The Writing101 Challenge for Today is More a Way of Life than a Challenge for Me
I signed up for a blogging challenge through WordPress called writing101 which involves a daily writing prompt. When I received the prompt for tomorrow (the challenge is only supposed to run on weekdays), I had to laugh out loud.
The challenge is to write for twenty minutes, stream of consciousness, then publish whatever comes out.
As it is Passover, I Find it Appropriate to Ask “Why is this Day any Different than any Other Day?”
As regular followers of my blog have probably already realized, I write and publish stream of consciousness posts about 85-90 percent of the time. Thus, my obvious amusement at being set such a task.
I will, however, follow the guidelines and just ramble on like I usually do, so the next thought which pops into my brain is the recent full moon and lunar eclipse.
According to a lot of the Spiritualists, this moon was supposed to get us to release things from our past and be clear and ready to move on into our New Human place. Being contrary by nature, I not only can’t figure out what I’m supposed to be releasing, but seem to be holding on to whatever-it-is as well. Even my friends both old and new have noticed that I’m not really myself lately. I have been keeping more to myself and, I guess, don’t have my usual spark.
Yes, Please, I Will Take Another Nap
On top of being edgy, touchy and disinclined to seek the company of humans (as usual, my cats are my company of choice), my body has joined the parade with plugged up ears, sinus issues and knots in both shoulders which refuse to release, despite my very definite order to RELEASE everything, regardless of what it might be or whether I’m even conscious of it. I’m also struggling with what is apparently not really a new concept; a single space after a period. It is so ingrained in me to hit the dad gum space bar twice after a period that I have to make myself consciously aware of it when I’m typing my blog posts, for fear of appearing as old as I am!
Fortunately, as the first draft of my book is stream of consciousness as well, I can go back later and take out those pesky second spaces. Why did they have to go and change the stupid rules anyway? Especially if they didn’t tell the rest of us? I find it inordinately rude!
Being Told to Write Stream-of-Consciousness is Sort of Like Telling Someone Not to Think About an Elephant Wearing a Bikini
Like the silly elephant, my mind simply can’t stop thinking and just flow, any more than it can stop putting two spaces after a period! But I’m never one to back down from a challenge, and I’m already thirteen minutes in, so another seven should be cake, right?
As my mind wanders to cake, I’m reminded of the peeps cake I saw on Facebook yesterday, and my daughter, who really never backs down from a challenge’s assurance that at some point, she’ll probably recreate the cake. As one who has never particularly enjoyed that mushy, sugary concoction, I’m afraid I’d be horrified if I cut into a cake and had dozens of those creatures spilling out of the inside. (I’d almost rather see spiders! Then I’d know not to eat it!) The only saving grace is that the potential victim is forewarned as the cake is made in the shape of a giant peep. Talk about truly horrifying!
Fortunately, my ramble is coming to an end as the minutes on the clock on my computer (oh those nasty repetitive prepositions!) tells me I have less than six minutes left to drone on about peeps, spaces and prepositions. I do hope the future challenges are a bit more…challenging. Not to mention, more interesting to my readers who have come to expect at least a modicum of entertainment from my daily, or almost daily brain dump. I even give you a rant on occasion, though admittedly, I try to keep that to a minimum.
Uh oh. Another topic rears its ugly head. For many years, I failed to shield myself well from the drama of other people and as a result, got sucked into more than my share of personal issues where I clearly didn’t belong. But I think I finally have that licked. Whenever anyone tries to draw me into one of those energy sucking drama parties, I have decided that I will just smile beatifically and say “Not my circus, not my monkeys” I’ve already learned that simply uttering those words makes people smile and gives me time, if I deem it necessary to either change the subject entirely or vacate the premises. Either way, I remain drama free. As an added bonus, I can tolerate the company of humans long enough to get a few hours of dancing in, or whatever other pursuit I choose where humans just naturally congregate.
I leave you now with a healthy dose of imaginary heart shaped confetti, monkeys flinging bananas from a coconut tree and my usual gratitudes to inspire you or at least make you smile.
1. I am grateful for challenges great and small as they make me push myself beyond what I already know I can do.
2. I am grateful that this first writing101 challenge is within my wheelhouse, but look forward to pushing past the simple and normal over the next month or so.
3. I am grateful for friends who understand my quirks, yet care enough to ask anyway.
4. I am grateful for a couple of lazy days with which to allow anything that needs to leave me, energetically, physically, emotionally or biologically to go its merry way and leave me to expand and grow into the space it leaves.
5. I am grateful for abundance: joy, friendship, inspiration, love, growth, strength, passion, balance, harmony, peace, health and prosperity.
Blessed Be
And now for some shameless self-promotion:
I’d love it if you’d visit my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SheriLevensteinConawayAuthor?ref=aymt_homepage_panel and my website, www.shericonaway.com. I’ve created these pages as a means of positive affirmation and would be very grateful if you’d “like” them or leave a comment! Thank you!
