dailyprompt – Page 24

Life’s Certainties

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BIRTH

It is a biological event which remains a constant and therefore, a certainty.

DEATH

We will meet our maker at some point and this is a certainty. It is an inevitable aspect of human existance.

TAXES

Benjamin Franklin once said, “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

LIFE

It doesn’t stop for anyone. Life goes on regardless of birth, death, breakups and grief. It moves and if you want to keep up, you’ve got to move too or be left behind.

TIME

This commodity is precious. Not realizing that time is precious is one of the things humans do and we do it with relish. However, there is a limited amount of time that is allocated and putting it to good use is of the utmost importance.

LIFE IS FLEETING

This is a certainty because everything in life eventually changes and comes to an end.

PAIN

There are no ifs or buts about this one. Pain is a certainty of life. It can come both in the physical or emotional form and it is a natural part of the human experience.

CHANGES

Nothing stays the same forever no matter how much we want it to. Changes are part and parcel of life.

WE DON’T KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS

This is a part of our human experience. Life would be easier if we knew why some things happen the way they do but no chance there. Maybe at some later point in time, the answers will be revealed to us.

THE PAST HAS AN EFFECT

Last but not least, the past does leave its mark on us, good or bad, it has an effect on us and this too is a certainty. Our past experiences do shape our present thoughts, behaviors, and emotions AND our reactions to life.

Wow, that was a long list! Time for three cups of coffee. Mornings are not made for this much thinking!

Daily writing prompt

List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain.

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Security or Adventure?

Hmm….it used to be adventure but I tend to seek security nowadays. Those adventurous days are over with. I’m not a risk taker, never have been but I did do some stuff I wouldn’t do today!

These days life is on an even keel and I like it that way. The adventurous spirit is still somewhere deep down inside but it seldom shows its face. The calmer one is front and center and life is not about the adrenaline rush anymore, but more about how to find the peace I’m seeking. To do that, I need to find out what gets me going in that direction. Security is at the top of my list. I like feeling safe with a safety net below me. It got ripped apart with the death of the good friend because he was always there to make sure I was safe and I felt safe with him. Now, that he is gone and after free falling back to earth, I needed to find my footing again. It took some time but I am learning to stand back up and to feel safe within the safe zone I’m creating for myself.

It’s hands down security simply because I breathe easier and feel calmer when I know that I don’t have to worry about what is coming up. Okay, life has its own thoughts on that but I’ll deal with it when it shows up!

Daily writing prompt

Are you seeking security or adventure?

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What Gets Better With Age?

Good question but I have no clear-cut answers for you. One thing I know is that my perceptions of certain things have changed with time. I also know that those things I thought were important at a certain stage in my life are no longer as important as they were.

In my younger days, I used to think that “looks” were important. If he was good-looking, dark and handsome I was all in. Add a gorgeous smile and I was hooked. Later I found out that sometimes looks are deceiving. There isn’t much there when you dive deeper. Sometimes intelligence is sorely lacking and after two dates, there is absolutely nothing to talk about but the mundane and the boring!

I’m older and wiser now. Looks don’t matter as much now. There has to be a minimum but it doesn’t make or break a relationship. What gets better with age? I think it is wisdom. You learn from your mistakes, you try not to repeat them again and you just know more about life and how it works. Not that you can get an handle on it, but you get adept at dealing with what life throws your way and that is a good thing. I also have the wisdom to know when to leave a table especially when nothing good is being served there. This is something new because I used to be like a dog with a bone and now it rolls over like water over a duck’s back! Perhaps it is wisdom or perhaps “aging’ brings on a new persona, one that is not all based on drama! Anyway, there is a difference in how I deal with things and it seems to be in a more mature way.

Daily writing prompt

What do you think gets better with age?

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Bedtime and Wake Up Times

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Why do you want to know? Just kidding. I go to bed early and some friends say it is way too early because most of them go to bed at around 11 or 11:30 p.m. or much later. I would like to stay up later but when 8 p.m. rolls around my eyes and my yawns tell me it is time to head to bed for a goodnight’s rest. Some days it is easy. My head hits the pillow and I am off to dreamland. Other days, well, Chachi comes into play. The little brat wants to play and when he sees me dozing off, he jumps over my head. He is a precisionist and I don’t know how he does it, but jumping on the bed and missing my face by mere inches is a skill he has mastered. However, it doesn’t calm the nerves and when he has my attention, my full attention, he jumps off and goes on his merry way. Those days, it takes a little while longer for me to fall asleep.

Wake up time is usually 5:30 in the morning. Not because I want to but because Little Macho dictates it that way. This morning it was 5 a.m. and I was ready to wring his neck but instead he got a kiss, a few kisses actually. At this rate, he’ll never learn but who cares. We headed downstairs and it was still dark outside. By 8:30, I had finished everything I needed to do! So I took off to the convenience store in the village to pick up a few things, made small talk with a neighbor and came back feeling like my day was almost over!

Nothing set in stone but that’s the routine most days as far as going to bed and my waking up times. What do I do the rest of the day? I’ve got to keep moving so I find things or places in the house to clean out, go for walks, write and sip on tea. I have a laid-back vibe going and I’m liking it because it is giving “stress” a run for the money AND winning!

Daily writing prompt

What time do you go to bed and wake up currently?

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Strategies I Use

Currently there are many strategies I use to increase comfort in my daily life. First thing is not to set the alarm clock. I have nowhere to go and not much to do so life doesn’t revolve around getting up at a certain time and a rigid schedule. I can do as I please and that is a great place to be in.

Candles

I love them and I love burning them. The scented ones with lovely light scents are my favorite and I usually have one or two going. I read an article recently that candles with oils in them may not be a good thing for cats so I use the naturally scented ones. Sometimes, Chachi, the cat, sniffs the air and gives me one of his Macho Pants looks.

“What you got going there mommy?!! The whole place stinks!”

Yes, he is happiest when everything reeks of tuna!

A Cold Bedroom

This is another strategy I love. In the US, I used to have the AC going 24/7 and the bedroom was very cold with lots of blankets to cuddle under. Here, I have to make do with fans but still I love a cool or rather a cold room. I sleep better that way.

Teas

I love them all. Green tea for inflammation, Fennel and Anise tea for the stomach, herbal teas for just about anything and Hibiscus tea for the skin. They also have a calming effect on me although I like coffee too but I stick to two cups a day of the dark brew and the rest of the time, I’m sipping tea.

Cheesecake

Yes, you guessed it. It still has a hold on me. I’m down to a slice every other day but it still has a tight grip on me. I found a new recipe for Keto Blueberry Cheesecake which is supposed to not have any of the bad stuff. Made some muffins yesterday using this recipe and it was delicious without none of the guilt. However, cheesecakes do UP the comfort factor, just a slice with a cup of coffee is heaven and since I don’t have anything else to measure it up to now, it is the next best thing to HEAVEN!

SLEEP

I need my 8 hours a night or else I am a Grumpus and even Chachi keeps his distance. A lot of planning goes into getting that amount of sleep. A nice shower, roomy and comfy pjs, a bedtime tea, meditation, light music……get the picture? I have to calm myself down to sleep well. So far so good.

Those are some of the things I do to increase the comfort factor in my daily life. It works for me and it keeps me where I need to be. Calm, collected, full of energy and purring like a cat!

Chachi disagrees but what does he know!

Daily writing prompt

What strategies do you use to increase comfort in your daily life?

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An Exciting Future

There are two things I am excited about as far as the future goes. One is to see if that elusive guy shows up. The one who is somewhere out there and who has trouble finding his way to me. Or perhaps I have put up too many roadblocks along the way that no matter how hard he tries, there is no getting through. It could be that too. I’m good at building a dam or rather a moat so that no one gets across. However, I’m excited to see if he makes it across. It is going to take effort and a single-minded focus to get to me plus some expertise at getting over those hurdles.

The other thing I am excited about is my book. It is nearing the completion phase. How long will that take? Lord only knows. In the meantime, I’ve completed the second book. It is a sequel to the first one. Chachi, the cat, plays a cute and feisty character and it has been accepted. I’m waiting to see how the first book goes before the next one goes in.

Good things are on the horizon and fingers crossed that things work out the way they’re supposed to. One can only hope for the best and pray that all goes well.

Life, are you listening? Let’s make this happen.

Daily writing prompt

What are you most excited about for the future?

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Bad Relationships

I would definitely let go of a bad relationship for the sake of harmony. Gone are the days of holding on and hoping that things will change for the better and in so doing letting “harmony” go to pieces.

These days, harmony is my priority. I’ve worked very hard to get to that point where harmony and peace of mind is of the utmost importance. So any guy who walks in carrying his baggage and his only goal is to disrupt that peace is shown the door pretty quickly. There are those who love disrupting who you are, what you stand for and who think that just their presence is enough to keep you running circles around them. It used to be the case before but not anymore. I’ve emerged as a stronger person and in order to do that, I had to fight fire with fire.

I would definitely let go of a bad relationship. The kind that is just one-sided, one that doesn’t contribute to your well-being and the ones you know is not going anywhere but taking you down with them. Letting go is hard but for my peace of mind, I need to let it float out the door.

Harsh? Well, sometimes harshness works better than anything you can say to them. I know what you’re thinking. At this rate, she’s not going to find that special someone. You may be right so it’s a wait and see approach now. I know what I want, if he’s out there that is another question!

Daily writing prompt

What could you let go of, for the sake of harmony?

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Pop, Rock, Country and Jazz

I like listening to music but I like easy listening best. Something smooth and mellow and one that goes over easy. Perfect example would be Katie Melua. The Georgian British singer and songwriter has a voice that I can listen to forever and forever. Her songs are a blend of jazz, folk, blues and pop.

Country is another genre I like. Not the old country songs that go deep in twang but the modern ones are pretty good. I love Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley and Eric Church. I’m sure there are more but can’t think of them right now. Modern country is more pop-influenced and it is more polished versus old country which focused on working-class struggles, nostalgia, heartbreak and had a more raw and authentic sound.

I do like classical music but not all the time. Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms are some of my favorites but it is not something I listen to all the time. I have to be in the mood for it and it doesn’t happen all the time.

They say music calms the savage beast and when I feel myself heading in that direction, I turn to one of the above to soothe a frazzled nerve or to just let myself float on air. It is also a nice way of relaxing.

Daily writing prompt

What is your favorite genre of music?

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My Most Memorable Vacation

It wasn’t all good. Some parts were great and others I could have done without. One of the things we shouldn’t have done was to take our five-year-old with us. That was a major faux pas!

We went to Singapore and later to Penang in Malaysia. Our “little terror” wasn’t used to the hot weather and crowds so he became a seasoned complainer. On one hand, he was really happy about the people. They were overly friendly to him and even offered to buy him from us. We should have taken the offer! He was a cutie but a little rascal to boot.

My ex had never been there before so it was an eye-opener for him. The food was great especially the “Chili Crabs.” It was finger-licking good. The place was clean and green but most of all we loved the food there. Our little guy was learning to swim at the time so his dad had him in the hotel pool every chance he got and the added attraction were the monkeys in the trees surrounding the pool! It was a major distraction. However, he didn’t learn to swim in Singapore. It was in Penang when he finally swam halfway across the pool! That was memorable especially the proud smile he wore on his face.

Malaysia was great as well. However, the traffic was scary. We were in Kuala Lumpur and had to cross a busy road and believe me, it was terrifying. The way to get across was to wait till there was a break in traffic and run across! We managed somehow but it was not my thing. The food was fantastic, the people friendly and it had a laid-back vibe. We stayed with friends and every morning we could see the monkeys making their way through the trees heading to wherever they were going and every evening they would come back the same way.

One of the things we learned during that trip was to stop spoiling the little brat! I remember one incident in Singapore along the East Coast right by the beach when he pulled a temper-tantrum because something didn’t go the way he wanted. His face was bright red, his veins popping out in his neck when he started to scream his head off. My ex and I found a seat and watched as he screamed his a** off! People would walk up to him and try to console him but it only made things worse.

It was a memorable trip but it had both good and bad parts to it for all the reasons I mentioned above.

Daily writing prompt

Describe your most memorable vacation.

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Subjects of Authority?

I don’t consider myself an authority on any one subject. Some subjects I am good at because of what I have lived through like grief, murder and the aftermath, and relationships and others I gloss over, glad that I don’t have to give it too much attention.

I know that grief takes a long time to dissipate. It hangs on and it takes but a little reminder to bring it all rushing back just like it was yesterday. I also know that time does make the pain less and time also erases the vividness, that is a godsent. However, grief is yours alone to bear and others may offer help but when it comes down to it, you are the carrier and you have to deal with it.

Murder is something that I never thought would visit my family. We were upper- middle class and we lived in a safe neighborhood or so it seemed. When murder comes visiting it doesn’t care where you live, who you are and what you’re about. It has the ability to cross lines and being in the wrong place at the wrong time is all it takes. I also know that long after the person is gone, the after-effects keep on coming. It takes strength, it takes courage and it takes forgiveness to let go and to move on. However, it doesn’t happen overnight, it takes a long time before that happens.

I can’t say I am an expert on relationships but my problem was that I believed in forevers. So when my marriage took a dive after many years, I was devastated. I didn’t see it as being married to the wrong person but instead I took it personally. When it broke and went down, I went down with it. It took a long time to come out of that rabbit hole and to live life again. The after-effects are still felt but it is a lesson learned and one I don’t want to repeat.

I speak from experience but not as an authority on any one subject. I think experience sometimes makes you an expert because you learned what you didn’t really want to learn but because of life and its idiosyncrasies there was no choice but to pick up the pieces and to keep on going.

Daily writing prompt

On what subject(s) are you an authority?

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