dailyprompt – Page 33

What I Learned in High School?

What did I learn in high school? I remember it was hectic, I was learning to adjust again and I was learning to take responsibility for my actions. I also learned that if I applied myself diligently I would get good grades and if I didn’t well I would have trouble at home!

Besides that, I met the ‘devil’ in the form of my Math teacher! I was teacher’s pet as far as the English teacher was concerned but the Math teacher was something else. He taught me how to hate Math with my whole being! He would say to me, “Tia, if only you were as good in Math as you are in English but you are not!” So I decided to get better. I would copy the answers from this good-looking boy in my class. The problem was I would have the workings all wrong but I had correct answers! Proud of myself, I would hand it in only to have this guy call me to the front of the class telling me to explain how I came up with the answers. He made Math class a living nightmare! Dad wasn’t any better. He was a Math whizz so he couldn’t understand why I was so dumb! The both of them together added to my disdain of Math and all things that had to do with that horrible subject.

I realize I could have been a whizz too if only they had gone about it a different way. So I learned to hate Math in high school. Not a big loss because I found out later that I had it in me, and I could do the basics pretty well but anything complicated and my brain shuts down! Numbers are not words and that is another problem right there!

Daily writing prompt

Describe something you learned in high school.

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A Positive Change in My Life

If there is one positive change I have made in my life then it is that I don’t let outside events control how I react to things. It used to be that if something didn’t go my way or if something turned out bad or if a relationship didn’t work out for whatever the reason, I would play it around in my head until it became a monster problem and it was able to wreck my days for weeks on end.

Those days are over with. These days I look at the problem and come with workable solutions. It may take days before I get a handle on it but I don’t let it, whatever it is, get the better of me. I am at a point where I am getting clarity as to what I want and what doesn’t work for me. I am also taking the attitude that if something doesn’t work, it is alright. There will be other opportunities to make it better and this attitude is working in my favor. Gone are the days of taking everything and shredding it to pieces and looking for the answers within that scope. My thinking has evolved and I am much stronger but I also realize that things will always happen, it is life, but I don’t have to take it for a ride each time it happens. I am calmer, more at peace and there is a sense of achievement there.

Daily writing prompt

Describe one positive change you have made in your life.

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The Most Fun Way to Exercise

I think anything is fun if you enjoy doing it. I love walking and I walk almost everyday and what makes it fun is that I am surrounded by nature which is an added bonus. I am not only getting fit but I find peace and calm while I’m doing it.

Yoga is another go to method of getting fit. I can do this beautiful fitness routine in the privacy of my home and that makes it fun. Chachi, the cat, joins me most days and sometimes doing the Downward Dog pose gets challenging with him running in and out and some days I burst out laughing and we wind up cuddling. I think that was his goal all along. 😉

Cardio and weight training is a must. I say a “must” because in my mind it is. I am a fitness fanatic and I workout seven days a week. I’ve been told to back off and take a break but it goes in one ear and out the other. Workouts keep me energized and those cheesecakes I keep talking about don’t have a chance of adding a pound or two meaning I am where I should be weight-wise but it takes effort and focus to keep it going day in and day out.

I love working out so whatever I do to keep fit is fun and I don’t need props or anything else to make it fun. However, I love having Little Chachi as my trainer or rather he thinks he is. Some days he sits on the bed and watches me and when there is a break, I reach over and plant kisses on his forehead and that is his reward for staying out of my way. He loves it and it makes working out fun.

Daily writing prompt

What’s the most fun way to exercise?

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The Thorn Birds

According to Colleen McCullough, “the thorn bird spends its entire life tirelessly searching for a thorn tree. Once the tree is located, the thorn bird impales itself on its thorns and sings a beautiful song as it dies,” and it will be the first and only time the thorn bird will sing.

This is a book that kept me riveted to the very end. I’ve read it three times now and I know everything there is to know about it. It is one of the greatest novels of our time and McCullough does a magnificent job of taking us through a journey of forbidden love but most of all it is about a young girl who refuses to give up her dream of being with the wrong guy and the saga that ensues.

Four-year-old Meggie meets Father Ralph and the wheels of destiny starts turning. He is much older than her and a priest at that but there is an instant connection. Father Ralph faces a losing battle as he tries to steer away from her but she is like a beacon that keeps beckoning. The relationship and conflict will take you on a journey, one that will have you rooting for them. I did. It is a heart-rending story which will also keep you spellbound to the very end.

It is definitely a good read if you are into romance and into the kind that will have your tears flowing. I’m a romantic at heart and if a story grips my heart, I’m all in. This one did and I would definitely read it again!

Daily writing prompt

What book could you read over and over again?

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Elizabeth Bennet

I would choose her because I think we have many similarities. If you don’t know who she is, she is the second daughter in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Someone told me not too long ago that I reminded him of her simply because she is set in her ways like I am or as he put it, COMPLICATED.

However, there is more to her than meets the eye. One of the things I admire about her is that she didn’t let societal pressure sway her and since I am stronger now than I used to be, I don’t let anything or anyone sway me as well. I am my own person, not a good thing always but I find it to be a good thing.

She expresses herself with wit and humor and I think I tend to do that. I have this funny bone that shows up more often than not. The problem is I tend to break out in laughter when I am by myself and when I see humor in a certain situation I burst out laughing. Chachi, the cat, thinks I’m crazy but he loves me regardless. The negative aspect of this character is that she forms opinions quickly and that is a death sentence for any relationship. It is the same with me. A new relationship is on shaky ground from the get go and I shut it down without batting an eye if I see red flags. Elizabeth also has a strong sense of morality and integrity and so do I. However, those two things do bring their own brand of problems because some say I am a stick in the mud but I stick to who I am and that too is a problem. You will see Elizabeth developing her character throughout the novel learning to understand how love and relationships work and she finally finds happiness with Mr. Darcy while I am still looking for him! At this rate, I don’t think he is going to show up.

Daily writing prompt

If you could be a character from a book or film, who would you be? Why?

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CATS!

I am biased on this one. I love cats! Perhaps not all cats but the two I’ve had. The first one I rescued on a stormy night. He was barely a few weeks old but I found him and his two siblings abandoned and could only keep one. I took Twitty because the orange ball of fur with the huge dark eyes just captivated me right from the start. I learned at that time that cats are emotional creatures. Somehow even at that young age, Twitty had formed a bond with his siblings. The day I took them away was a sad one. When I came home, Little Twitty gave me hell. He rattled the cage he was in and meowed constantly. He missed his siblings terribly. However, within a short period of time he adjusted to his new life. Cats are low maintenance so they make great pets. Give them food and water and they take care of the rest. They are loving creatures and they show love without being coerced into it. Twitty was my constant companion but he is gone now but the memories remain of a wonderful and beautiful soul.

Chachi, the cat, was a gift from a friend who passed away. I didn’t want another cat at the time because losing them brought too much sorrow. The friend didn’t listen and showed up with the little guy. I kept my distance and didn’t want to open my heart to him. He walked up, put one paw on my leg, looked up at me and I fell. We have a mutual love for each other, one that borders on the ridiculous at times! He follows me around and I talk to him whenever I get the urge and he listens like a pro. The best part is no talking back!

Cats are beautiful creatures. They are soft and gentle and there is so much wisdom behind those eyes. It’s hard to know what they are really thinking but who cares! He comes running when I call, stares adoringly even if I’m not looking my best and is ready for a kiss and a cuddle. The problem is I spoil them too much and they think they run the roost! Little Chachi thinks he wears the pants and taking the whip away from him is next to impossible! He doesn’t know it but I’m still the BOSS! I do think cats make the best pets.

Daily writing prompt

What animals make the best/worst pets?

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Volunteer Work

I like volunteering my time and energy for a worthy cause. Working in a hospital for a couple of hours a week would be great but hospitals are sad places and it brings back some bad memories so that would be out of the question for now.

Serving in a soup kitchen would be something I can really get into and it would be rewarding as well. It wouldn’t bring material benefits but that is not what volunteering is about. It is about giving your time freely and helping the needy. I think it would be a perfect fit and I would do that job for free gladly.

Daily writing prompt

What job would you do for free?

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Figure-Skating

I find it elegant and oh so graceful. It’s incredible how they (the skaters) can glide over ice and do what they do with so much ease. I can spend hours watching them and I did try it, ice-skating, but I found out that I am a major klutz when it comes to skating along with other things!

I recall I was in Alabama at the time. A group of us went to a huge skating rink there. I had never skated before and at first I wanted to get out there but after a few falls I realized this sport wasn’t for me. Even with two people holding me, one on each side, I kept falling! It was embarrassing to say the least and I couldn’t wait to get out of the rink AND I saw my dreams of being a ice dancer go up in flames!

Watching the beautiful and graceful skaters do their thing as they move around the ice so effortlessly is mesmerizing. It is one sport I can spend hours watching AND live vicariously through them!

Daily writing prompt

What Olympic sports do you enjoy watching the most?

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Inclusivity

I would try adding inclusivity programs. The village is old and the people mostly set in their ways. They view all newcomers with suspicion. Most of them grew up here and have never left home. It is not only a village that embraces old worldviews and ideals but it is also steeped in tradition. Sometimes I think it is a village that time forgot, the old cobblestone streets hold secrets and a rich history is part and parcel of its makeup. The outside world is frightening and they view everyone who comes in from somewhere else with suspicion first and so people who dare to come in here have a hard time integrating and no matter how hard they try, it is a losing battle.

When I first came here, I was met with the same. However, it took learning the language and a smile each time I came across resistance to break through that wall. It is home to me now and the people see me as one of them but others are not so lucky. So I would start some kind of grassroots program bringing people together, a safe zone where they can learn about each other, experience the different kind of foods offered and try to break down that wall! The village is close-knit so it won’t be easy but where there is a will, there is a way as they say.

Daily writing prompt

How would you improve your community?

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Covid-19

It came out of nowhere and kept us captive for a long long time. Things changed and life was all about that mask and those tests. I hated it but it was needed at the time.

I don’t remember much except that people were distrustful of each other and staying home was warranted. Life was a blur because I was going through something else. Something very emotional. A close friend was in the last stages of life and I remember how difficult it was to see him in the hospital. Hospital visits were not allowed. He was in ICU and I wasn’t allowed to visit. When he came out of it, visitations could only be made after a Covid test was done and you were pronounced Covid-free. I remember how frustrated I used to get about all the extra time needed to just make a hospital visit. This went on for several weeks and it drained me of energy.

Adapting to something that came out of nowhere and made the world pay attention required a certain mindset. It needed strength, resilience and a narrow-minded focus but I think more than that it required working together to beat this disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Mistrust was rife and a cough in the supermarket sent many running for cover, well, perhaps not running but they certainly kept their distance! Learning to cope within four walls was difficult for some but I mastered it like a champ. These days I am grateful when I walk into crowded spaces and don’t have to reach for my mask!

Daily writing prompt

How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic?

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