First of all, Gail, I love your 2017 story, love the vulnerability! You have over 100 claps and I gave you some more.
Second: I used to be excited about gardening, but between the ravenous deer and my aching knees (yes, even after 2 replacement surgeries!), I've had to pretty much give up that passion. (TBH- Most days I don't miss it, which surprises the heck out of me.) Writing doesn't exactly excite me either, another surprise since I devote so much time to it. But bringing my book to fruition--break out the firehoses because I am on fire with excitement. 😅
Nia appears to be wearing an ogonek today. ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogonek ) I feel like she's really breaking out there. Is this a fashion statement or just a bad hair day or maybe a reference to the poem or something else? :)
How delightful is today’s post! In part, a stroll down memory lane. (I went back and re-read Stuart James’ Muse handoff! I’d forgotten that entirely.) 100 Naked (partially clothed) Words is where I bumped into you during my Medium days. Partially clothed words? I call to mind your discussions of discovering one’s true self and living authentic lives and writing authentically. The comparison with past writing on 100NW really demonstrated how you’ve evolved during this interlude. Don’t ever stop!
You asked reader to comment, “What excites me so much I’d devote myself to it for just the personal satisfaction?” Earlier I replied to Karen D. on that subject. I suggested that as we age, and sometimes with creaky limbs and backs, we are faced with finding new interests, new hobbies. I’m the “Wooden Leg Guy” out of Eric Bernes’ book, Games People Play. “I’d love to train for the Boston Marathon, but I have a wooden leg.” Allowing myself to not make a different effort?
To my thinking, it’s first necessary to accurately assess one’s current capabilities, let go of strivings from the long ago possibilities, and roll up my sleeves to do what?? I thought of lexicography and sorting and sifting new words for inclusion in the dictionary. I like word origins and their archaic versions, but as actual work?! I suggested to Karen that resembles watching paint dry!
So getting “excited” is a sticking point for me, one who was raised under the rubric of “all work and no play” as the path to success! And now at my age, 73, excitement could have negative health consequences. 🤔🙃 To be serious, I presently don’t have a “fill in the blank” proposition. At least it seems I have a brain teaser!
The 7 points you offered for consideration are all good ones. Perhaps they can serve as a meditation of sorts to climb out of this proverbial hole. It is said, “You can start your day (week, month, season) over at any time.” Why not now!
I ponder the question above only to answer... Make people happy. I don't consider myself a people person, but I don't like to see people unhappy either. I am one who will wish a stranger a good day with hope that it will brighten their day.
“What excites you so much you’d devote yourself to it for nothing more than personal satisfaction?”
What a great question!
“Give voice to your own astonishment.”
Human potential excites me! Human potential astonishes me!
Having breakfast with my biological father this morning, we were talking about human potential because he was hearing details about my book for the first time. We were discussing how the book came to be and about how I had gone from the couch to the completion of a 192-mile, 2-day bike ride when I didn’t know anything about cycling, I didn’t have a bike, and frankly didn’t have a clue. I quickly shifted the conversation to how people surprised me on a regular basis, and I described to my dad how Typist discovered her uninvited invader. About how a rambunctious four-leg slammed into her chest, and how she discovered a lump that turned out to be “c.” And about how simply and matter of factly she took it in stride while demonstrating what it looks like to be a champion, an everyday hero!
And then there’s Billie… I don’t know how she does it… More grit and tenacity than I’ve ever seen.
I could go on and on, but I won’t. I already did once… This post is version two! The first one, the perfect one is in the land of ether…
First of all, Gail, I love your 2017 story, love the vulnerability! You have over 100 claps and I gave you some more.
Second: I used to be excited about gardening, but between the ravenous deer and my aching knees (yes, even after 2 replacement surgeries!), I've had to pretty much give up that passion. (TBH- Most days I don't miss it, which surprises the heck out of me.) Writing doesn't exactly excite me either, another surprise since I devote so much time to it. But bringing my book to fruition--break out the firehoses because I am on fire with excitement. 😅
Nia appears to be wearing an ogonek today. ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogonek ) I feel like she's really breaking out there. Is this a fashion statement or just a bad hair day or maybe a reference to the poem or something else? :)
THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
There was a little girl,
And she had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good
She was very, very good,
And when she was bad she was horrid.
One day she went upstairs,
When her parents, unawares,
In the kitchen were occupied with meals,
And she stood upon her head
In her little trundle-bed,
And then began hooraying with her heels.
Her mother heard the noise,
And she thought it was the boys
A-playing at a combat in the attic;
But when she climbed the stair,
And found Jemima there,
She took and she did spank her most emphatic.
How delightful is today’s post! In part, a stroll down memory lane. (I went back and re-read Stuart James’ Muse handoff! I’d forgotten that entirely.) 100 Naked (partially clothed) Words is where I bumped into you during my Medium days. Partially clothed words? I call to mind your discussions of discovering one’s true self and living authentic lives and writing authentically. The comparison with past writing on 100NW really demonstrated how you’ve evolved during this interlude. Don’t ever stop!
You asked reader to comment, “What excites me so much I’d devote myself to it for just the personal satisfaction?” Earlier I replied to Karen D. on that subject. I suggested that as we age, and sometimes with creaky limbs and backs, we are faced with finding new interests, new hobbies. I’m the “Wooden Leg Guy” out of Eric Bernes’ book, Games People Play. “I’d love to train for the Boston Marathon, but I have a wooden leg.” Allowing myself to not make a different effort?
To my thinking, it’s first necessary to accurately assess one’s current capabilities, let go of strivings from the long ago possibilities, and roll up my sleeves to do what?? I thought of lexicography and sorting and sifting new words for inclusion in the dictionary. I like word origins and their archaic versions, but as actual work?! I suggested to Karen that resembles watching paint dry!
So getting “excited” is a sticking point for me, one who was raised under the rubric of “all work and no play” as the path to success! And now at my age, 73, excitement could have negative health consequences. 🤔🙃 To be serious, I presently don’t have a “fill in the blank” proposition. At least it seems I have a brain teaser!
The 7 points you offered for consideration are all good ones. Perhaps they can serve as a meditation of sorts to climb out of this proverbial hole. It is said, “You can start your day (week, month, season) over at any time.” Why not now!
I ponder the question above only to answer... Make people happy. I don't consider myself a people person, but I don't like to see people unhappy either. I am one who will wish a stranger a good day with hope that it will brighten their day.
T-shirt: “All dogs are therapy dogs. Most are just freelancing.” 😁
Although with Henrietta, sometimes she's helping you WITH therapy, and sometimes driving you TOWARD therapy? 😉
“What excites you so much you’d devote yourself to it for nothing more than personal satisfaction?”
What a great question!
“Give voice to your own astonishment.”
Human potential excites me! Human potential astonishes me!
Having breakfast with my biological father this morning, we were talking about human potential because he was hearing details about my book for the first time. We were discussing how the book came to be and about how I had gone from the couch to the completion of a 192-mile, 2-day bike ride when I didn’t know anything about cycling, I didn’t have a bike, and frankly didn’t have a clue. I quickly shifted the conversation to how people surprised me on a regular basis, and I described to my dad how Typist discovered her uninvited invader. About how a rambunctious four-leg slammed into her chest, and how she discovered a lump that turned out to be “c.” And about how simply and matter of factly she took it in stride while demonstrating what it looks like to be a champion, an everyday hero!
And then there’s Billie… I don’t know how she does it… More grit and tenacity than I’ve ever seen.
I could go on and on, but I won’t. I already did once… This post is version two! The first one, the perfect one is in the land of ether…
I got Substack whammied!