Still, going through something awful has its own teaching value, too. That is when we realize where we went wrong and we try to be aware of where we are going and the challenges we may need to overcome. In addition, we have to live in the present very carefully, much more carefully than preparing for the future, so we can get out of the fog and the haze and the smoke and see our way much more clearly.
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February 24, 2024 at 10:20am February 24, 2024 at 10:20am
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Prompt:
Do you believe it's possible to love someone too much? Like maybe sometimes love just ain't enough... Your thoughts?
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Wow! A love question! To go with my belated love NL to come at the end of this month, instead of before Valentine's Day. 
But loving someone too much? And how much is too much?
I don't exactly know but I can guess I just might be guilty of it...or not. I'm not sure of this but like anything so intense, too much(?) love may not be enough since love as an emotion has its own pros and cons.
On the plus side, because of the feelings of deep connection and strong bond and support and understanding between the lover and and the loved one, plus their shared happiness, there is that emotional satisfaction, which probably can become some kind of a motivation for people to grow.
And we know that growth has its own arc that may take a person to new heights and let them discover new areas. This is where that "too much love" may fail, if the two parties grow in different ways and into different areas and their sights and modes of living turn into a conflict.
There may be other cons, too. Like too much codependency or too much fear of loss. Add to this unrealistic expectations...and...but here I go again... How can anyone have unrealistic expectations if there is love? Because I think with love comes acceptance, also.
And just maybe, self-love, which is a totally different subject, should come before "too much love" for another. Still, whether self-love should step on the podium for the first prize or not, life is complex as it is and why mess it up with "too much" of anything!
On the funny/ridiculous side, my recent blog posts are turning into me-debating-myself. Lol! 
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February 23, 2024 at 12:28pm February 23, 2024 at 12:28pm
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Prompt: Famous Painting
In the story/ movie Mary Poppins, Mary and Dick Van Dyke stepped into different paintings to explore. What famous painting would you step into and explore for fun?
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You know what? I love sunflowers, their height and openness, edible seeds, and happy colors. And I really like Van Gogh.
The problem is Van Gogh painted a whole slew of sunflower paintings and to pick one as a favorite is impossible and add to this my greedy nature that likes abundance and numbers...So, I'll start with his "Sunflower Field" and see how it goes.
When I look at the painting, I see a vast field of sunflowers, their golden petals reaching towards the sky under the warmth of the sun. Then, the expressive brushstrokes gives the flowers a dynamic quality, almost as if they are in motion. Motion is another one of my hangups in all arts, by the way, and here, the sunflowers are alive, dancing and swaying to the rhythm of nature. I feel like dancing with them in their color palette of yellow and gold, and I feel uplifted inside their radiance, thanks to Van Gogh's excellent manipulation of light and shade.
This painting, therefore, brings a sense of joy and life and admiration for the beauty of nature. Yet, still in nature, some kind of a melancholy exists, as it does in this painting, too, for to the left of the field is a huge cone shaped fir tree in darkened greens and to the far right a couple more such trees near a house. I think this shows the internal struggles we all face even if we try to see the brightness of life, as did Van Gogh.
Then, I also have to mention Van Gogh's sunflowers in a vase, that painting is titled as "Sunflowers." It makes me wonder if those flowers were from the field in the other painting I mentioned above, the "Sunflower Field". As we all know, the painter's brushstrokes suggest both a unique vision of zest and vitality and his inner storms. In this painting, too, the sunflowers are not just botanical subjects but they are symbols of life, beauty, and hope.
No wonder then, as soon as I read this prompt, Van Gogh's sunflower paintings popped up in my mind, pointing to my own appreciation of the sunflowers and human nature in its entirety.
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February 22, 2024 at 10:43am February 22, 2024 at 10:43am
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Prompt:
You are going to be trapped in a book for 30 days. Which book are you going to choose? Why this book?
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Most of my reading nowadays is digital, which means I'll have to be trapped in a digital book, online or in one of my devices. This is because I can control the fonts and the lighting on a digital device whereas a print book needs some outside intervention. So in my case, while thinking about this question, I thought, why should I be trapped in a single book instead of a series of books? Then, I asked myself, "Why not an encyclopedia?"
Absolutely! This is because encyclopedias provide a wide range of information on many subjects, covering various fields such as history, science, arts, geography and then some. Better yet, they are credible in their accuracy more often than not.
As to any specific encyclopedia, Britannica has a distinct place and it comes in digital forms, too. Yes, it would be fun to be trapped inside Encyclopedia Britannica.
I like this specific encyclopedia for its higher editorial standards that involve fact-checking, peer review, and constant updates. Plus, it has tradition and a very long history for being in existence since the 18th century. I especially like its educational value and no ads policy. This offers me some focus and distraction-free reading that I can fully enjoy.
Therefore, next time you search something inside the Britannica, see if you can sense me wandering around in it. 
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February 21, 2024 at 11:00am February 21, 2024 at 11:00am
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Prompt:
"The worst lies are the ones you tell yourself that your life will be fine."
Write about this in your Blog entry today.
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Internal falsehoods? Who isn't guilty of them at one time or another?
Yet, we learn, hopefully, most of the truths about --and/or-- concerning ourselves over the years. If we don't, we trap ourselves in a cycle of denial, which hinders personal development, and we miss the opportunities for positive change.
My first big lie to myself was about my mother, and not that she did anything wrong. I thought as a very young child, Mom was faultless, and she had the highest authority, and she never made mistakes. Wrong! But the wrong was mine, not hers. Later in my more grown-up years, facing the truth about Mom, that she could goof just as much as the next person, was such a shock that it damaged, for a short time, my views of her. It took me quite a while to realize that she was a mother and a human being just like every other mother or person with faults and erring sights about things.
Much later, I found about this in my psychology classes. I learned that most children go through what I went through. Did that make me wary of lying to myself about other things? Nope! Other lies did follow, but I think and hope that I caught most of them in time.
Consequently, it is only human and it probably is my modus operandi, at least at first sight, to find the good side in everything. Is this another deception or a hopeful wish, I am still working on solving this puzzle.
People like me, individuals, who deceive themselves, often create a distorted version of what is real and what is false. This may be due to the willingness to protect our egos and find a temporary refuge in the lies we tell ourselves. This may seem harmless in the beginning, but its long term effects point to self-delusion, a wrong perception of reality, and even a gradual loss of personal integrity. After all, if I can't trust myself, who can I trust?
Probably no one! Especially when the lies I and others tell ourselves pop up in various areas in life. Some of us force ourselves to think that our harmful habits, for example those bad for our health, are okay. Others may lie to themselves to justify an unethical behavior, telling themselves that if no one saw their bad deeds, all is fine.
But it is not. It is not because there is danger in evading the truth several times over as people find themselves trapped in a cycle of denial, which is against their very own well-being and progress in life. Instead, a truer understanding of oneself would help them much more.
Yet, such an understanding requires courage to face uncomfortable truths and to challenge beliefs that have become ingrained in the mind. This is because self-deception always builds protective, strong walls around itself and it takes a lot of work to bring those walls down.
Human behavior is complex and internal falsehoods can become a habit if we are not aware of them in time. Otherwise, we deny ourselves a more fulfilling life with positive change.
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February 20, 2024 at 11:01am February 20, 2024 at 11:01am
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Prompt: Fears of the Unknown
Do you have any fears of the unknown that sometimes make you feel uneasy? If so, for you which things, ideas or people would make you feel better or act like the safety net beneath a trapeze act?
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The unpredictability of things in the future can sometimes evoke fears in us human beings. Do I have such fears? I can't exactly pinpoint any; however, since the unknown usually happens in the future, I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Then, isn't death, which we are all facing at one time or another, is an unknown, too? But somehow, I don't fear death, maybe because it'll happen anyway.
Of course, this doesn't mean I don't have any fears. Right now, I fear a possible world war, but not just for me. I fear for the entire world and everyone in it, especially people and institutions I'm quite fond of.
Aside from its unpredictability, the unknown induces fear in me for being unfamiliar, for being in the future, in a situation I neither understand nor can adapt to. This is because new environments, people, ideas, or experiences can point to unfamiliar challenges that can be disorienting and can lead to fear, but at my age, I have so far learned how to dance with life and that is not a problem.
What would be a problem, though, would be something totally weird and scary showing up like a monster from outer space. As the likelihood of such a thing happening is close to nil, I don't even think of such far-out stuff. A world war, however, is something to fear as is the uncertainty of our world's current situation. This type of a future we can neither control nor adapt to, and this inability leads to feelings of being vulnerable and anxious.
Yet, facing the unknown--even war--is a powerful literary narrative device, producing stories of exploration, heroism, and self-discovery. In that way, fear of the unknown can also be a catalyst for creativity as it has been in the past. This means, in its essence, while the unknown can evoke fears and uncertainties, it also can become a source of inspiration and a potential for superhuman achievements.
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February 19, 2024 at 11:25am February 19, 2024 at 11:25am
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Prompt: Talents
What does the word "talent" mean to you? Then, what if you had a hidden talent that you didn't know you had? What do you think that talent could be?
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Talent, to me, is the inclination or the ability or some kind of a gift of the creation for something, and that's how we have child prodigies. Often, talents are undiscovered abilities that lie beneath a human being's personality.
As for me, I have always believed in the "One percent inspiration to 99% perspiration" idea, which can also mean that, here, 'inspiration' may equal or come close to being a talent. This is because nothing came to me out of the thin air or was easy to accomplish, unless I worked very hard for it.
Yet, there are hidden talents in most people. One common sign of hidden talents is their unexpected nature. People may go about their daily lives while being completely unaware of the extraordinary abilities they possess. It could be a knack for anything under the sun, such as playing a musical instrument, an uncanny talent for mimicry or humor, or a natural aptitude for solving complex problems. Sometimes, individuals might stumble upon their hidden talents by chance, often discovering a newfound passion or interest.
More often than not, I can recognize the hidden talents in others much easier than I can do in myself. This may be due to life being multi-faceted and the nature of individual abilities being varied.
In other words, hidden talents are the hidden gems within each one of us, waiting to be unearthed and polished. As for me, I'm too old to search for any hidden talents inside myself, and as for being old, chances are my hidden talent is being able to live through all sorts of things. In that way, I think I may just be quite talented!
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February 17, 2024 at 12:06pm February 17, 2024 at 12:06pm
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Prompt:
On February 17th, 1992, convicted serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to 15 consecutive life terms for a series of gruesome murders; he was later killed by a fellow prison inmate. What do you know about infamous serial killers?
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I know next to nothing about serial killers, but I remember the J. Dahmer case. He was just sick. That was what my husband (RIP) said at that time, and that, I think, is correct. This is such a gruesome subject, though. I guess human mind can alternate between sick and evil and good and Godly, even sometimes within the same person. It is important to keep in mind that there is no particular cause or reason for serial killing.
On the opposite side of the coin stand tall the totally godly and good natured people, living lives that are rich in virtue and kindness. They are the do-gooders who spread love and assistance to those who need it. I believe their assets are spiritual conviction, compassion for all creation, patience, forgiveness, generosity, peacefulness, humility, and integrity. They do what they do out of love for the humankind as this love rules at the core of their nature.
While on the subject, I thought of Mother Teresa for all she did, who had all the virtues I mentioned in the above paragraph. I also need to mention Mahatma Gandhi, MLK, Oskar Schindler, Florence Nightingale, and Nelson Mandela.
I know there are many other godly and good people like them in the world, even on this day, who are either unknown or they choose to stay unknown. Whoever they are, I'm truly thankful for their existence, their philanthropic efforts, humanitarian work, and acts of kindness. Without them, our human race couldn't have survived.
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February 16, 2024 at 12:26pm February 16, 2024 at 12:26pm
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Prompt:
Have fun with these random words in your entry today: museum, step, fuel, swipe, clay, brag, and suspicion.
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In my museum of memories, I dare to step
through halls of time where nostalgia's kept
artifacts of life, like clay--molded to shape--
fuel flames of the heart and cannot escape
I swipe across years and touch to my past,
each frame a story, forever to last
my right to brag in tears that etch the air
with suspicion of fate, yet love beyond compare.
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February 15, 2024 at 10:28am February 15, 2024 at 10:28am
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Prompt
What would a perfect day look like for you? Write about this in your Blog entry today.
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For something to be called perfect, it has to have no flaws in it. There are always flaws in my days, and if for nothing, the world news gets me. I think this may be because we humans were sent to this planet to learn and to adjust to adversities.
For that reason, as someone once said, "A perfect day is not about the absence of problems, but about finding peace within them." This may mean everything I do, see, hear and pay attention to either sets me up for feeling happy or puts another obstacle in my way.
Also, some people claim that building the day around a pre-set schedule adds to the happiness of the person. I sort of agree with that idea, as I usually write down the most important things to be done during the day before I start a day. Of course, nothing goes perfectly and, almost always, there are some glitches along the way, but that's okay. If I can't fulfill my to-do list for the day, so be it. I can always revise and redo things the next day.
In conclusion, I can't even think of what my perfect day would look like because our days can only be partially perfect, if there's such a thing as perfection. Maybe, if there were world peace, and everyone I ever loved were still alive and within reach, my body functioned well, I had no living and financial worries, and my house would or could have stayed perfectly clean, I might have had a near-perfect day.
Still, I wish for everyone for all their days and lives to be perfectly happy with their personal appreciation of nature's beauty, their families and friends, their circumstances, and their lives.
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February 14, 2024 at 10:31am February 14, 2024 at 10:31am
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Prompt: Valentine's Day.
Write about your thoughts about Valentines Day.
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Valentine's Day is for expressing love and affection and for celebrating relationships. Like any other celebration, Valentine's Day has its positives and negatives.
On the plus side, the day is for celebrating love in all its forms, which may strengthen bonds between partners, friends, and family members, although Valentine's Day is usually centered on romantic love. It is always a good move to take a break from our busy schedules and focus on relationships.
Yet, it is not only the relationships or any social connection. Valentine's Day with its gift giving customs impacts the economy, too, and store owners and others mostly use this day for gains in wealth.
Then, this day may encourage creativity, also. When in need of funds, many people craft handmade gifts, heartfelt notes, and come up with unique experiences.
On the negative side, disappointment from expecting and not getting grand gestures and perfects moments can darken people's moods. In addition, this celebration can cause emotional stress for people who have had breakups, loss of a partner, or other problems related to love and relationships. The day may bring about a negative effect on the environment as well, due to the waste generated by the packaging and discarded items.
Despite its negatives, however, I think of Valentine's Day to be a joyous occasion. After all, whatever can bring people together and can strengthen their existing bonds is a welcome effect for our society.
Happy Valentine's Day, today!
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February 13, 2024 at 11:12am February 13, 2024 at 11:12am
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Prompt: Firm Stance
“Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.”
Abraham Lincoln
Is standing-your-ground completely possible to achieve? What do you think being assertive means and how well can you do it?
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As much as I understand and appreciate assertiveness as an essential skill, I usually try to find a middle ground that could be beneficial to me and to the other person. Yet, there are some areas of life that standing firm on ones' beliefs is inevitable. I mean, we can't let other people walk all over us. There is a limit to infringing on my and anyone else's rights.
I was raised in a strict environment and I always thought I was a pushover...in the beginning. As a child and later a young person, I was quiet and accommodating, very much so, because I hid inside my books and reading and didn't mind the small disrespects. Then, when I was 21 and still in school, my mother pushed me to marry someone she handpicked. This time, I stood up for myself. I told her very seriously, "I'll marry someone I want, not who you want. If this is not doable for you, I'll leave you and your house, and don't expect to see me ever again." She had to back off. A year or so later, I married my husband (RIP), making the best decision of my entire life.
From where I stand, assertiveness is not being aggressive. It is a middle ground that doesn't threaten or violate the rights of anyone. Plus, it means I don't cross other people's boundaries, too. I try not to.
Having said all this, I don't think I am necessarily assertive, neither am I always standing firm. Yet, I stick to my principles and try not to be swayed by other external forces, because I found out, through my life experiences, that standing my ground increases my self-esteem and reduces stress.
As to the question of "Is standing one's ground completely possible to achieve," I don't think so, as here, the key word is "completely." This is because we can always negotiate and arrive at a better solution that can end up in aligning everyone's best interests. After all, standing firm doesn't mean about winning every argument and getting our way all the time.
To stand firm means, to me, respect for oneself and others and good communication and decision making. Yet, how do we do this proper assertiveness thing?
I believe, first of all, we have to know ourselves and our set values well enough, and then, we must not shy away from saying no without offering any apologies. Also, throughout the process, we have to maintain our composure and stay calm, so the other party gets us and our meaning. After all, respect for ourselves and for all other people is the most effective way to live.
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February 12, 2024 at 10:14am February 12, 2024 at 10:14am
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Prompt: Reading
“I have never known any distress that an hour’s reading did not relieve.”
Montesquieu
How does reading affect you?
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I think reading goes far beyond a passion. For the very young, it introduces them to the world that is not confined only to the immediate family, friends, and experiences.
I learned how to read at a very young age. As was told to me, I was two months short of being four years old when I read a full sentence. My mother says I learned the letters first by asking about them to my grandmother who showed me what they were and the sounds their connections made.
There's a lot more to this story but let me say, I haven't stopped reading, since. I guess I got hooked on the diverse topics, genres, and styles. My reading made me love words and that's probably why I studied, much later, linguistics and lit.
I have learned so much from reading. If I weren't reading, I wouldn't feel empathy for both sides of an issue. Take the World Wars, for example. I don't think I'd know about what both sides of the camps went through and how innocent people, even those considered "on the enemy side," were caught up in a terrible trap.
Then, during my personal bad times, reading served as a therapist, helping me detach from the issues that bothered me. To this day, reading still calms me down and heals. Immersing myself in a captivating story or exploring a fascinating topic provides an opportunity to detach from the disturbing or the bland areas of life and, hopefully, it entertains and educates, too.
I don't know this for sure, but it is also claimed by people who work on human psyches that reading improves focus and concentration. That may very well be true because when I get immersed in a story or an interesting subject, even the most disturbing thing or memory fades away.
Love of reading has been a lifelong companion for me, as it is a transformative experience, influencing not only what I learn but also my emotions, social interactions, and overall well-being.
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February 10, 2024 at 1:36pm February 10, 2024 at 1:36pm
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Prompt:
On February 10, 1957, Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the best-selling Little House series of children’s novels based on her childhood on the American frontier, dies at age 90 in Mansfield, Missouri.
Did you read any of the Little House series or watch the television series? Did you enjoy her writing style?
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I read the very first book sometime during my fifth and sixth grade years and I watched bits and pieces from the TV series, later. It felt interesting yet not-too-real to me. Laura in the story, seemed to be a wise alec to my then-mind in a way. But I liked their attic. The log cabin, early frontier life, the harsh realities, and the vivid descriptions and later scenes on the TV did give a glimpse of the challenges faced by the early settlers.
I never know how to answer a question about any author's writing style. Laura Ingalls-Wilder's style is her style as is every other writer's. If we didn't have our differences in our writing styles, then the entire literature would sound as if it were produced by a machine.
I appreciate, however, that she wrote from life as she witnessed the changes in American society and employed timeless themes of family, resilience and the human spirit.
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February 9, 2024 at 11:10am February 9, 2024 at 11:10am
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Prompt:
At approximately 8:12 p.m. Eastern time, Sunday, February 9, 1964 on the Ed Sullivan Show we were introduced to the Beatles. How many Beatle songs do you remember? What's your favorite Beatle song and why? Which Beatle did you like the best John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr or Paul McCartney?
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How do I recall the Beatles? Let me count the ways.
I think it began with the album Please, Please Me or was it the one With the Beatles? It was such a long time ago.
I distinctly remember my then best-friend and classmate wearing four small, red beatle-shaped jewelry on her coat's collar. In the beginning, I shrug off her "youthful exuberance," but then this was around the time when the so-called Beatlemania had started.
The group's other albums followed. I know their names through my friend who took an extra job to buy all their albums and her grades went down, and also, her thesis was delayed.
During the next few years, the Beatles' music evolved with more international and sophisticated ideas, like folk and Indian music, such as the Norwegian Wood. I recall even my mother tapping her foot to Eleanor Rigby. Beatles' innovations as a group found their best form in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Yes, they came up with many other albums, too, but I liked their songs best, maybe after they disbanded, for I found, then, more time in my life to listen to what had been and what I had missed.
Of their music, I like these songs the best: Let it Be, Hey Jude, Something, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, The Long and Winding Road and others.
Of all the Beatles, although it is hard to choose a favorite, I liked Paul Mc Cartney the best. After all, he was the composer/songwriter of the group who sang the Silly Love Songs.
Like I said earlier, it was such a long time ago!
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February 8, 2024 at 11:55am February 8, 2024 at 11:55am
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Prompt:
Do you wish you had a garden of different flowers and each flower you picked gave you a great story writing idea? Better, yet, each story you wrote was a novel and a best seller. Write about this for your Blog entry today.
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This is a fun prompt to write for. Forget about any best seller. Just concocting a story behind each flower is a treat. I used to garden a lot in my earlier years, so the subject is dear to me. I think I might be able to find inspiration from the folklore and the unique qualities of different flowers.
I'll start with a shy flower that overcame its shyness for the good of the society: The violet. In a society where emotions are suppressed, violets showed empathy to the populace. Encouraged by the violets' empathy, a rebel group, with awakened minds and hearts, lead to an uprising against a cruel government and they win. Well, not always, but I do like winning stories.
Now, if I wanted a semi-horror story, I would go with the red poppy. Here the story goes: In a fantasy realm, a dream-weaver accidentally creates a nightmarish creature. Then a hero has to journey into the dream realm to set things right. Thus, the theme of the story explores fear, courage, and the duality or the subconscious mind.
So to ease things a bit, let me go ask a daisy for a story. Let's assume that a magical daisy field has the power to show people their true loves. A young man and a woman who have just had a fight stumble upon this field of daisies where they confront the reality of their relationship as daisies reveal to them their personal truths and the strong emotions they didn't expect they were having. So, they make up and live happily ever after.
Now, how about a flower story that originated from the rainforest? Let's say an exotic orchid holds the secret to a life-saving serum. A botanist, who first discovers the medicinal properties in a dying orchid in his wife's garden, teams up with an explorer to find the live species of that orchid before a ruthless corporation does. The orchid's rarity leads these two people through a dangerous landscape and tests their survival and morals.
Then, maybe a magical treasure story with a sunflower is in the works. A field of sunflowers turn to gold at sunset, a legend claims. A passer-by after hearing the legend, discovers a fantastic realm right under the sunflower-field where sunflowers are the guardians of a sunken treasure. Then the passer-by sets upon a magical adventure.
Last but not the least, the beautiful rose who inspires lovers has walked into my thoughts. A skilled botanist and magician thinks he can extract and bottle emotions. For that end, he uses roses to capture the essence of love and he is very successful. Then, when he finds his own true love and uses the essence of the rose on her. He misses, however, the experience of a genuine, unforced love. Will he be able to come clean and face the consequences of his actions or will he continue to live the lie?
I mean, I can go on and on weaving stories around flowers. After all, they are inspirational just as much and maybe even more than the other elements of nature. Also, just like the flowers, birds and all other animals and spending time in nature inspire a sense of awe in me, allowing me to consider the different ways of looking at things and finding new ideas.
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February 7, 2024 at 12:11pm February 7, 2024 at 12:11pm
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Prompt: Reading stories by your favorite authors, living or dead.
As you read their stories, do you feel like you have a friendship with the author? Write about this in your Blog entry today.
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This is a huge subject that I could write volumes on. As to a friendship with the author? I don't know, but I love to see or to glimpse at how their writing mind works; therefore, since they let me in through their writing, some kind of a friendship is formed in a way, be it one-sided.
Reading itself is a delightful and deeply absorbing experience that transcends the boundaries of time and space. Reading classic authors, as a general rule, offers an intense exploration of the human condition and timeless themes, while contemporary stories provide a mirror to the present.
What I love about reading is that when I read an engrossing story or a novel, my own reality becomes an alternating reality. Take the 13th century poet and story-teller Rumi's stories in verse in Mathnavi, for example. I find inspiration and solace in his timeless words and thought because they address the humanity's quest for meaning and connection to the world and the divine.
Then, Dostoyevsky's novels, my earliest literary loves during my teenage years, delve deep into the human psyche, with characters in existential dilemmas, psychological torment and moral contradictions. I can't forget that Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov invited me into a world where the battle between good and evil is waged within the human soul.
On the comical side, the first Dostoyevsky book I read for a seventh-grade book report, Notes from Underground, made the teacher get in touch with my mother, warning her to be careful with me because for a young teen to be so involved with such a gloomy book signaled emotional danger. The other students' reports were on books like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, etc. In my present opinion, Notes from Underground is a great book, still, and I think my seventh grade teacher acted on the zealous side.
Charles Dickens, the Victorian novelist, is another author I have enjoyed reading for he paints vivid pictures of social issues and human conditions of his time and place. In Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities, he masterfully shows the injustices of his time and the harsh realities of class divisions, with memorable characters. The way he writes of the society of his time probably influence contemporary writers to reflect on disturbing social challenges of our time.
Talking about our time, I have to mention the magical worlds crafted by J.K. Rowling, and Haruki Murakami's vision of his world and his unique story-telling. Then, others like Dave Eggers and his other contemporaries provide a mirror to the present, reflecting the complexities and challenges of our modern era with different themes and story-telling styles.
I am absolutely sure that I left out quite a few authors I would have loved to mention but this is only a blog post and not an entire book. Needless to say, I'm a reading nut and most authors are my sources of emotional connection as if they're my best buddies, due to their personal and intellectual effects on me.
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