Thoughts from the Redwoods

Such a beautiful analogy for living life simply… and I quote:
“Sometimes we are on a wrong path and we don’t even know it. As we try to stand up once again to be tall amongst the other tree’s in the forest it becomes clear that maybe, just maybe there is another world we should be living in. Maybe one that is not so tall and demanding of the strength of our backs to hold us up. Somewhere in the ferns and moss we learn that living a simple life brings more joy than living a life of pride.”
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The Sandbox Writing Challenge #24 — Undone?

This week’s challenge is “What have you left undone?”

I have several projects that have been left undone:

• a Book of Wisdom which is a collection of wisdom from various religions and philosophies, stuff health-related that I have collected over the years, favorite quotes, and other snippets of things. Some of this is already in a large 3-ring binder and other parts of it sit in a box where items are adding up so fast, I will need another box soon, not to mention a couple more binders.
• a binder filled with every poem I have written since 1992, or at least all of them I can find as some of my work got destroyed in a flood.
• a binder filled with every short story I have written since 1993, again as many of them as I can find due to that same flood.
• my collage projects… I haven’t created a single collage since I moved back home in 2014.
• crochet projects… haven’t worked on these since moving back home either.
• the 100 new poems that I’ve been wanting to write for publication since last September that I have never gotten around to completing.

I keep adding new writing challenges to my life each year and they take up so much of my time that I fear I may never get to complete any of the above projects. Eventually I am just going to have to make them a priority as I want to leave the Book of Wisdom, Poetry Binder and Short Story Binder to someone in my family or with a friend whenever I decide to kick the bucket.

Just Breathe

A wonderful reminder to all of us…. Just Breathe!
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#MondayMusings – Great Conversations

 

Today I am participating in #MondayMusings hosted by Everyday Gyann and the topic this Monday is “great conversations.”

I’ve always had problems with conversations. It’s not that I do not know how to converse with others. I am engaged and a great listener. I keep my mind focused on what people are saying, how they are saying things, their body language, and wait my turn to speak. I’ve always been good at this. It’s a gift, I suppose.

The problem arises when *I* have something to say. I’ve never had anyone who is as engaged with me as I am with others. I get interrupted mid-sentence. People don’t listen to what I am saying – their minds are thinking about their own response to what I am saying. And instead of getting words of wisdom from others, I get stories about their own tragic lives. This happened all through my childhood and into my adulthood – family, friends and partners alike. I used to get so tired of asking, “Are you even listening to me?” Finally, I just stopped asking.

As a result, I am normally a very quiet, private person. I don’t have long drawn-out conversations with people, I rarely talk on the phone, and I don’t seek out conversations. I stay mainly to myself. My journals have become my conversation pieces where I converse mostly with myself. It’s a lonely life, but I don’t mind being alone in this. It’s a safe place and refuge.