Mad Macedonian

Prompting Yourself to Write 11: Haikus, Tankas, and Cinquains, Oh My!

Words have meaning.

They can evoke the whole spectrum of emotions in those who read, or hear them.

They can inspire a person to great deeds, and to terrible ones as well.

And that's just your Credit card bill. :-)

Seriously, all manner of literature exists that this applies to.

One genre is that of Poetry.

From the simple, and short, to the long, and involved, the various forms of the Poetic Tradition have had a hold on our imaginations for thousands of years.

Consider the HAIKU:

3 Lines:

5 syllables.
7 syllables.
5 syllables.

America is
a nation of free people
paid for with our blood.

Consider the TANKA:

5 lines:

5 syllables.
7 syllables.
5 syllables.
7 syllables.
7 syllables.

God Bless this great land.
Home of the free, and the brave.
A Light unto all
in a time of great peril.
May it stand tall, and prevail.

And finally, consider the uniquely American equivalent of the Haiku.

The CINQUAIN:

5 lines:

2 syllables.
4 syllables.
6 syllables.
8 syllables.
2 syllables.

The choice
is an easy one
in picking President.
All Democrats gone but John Kerry.
Bush wins.

I'm issuing a challenge to the Blogosphere.

Put your thoughts about all things (Your Country here.) from A TO Z, from the arts, and environment, to culture and politics, the people, places, and things, all that is good, and great, unique and wonderful, confounding, and controversial, about your nation, in your personal opinion, into the lines of these simple poetic forms.

Traditionally Haiku begin with a natural scene tied to a season, and Tankas also begin with an observation of a natural scene.

But that's tradition, and you don't have to follow it, on any of these forms, if you don't want to.

Just avoid end-rhyming the lines, try to vary the rythms from line to line, and you can keep a sentence moving to the next line if you choose.

Also try to avoid ending too many lines in a row with a one-syllable word.

Got it? ;-D

If you use an entry of your blog to try your hand at this exercise, trackback to this post, or send me an e-mail, and I will do a round-up of links to all who take the challenge.

To anyone without a blog post your poems as a comment to this post.

If you decide to send me a poem, or 3, in e-mail, instead, I'll post a collection of those I get, and give credit where credit is due.

Don't be shy.

And bring a dictionary to check your syllables. ;-D

Words have meaning.

They can evoke the whole spectrum of emotions in those who read, or hear them.

They can inspire a person to great deeds, and to terrible ones as well.

And that's just your Credit card bill. :-)

Seriously, all manner of literature exists that this applies to.

One genre is that of Poetry.

From the simple, and short, to the long, and involved, the various forms of the Poetic Tradition have had a hold on our imaginations for thousands of years.

Consider the HAIKU:

3 Lines:

5 syllables.
7 syllables.
5 syllables.

America is
a nation of free people
paid for with our blood.

Consider the TANKA:

5 lines:

5 syllables.
7 syllables.
5 syllables.
7 syllables.
7 syllables.

God Bless this great land.
Home of the free, and the brave.
A Light unto all
in a time of great peril.
May it stand tall, and prevail.

And finally, consider the uniquely American equivalent of the Haiku.

The CINQUAIN:

5 lines:

2 syllables.
4 syllables.
6 syllables.
8 syllables.
2 syllables.

The choice
is an easy one
in picking President.
All Democrats gone but John Kerry.
Bush wins.

I'm issuing a challenge to the Blogosphere.

Put your thoughts about all things (Your Country here.) from A TO Z, from the arts, and environment, to culture and politics, the people, places, and things, all that is good, and great, unique and wonderful, confounding, and controversial, about your nation, in your personal opinion, into the lines of these simple poetic forms.

Traditionally Haiku begin with a natural scene tied to a season, and Tankas also begin with an observation of a natural scene.

But that's tradition, and you don't have to follow it, on any of these forms, if you don't want to.

Just avoid end-rhyming the lines, try to vary the rythms from line to line, and you can keep a sentence moving to the next line if you choose.

Also try to avoid ending too many lines in a row with a one-syllable word.

Got it? ;-D

If you use an entry of your blog to try your hand at this exercise, trackback to this post, or send me an e-mail, and I will do a round-up of links to all who take the challenge.

To anyone without a blog post your poems as a comment to this post.

If you decide to send me a poem, or 3, in e-mail, instead, I'll post a collection of those I get, and give credit where credit is due.

Don't be shy.

And bring a dictionary to check your syllables. ;-D

Prompting Yourself to Write 10: Just Elected President? Give Your State of the Union

A Mad Macedonian State of the Union Address

Ladies, and Gentlemen, Members of Congress, our brave men, and women in the Armed Services, my fellow Americans, the Blogs of the Union ( BOTU ), the worldwide Blogosphere, and the worldwide TV, and Radio audience...

I come to you today to discuss not just the State of the Union, but also some things that, due to our sometimes hectic lives, we don't take the time to contemplate and, because of that focus you can visit the Official White House Website, or read your local papers for a text of an important supplimentary report on the State of the Union.

So let me get started:

Z IS  FOR ZOGBY, and all such Pollsters, including my own. We Politicians rely on them, instead of our own views, and gut instincts, far too much sometimes, and I pledge to work on that in my years in office.

Y IS FOR YOUTH, the future movers and shakers of our great nation. Our Education System is seriously Fucked Up, from Kindergarten thru College, and I pledge to work on implimenting changes for the future in my years in office.

X IS FOR XCELLELENCE in the quality of all that this nation produces, for Domestic, and International consumption, and I pledge to support policies that will keep us doing that and, in some respects, return us to that level of quality in the future, in my years in office.

W IS FOR WORLD GOVERNMENT, a concept of Planetary Rule fundamentally opposed to all that a free people believe in, and I pledge to fight all efforts to drag the United States, and the world, down that road in my years in office.

V IS FOR VICTORY over the enemies of freedom, and democracy, around the world, and I pledge not to settle for anything less in my years in office.

U IS FOR "UNITED" We Stand, and Divided We Fall. Do I need to say more as we engage the world in the aftermath of Sept. 11? I pledge to be a Uniter in my years in office.

T IS FOR TIME, as in the time is now for Congress to support my Domestic Agenda, and I pledge to fight for it in my years in office.

S IS FOR SUPREME COURT, and I pledge to nominate another Judge like Justices Roberts, and Alito, if presented with the opportunity in my years in office.

R IS FOR RELIGION, the soul, and backbone, of our cultural values since the landing of the Pilgrims, and I pledge to trust in my faith, and values, in leading this nation in my years in office.

Q IS FOR QUESTIONS,  and I will continue to ask the right, and important, ones in dealing with domestic, and international, policy in my years in office.

P IS FOR POLITICS, the game the opposing party continues to play with our nations' domestic, and international issues, while not coming up with good, workable, ideas of their own, and I pledge not to be distracted by this noise in my years in office.

O IS FOR OPPORTUNITY, and I pledge not to squader the one I've been given, with this position, in my years in office.

N IS FOR NECCESSARY, as in changes are neccessary in the way campaigns for public office are run, and I pledge to pressure Congress to impliment substantive policies regarding this in my years in office.

M IS FOR MONEY, as in far to much of it has gone down the rat hole of wastefulness due to the many misguided policies, programs, and judicial decisions by the other party, and its followers, in the last 45 years, and I pledge to encourage my party to lead the way in reversing this trend in the future in my years in office.

L IS FOR LIFE, that precious commodity that even the Unborn have clearly been shown to experience, and I pledge to work to enact policies that enable all Americans to improve their lives in ways, both small, and large, in my years in office.

K IS FOR KISSING ASS, which is what the other party does when it bows to its radical base, and I pledge to encourage Congress to beat back the initiatives put forth by the minority at the urging of those who pull their strings, in my years in office.

J IS FOR JUSTICE, and this is what will be delt out, and what I pledge to strive for in bringing Osama, and his ilk to account, in my years in office.

I IS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, a scourge imperiling our country for the past 25 years, and one I pledge to address in important, constructive, ways in my years in office.

H IS FOR HEALTH CARE, something of importance to all citizens, and I pledge to work on implementing programs that create more opportunities for even the poorest among us to have it, in my years in office.

G IS FOR GOVERNMENT, which has grown in size far out of proportion to what the signers of the Constitution envisioned, and I pledge to do what I can to reduce the size of it, and encourage my party to follow my lead in the future, in my years in office.

F IS FOR FREEDOM, that precious commodity coveted by people around the world, in countries run by oppressive forms of government, including one form discredited, and defeated, when Ronald Reagan won the Cold War in the 1980's, and I pledge to continue this country's efforts to support the fight for it around the globe in my years in office.

E IS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, and the precious resources of our nation, and the planet. I pledge to support sound environmental policies, and not be caught up in the shenanigans of those activists, scientists, and governments, whose unsubstantiated claims have affected approaches to climate issues so negatively in recent years, in my years in office.

D IS FOR DEFICIT REDUCTION, something I pledge to work on in my years in office.

C IS FOR CONGRESS, and I pledge to support good candidates, in my years in office, that will act for the betterment of our country.

B IS BLOGS, the new way people all over the world have found to express themselves on anything, and everything, and to hold the Media, and us, their leaders, to account when they feel they have reason to find fault. I pledge to hold a Press Conference with only Bloggers twice a year while I am in office.

A IS FOR AMERICANS, AND AMERICA, land of the free, and home of the brave. May God continue to shed his grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

Thank you, good night, and God Bless.

A Mad Macedonian State of the Union Address

Ladies, and Gentlemen, Members of Congress, our brave men, and women in the Armed Services, my fellow Americans, the Blogs of the Union ( BOTU ), the worldwide Blogosphere, and the worldwide TV, and Radio audience...

I come to you today to discuss not just the State of the Union, but also some things that, due to our sometimes hectic lives, we don't take the time to contemplate and, because of that focus you can visit the Official White House Website, or read your local papers for a text of an important supplimentary report on the State of the Union.

So let me get started:

Z IS  FOR ZOGBY, and all such Pollsters, including my own. We Politicians rely on them, instead of our own views, and gut instincts, far too much sometimes, and I pledge to work on that in my years in office.

Y IS FOR YOUTH, the future movers and shakers of our great nation. Our Education System is seriously Fucked Up, from Kindergarten thru College, and I pledge to work on implimenting changes for the future in my years in office.

X IS FOR XCELLELENCE in the quality of all that this nation produces, for Domestic, and International consumption, and I pledge to support policies that will keep us doing that and, in some respects, return us to that level of quality in the future, in my years in office.

W IS FOR WORLD GOVERNMENT, a concept of Planetary Rule fundamentally opposed to all that a free people believe in, and I pledge to fight all efforts to drag the United States, and the world, down that road in my years in office.

V IS FOR VICTORY over the enemies of freedom, and democracy, around the world, and I pledge not to settle for anything less in my years in office.

U IS FOR "UNITED" We Stand, and Divided We Fall. Do I need to say more as we engage the world in the aftermath of Sept. 11? I pledge to be a Uniter in my years in office.

T IS FOR TIME, as in the time is now for Congress to support my Domestic Agenda, and I pledge to fight for it in my years in office.

S IS FOR SUPREME COURT, and I pledge to nominate another Judge like Justices Roberts, and Alito, if presented with the opportunity in my years in office.

R IS FOR RELIGION, the soul, and backbone, of our cultural values since the landing of the Pilgrims, and I pledge to trust in my faith, and values, in leading this nation in my years in office.

Q IS FOR QUESTIONS,  and I will continue to ask the right, and important, ones in dealing with domestic, and international, policy in my years in office.

P IS FOR POLITICS, the game the opposing party continues to play with our nations' domestic, and international issues, while not coming up with good, workable, ideas of their own, and I pledge not to be distracted by this noise in my years in office.

O IS FOR OPPORTUNITY, and I pledge not to squader the one I've been given, with this position, in my years in office.

N IS FOR NECCESSARY, as in changes are neccessary in the way campaigns for public office are run, and I pledge to pressure Congress to impliment substantive policies regarding this in my years in office.

M IS FOR MONEY, as in far to much of it has gone down the rat hole of wastefulness due to the many misguided policies, programs, and judicial decisions by the other party, and its followers, in the last 45 years, and I pledge to encourage my party to lead the way in reversing this trend in the future in my years in office.

L IS FOR LIFE, that precious commodity that even the Unborn have clearly been shown to experience, and I pledge to work to enact policies that enable all Americans to improve their lives in ways, both small, and large, in my years in office.

K IS FOR KISSING ASS, which is what the other party does when it bows to its radical base, and I pledge to encourage Congress to beat back the initiatives put forth by the minority at the urging of those who pull their strings, in my years in office.

J IS FOR JUSTICE, and this is what will be delt out, and what I pledge to strive for in bringing Osama, and his ilk to account, in my years in office.

I IS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, a scourge imperiling our country for the past 25 years, and one I pledge to address in important, constructive, ways in my years in office.

H IS FOR HEALTH CARE, something of importance to all citizens, and I pledge to work on implementing programs that create more opportunities for even the poorest among us to have it, in my years in office.

G IS FOR GOVERNMENT, which has grown in size far out of proportion to what the signers of the Constitution envisioned, and I pledge to do what I can to reduce the size of it, and encourage my party to follow my lead in the future, in my years in office.

F IS FOR FREEDOM, that precious commodity coveted by people around the world, in countries run by oppressive forms of government, including one form discredited, and defeated, when Ronald Reagan won the Cold War in the 1980's, and I pledge to continue this country's efforts to support the fight for it around the globe in my years in office.

E IS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, and the precious resources of our nation, and the planet. I pledge to support sound environmental policies, and not be caught up in the shenanigans of those activists, scientists, and governments, whose unsubstantiated claims have affected approaches to climate issues so negatively in recent years, in my years in office.

D IS FOR DEFICIT REDUCTION, something I pledge to work on in my years in office.

C IS FOR CONGRESS, and I pledge to support good candidates, in my years in office, that will act for the betterment of our country.

B IS BLOGS, the new way people all over the world have found to express themselves on anything, and everything, and to hold the Media, and us, their leaders, to account when they feel they have reason to find fault. I pledge to hold a Press Conference with only Bloggers twice a year while I am in office.

A IS FOR AMERICANS, AND AMERICA, land of the free, and home of the brave. May God continue to shed his grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

Thank you, good night, and God Bless.

Prompting Yourself to Write 9: Write About Your First Experience With Birth

WRITE ABOUT YOUR 1ST EXPERIENCE WITH BIRTH. WHO WAS BORN?
WHAT DID YOU KNOW ABOUT BIRTH BEFORE THE EVENT?
WHAT DID YOU COME TO LEARN ABOUT BIRTH AFTER THE EVENT?

My 1st experience with birth was when I was 4 years old, and my first sister was soon to be born. This was in the Fall of 1964, or early January 1965.

While I don't remember it, my Mother had a story she always delighted in sharing.

It seems that she always wore dresses with zippers down the front, and one day I asked about her big belly, and she said she was carrying a baby, and when the time came she would go to the hospital so Dr.Weston could take it out of her.

Well, genius that I was, even at that tender age, I knew something that seemed obvious and, far easier in this regard, than going through the trouble of traveling to the hospital.

I wanted to know why my Mom couldn't just unzip her dress and take the baby out?

Mom never told me how she answered that one, that I recall. :-D

As for when I learned the REAL facts of life, well it had to have been in Junior High School.

I don't remember a specific sit down confab with Mom on the issue, however, just that in 8th grade we had a few sessions in biology class where we even saw a film of child birth.

Several guys fainted, and had to be revived with smelling salts. :-D

My 1st experience with birth was when I was 4 years old, and my first sister was soon to be born. This was in the Fall of 1964, or early January 1965.

While I don't remember it, my Mother had a story she always delighted in sharing.

It seems that she always wore dresses with zippers down the front, and one day I asked about her big belly, and she said she was carrying a baby, and when the time came she would go to the hospital so Dr.Weston could take it out of her.

Well, genius that I was, even at that tender age, I knew something that seemed obvious and, far easier in this regard, than going through the trouble of traveling to the hospital.

I wanted to know why my Mom couldn't just unzip her dress and take the baby out?

Mom never told me how she answered that one, that I recall. :-D

As for when I learned the REAL facts of life, well it had to have been in Junior High School.

I don't remember a specific sit down confab with Mom on the issue, however, just that in 8th grade we had a few sessions in biology class where we even saw a film of child birth.

Several guys fainted, and had to be revived with smelling salts. :-D

Prompting Yourself to Write 8: Write About Your First Experience With Death

In the book, The Writer's Idea Book, I read a chapter that begins with a quote from Peter Devries:

The writer can only explore the inner space of his characters by perceptively navigating his own.

The author of the book writes:

Getting to know who you are is indeed helpful-- and it's probably one of the reasons that you write. It's also helpful to know yourself better in order to find the sources of your creativity.

This exercise is a part of that exploration:

WRITE ABOUT YOUR 1ST EXPERIENCE WITH DEATH: WHO DIED? WHEN? WHAT DID YOU KNOW ABOUT DEATH BEFORE THE EVENT? WHAT DID YOU COME TO LEARN ABOUT DEATH AFTER THE EVENT?

The 1st experince I remember having with was when my Godfather, Nick Dieduch, died. The exact year escapes me at the moment, but I was just a kid, and it was before later deaths of an Aunt & Uncle in the early 70's.

He was Polish, and Eastern Orthodox, and I remember there was a huge dinner at his home, where friends, family, and church members all came to celebrate his life, after the funeral.

I don't remember whether this was something provided by the family or not.

I remember thinking that this humble old gardener, who always was kind, and humorous, and was a close friend of my parents, was now gone.

Gone where I wasn't sure except that I'd never see him again.

I remember the old Priest from St. Andrew's Orthodox Church was there, in all his finery, and his flowing gray beard, and everyone was reverential around him.

Me? I just stared in awe, and trepedation.

I remember the funeral at the mortuary, and cemetary, earlier in the day, all the incense, and words in a foreign language that I didn't understand, and walking past the casket, and gazing at that lifeless person that I knew as one formerly full of life.

I remember the funeral procession driving the 3 miles to the cemetary, and the solemn words, and ceremony at the graveside.

As the years passed, and I grew older, and an Uncle, an Aunt, and a Grandmother all died from age or illness (cancer), and I understood the fact of death, and nothingness, and that our souls supposedly went to heaven, yadda, yadda, yadda, but, emotionally, even my Father's death in 1988 didn't fully register on my psyche because, due to his condition at the time, I'd been prepared for his death for at least a year or more.

It was my Mother's sudden, unexpected, death, in 1990 that blew the lid off my emotions, and filled me with loss, and nearly broke my heart.

WRITE ABOUT YOUR 1ST EXPERIENCE WITH DEATH: WHO DIED? WHEN? WHAT DID YOU KNOW ABOUT DEATH BEFORE THE EVENT? WHAT DID YOU COME TO LEARN ABOUT DEATH AFTER THE EVENT?

The 1st experince I remember having with was when my Godfather, Nick Dieduch, died. The exact year escapes me at the moment, but I was just a kid, and it was before later deaths of an Aunt & Uncle in the early 70's.

He was Polish, and Eastern Orthodox, and I remember there was a huge dinner at his home, where friends, family, and church members all came to celebrate his life, after the funeral.

I don't remember whether this was something provided by the family or not.

I remember thinking that this humble old gardener, who always was kind, and humorous, and was a close friend of my parents, was now gone.

Gone where I wasn't sure except that I'd never see him again.

I remember the old Priest from St. Andrew's Orthodox Church was there, in all his finery, and his flowing gray beard, and everyone was reverential around him.

Me? I just stared in awe, and trepedation.

I remember the funeral at the mortuary, and cemetary, earlier in the day, all the incense, and words in a foreign language that I didn't understand, and walking past the casket, and gazing at that lifeless person that I knew as one formerly full of life.

I remember the funeral procession driving the 3 miles to the cemetary, and the solemn words, and ceremony at the graveside.

As the years passed, and I grew older, and an Uncle, an Aunt, and a Grandmother all died from age or illness (cancer), and I understood the fact of death, and nothingness, and that our souls supposedly went to heaven, yadda, yadda, yadda, but, emotionally, even my Father's death in 1988 didn't fully register on my psyche because, due to his condition at the time, I'd been prepared for his death for at least a year or more.

It was my Mother's sudden, unexpected, death, in 1990 that blew the lid off my emotions, and filled me with loss, and nearly broke my heart.

Prompting Yourself to Write 7: Write about your job

You spend the majority of your waking time doing it, so why not?

Write about your job: What is it like? Are you doing what you want to do?

My job? Well, let me share with you what I wrote when doing this exercise in the fall of 2003:

I'm a minimum wage cashier for a major department store chain.

I stand all day at a cashier lane and ring up the purchases, big and small, serious and amusing, understandable and inexplicable, that you, dear reader, send down the conveyor belt to me in front of the cash register.

From 10 cents to thousands of dollars, you pay me your money and then scamper happily on your way.

Anywhere from 900 to 1400 of you pass through my lane every week.

Some of you come alone, some bring the baby or toddler, and some drag along every member of the family you can scrounge up, and your dog, and the next door neighbor, too!

Many of you can't speak a lick of English, others pretend not to be able to so as to not get into a conversation with me that might lead to you signing on for a credit card, and others I wish didn't speak my language because... well, the reasons are legion.

On the other hand there are many of you who make my day a pleasure just through my encountering you.

I have to say the same thing to each of you before almost anything else simply because management requires I do my damndest to get you to start on, or continue on, the long road to credit card debt.

I went bankrupt due to credit card debt, and refuse to get another.

I no more enjoy asking you to apply than you enjoy being asked EVERY time you go through my lane.

Some of you I remember from times past, but others it's not so easy to remember, so bear with me as I get the preliminaries over with quickly so we can get on to more pleasant an interaction in the time allowed by our brief encounter.

This interaction involves ordinary pleasantries, and conversation instigated by my peculiar sense of humor.

It also involves helping you find answers to shopping questions, explaining why I have to do this or that with something or other, and sometimes saying just a simple "NO".

When I am not parting you from your hard earned money I am the one who fills the lanes with bags when they are empty or low, I am the one who keeps the side and endcaps at my lane neat and organized, and I am the one who picks up after you when you leave a basket, cart , or pile of merchandise strewn around my lane when you pass through.

It is a never ending chore, but hey! It makes the time go by faster during an 8 hour shift.

I get 2, 15 minute, breaks during that shift, and an unpaid, 30 min., lunch break, and after resting up and refueling I am ready to deal with you for another 2 hours.

I have been in retail since 1984. 18 of those years in the book selling business, and 11 of them as a Manager of an Independent Bookstore.

I could work around books all my working life. It paid better, though without benefits, than what I make now.

What I am doing now is not what I WANT to do, but it has its good moments and has advancement potential eventually.

But I can't wait for "eventually" to come.

I can barely survive after paying the rent, and so have decided to re-launch my job search in the hopes of landing something better.

What that is, and where my search will lead, I can not say at this early stage.

I only know that I must search.

And search I did.

For over 3 years now I've had the best paying job of my life, a job that is a challenging one, but also an interesting one.

I'm gonna have to sit down and come up with a sequel to this post. ;-D

On the other hand there are many of you who make my day a pleasure just through my encountering you.

I have to say the same thing to each of you before almost anything else simply because management requires I do my damndest to get you to start on, or continue on, the long road to credit card debt.

I went bankrupt due to credit card debt, and refuse to get another.

I no more enjoy asking you to apply than you enjoy being asked EVERY time you go through my lane.

Some of you I remember from times past, but others it's not so easy to remember, so bear with me as I get the preliminaries over with quickly so we can get on to more pleasant an interaction in the time allowed by our brief encounter.

This interaction involves ordinary pleasantries, and conversation instigated by my peculiar sense of humor.

It also involves helping you find answers to shopping questions, explaining why I have to do this or that with something or other, and sometimes saying just a simple "NO".

When I am not parting you from your hard earned money I am the one who fills the lanes with bags when they are empty or low, I am the one who keeps the side and endcaps at my lane neat and organized, and I am the one who picks up after you when you leave a basket, cart , or pile of merchandise strewn around my lane when you pass through.

It is a never ending chore, but hey! It makes the time go by faster during an 8 hour shift.

I get 2, 15 minute, breaks during that shift, and an unpaid, 30 min., lunch break, and after resting up and refueling I am ready to deal with you for another 2 hours.

I have been in retail since 1984. 18 of those years in the book selling business, and 11 of them as a Manager of an Independent Bookstore.

I could work around books all my working life. It paid better, though without benefits, than what I make now.

What I am doing now is not what I WANT to do, but it has its good moments and has advancement potential eventually.

But I can't wait for "eventually" to come.

I can barely survive after paying the rent, and so have decided to re-launch my job search in the hopes of landing something better.

What that is, and where my search will lead, I can not say at this early stage.

I only know that I must search.

Prompting Yourself to Write 6: Write about Something Seen on a Journey

A WRITING EXERCISE: We live on the move here in Orange County, in America and, to various degrees and in different ways, elsewhere in the world.

We go places.

So: Write about something you saw while going somewhere where you live.

This is a story about an excursion I took, here in the OC, back in the summer of 2003:

TAKING A STROLL ON BALBOA ISLAND

Sit right back and read a tale,
A tale of an eventful trip.

I stepped off the bus, one day,
On a 3 hour tour,
A 3 hour tour........ :-D

Approaching the bridge to Balboa Island , on the east side of the harbor in Newport Beach, the first thing you see is the headquarters of the Newport Beach Yacht Club at the intersection where Jamboree Rd. crosses Bayside Drive and becomes the Marine Avenue bridge over to the island.

Just before 2pm I cross over this bridge and observe the overwhelming number of boats on both shores and cruising the water. Big boats small boats, motor boats, and paddle boats. Some with 1 mast, others with 2.

From million dollar yachts to cheap canoes, it's all on display here.

The American Flag can be seen flying everywhere.

As I stand on the bridge, and gaze around, I see a seagull launch itself from a nearby boat and make a rising bee-line right at me.

I stare into its eyes as it flaps its wings and builds up speed, and I say to myself: "He damn well better NOT take a dump on my new straw hat!"

I look up at his belly as he passes over and heaving a sigh of relief wish the bird a safe journey.

The beach side of Bay Front Dr. is lined with many private piers, as is every side of the island, and as you walk along the paved path you can gaze through the back or front doors and into the living rooms of the many quaint homes you pass.

Some of these homes are fancy, and some are even 2 story. Some are even only lived in during the summer. The same variety applies for residences all over the island.

The architecture is varied and unforgetable.

Each of the beach front homes has its own patio looking out onto the water.

Property lots now go for much, much more than $250. :-D

Very interesting sights for a 2 mile walk around a man-made island. :-D

Locals and visitors mix on the limited sandy beach spots, but I get the impression that alot of the visitors know the folks who live in the houses next to their particular spot on the beach.

As I walk along I see....white people. Lots and lots of white people.

Amidst the no cycling and don't feed the ducks and pigeons signs I overhear a bronzing beauty talking to her friend about her latest pedicure.

Joggers and walkers rule the sidewalk here, and they come in all sizes, though, at least on this day, during this time of day, only one skin color.

I come around the north end of the island and begin to walk south along the west side, and at one pier stands a 6ft. tall turquoise Statue of Liberty holding aloft a white flame.

It's a bit weird to see this symbol of hope to the poor and downtroddin hanging out on such an island playground, but then, I think to myself, maybe not, because those same huddled masses, yearning to be free, also yearn to become something more and can visit this island and its shops, Craft Fair/ Farmers Market, and annual Parade, among other events, for a day, and see what the fruits of their labor can someday bring them and their descendants.

My cat would be envious of what I saw next.

I spot a gray and white cat on a wall and watch a man pick him up and gently lay him in a box in the shade under a chair below a yellow beach umbrella, and then sat down himself.

The cat is obviously living the Life of Riley and, upon further investigation, I learn that he is a 7 yr. old, former stray who has lived on the island all of his life and sort of just "adopted" the man.

As I continue I come upon the FERRY LANDING and a Union 76 Gas Station...for boats.
The 1st ferry was in 1909, and the prices to ride this trip to or from the town of Balboa ranges from 30 cents to $1.50.

It is here that I FINALLY see a non-white person. 2 Latinos behind the counter at the Island Market, a couple of Latinas ordering at the Island Grill, and 2 African-American ladies looking for the bathroom.

Still only white folk sunning, and splashing about on the beaches though. :-D

Local city councilman Dick Nichols, who had been in trouble for complaining about Mexicans on nearby Corona Del Mar State Beach ( "With grass we usually get Mexicans coming in there early in the morning and they claim it as theirs and it becomes their personal, private grounds all day" were his comments. ), would love THIS place. :-D

(To be fair, I did see a few folks of various ethnicities shopping and eating, and not getting a negative glance from anyone, once I got to the shopping district, and I've been told by a Latina Co-worker that she loves to walk around the island and eat there.)

On the island the pigeon is King as much as the cat is.

I stood and watched one brave bird amble along the sand amongst sunbathers stretched out on the beach.

I even saw a Unicyclist. :-D

The island is actually 2 (Little Balboa) with a bridge over a canal connecting the 2.

There is a sign on the bridge admonishing folks not to jump or dive. :-D

It is along the canal that I come across proof that life here has truly gone to the dogs.
It is quite startling to see a huge Pit Bull leap off a private pier, and into the water over, and over, and over again.

For a half hour this dog leaped in, with a joyous bark, paddled to the stairs, climbed up, shook himself off, and dashed over the side once again. :-D

The ducks stayed safely on my side of the canal obviously of the opinion that this mutt was a total nutcase. :-D

The owner said he was 5 years old and did this all the time.

The look of joy on the dogs face as he goes over the side will put a smile on the face of everyone lucky enough to witness the spectacle.

I could sit and watch this all day but reluctantly moved on. :-D

I make my way to Marine Ave. and begin to check out the 2 block shopping district.

St. Vianney Catholic Church sits in the middle of the district, surrounded by small shops of various types.

Ethnic restuarants, donut shops, candy stores, juice shops, help you get sinfully fat or healthy....

There is even a Starbucks if you insist on someplace familiar.

For the sinfully fashion conscious, and unconscious there are more than a dozen shops full of clothing from bras, and shoes to t-shirts, and hats.

If your passion is novelty items from greeting cards to magnets, toys, stuffed animals, and dolls this is the place.

If you like jewelry, sculpture, and artwork then there are stores and galleries.

The prices can be sinfully expensive, or sinfully cheap, depending on your point of view and/or the contents of your bank account. :-D

Buy your dog something at The Barkery.

Eat your fill of Frozen Banana's 2 competing shops and then go to confession at the church, situated right smack between them. :-D

After saying your Hail Mary's for all your indulgences this day go to the local museum for some history before heading home.

One of the pleasures of the island is that nearly everyone has a patio garden of some type, and there are so many variety of plants there that something is bound to be blooming every day of the year.

I spent a pleasant 3 hours on the island, and plan to visit it again, and again.

It has been 2 years since I was last on the island, but I plan to return more than a few times this year.

Prompting Yourself to Write 5: Where I'm From

George Ella Lyon is an author with roots in Appalachia and many children's books, not to mention writing Exercise books, to her credit. Her poem, Where I'm From, begins in this way:

I am from clothespins, from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride. I am from the dirt under the black porch. (Black, glistening it tasted like beets.)

We are all from a place that is more than just a series of images on Google Maps. Every event in our lives that we can remember has shaped who we have become. Nobody is from Clothspins, but can't you see the shape and feel the texture of those in the laundry room at the author's house as a little girl?

Read Where I From, all of the poem is here.

Here is MY version:

WHERE I'M FROM

I am from a St. Patrick's Day Card bought a couple of weeks early, from Specialized, and pedaling.

I am from the stairs up to the 2nd floor (smelling of my Mothers' perfume, and my Fathers' hard day working outdoors).

I am from the roses, the ivy I remember surrounding my 3rd home, and allowing me to feel secluded in an open space.

I am from immigration, and humor, from the psychological traits of Gorge Kundurdziev and Mary Alice Wells, and from twice married John Hesson.

I am from baldness in later life, and the travellers.

From the story my Father shared of his exploits in World War 2 (1 version my Mother told me, and 1 that I later learned Dad told to the IRO), and a lemon pie.

I am from Greek Orthodox, and lapsed Catholic. From experiences with organized religion that make me wonder why some people don't believe in scientific fact.

I'm from the Pomona Valley, Kentucky, and Macedonia, baklava and homemade gravy.

From the mysterious evening, roadside, death of William Jennings Wells near Rudy's Farm in Owensboro, and the 1 or, maybe 2, of 5 men married by Mary Hesson, and the advice Grandma Iva gave about sex ("don't you let him ride you like a horse! Once is enough for any man!") .

I am from envelopes full of 87 years of family photos, from birth, marriage, and death certificates, and Immigration Files, a priceless record stored in a box in my studio apartment.

Intrigued?

How about writing your own?

I first learned of this exercise in 2003 and am following in the footsteps of the Blogger I learned about it from by helping other budding writers (and genealogists, too!) discover it for themselves.

You might be surprised what you learn about yourself -- your personality, your family history and traits, and those places you grew up in -- as you create your own version of this tale.

I think it would be wonderful to read this personalized poem as written by others in the Blogosphere.

Are you looking for new ways to bond with your spouse? You could each one, from your own unique perspective. Think of what you might learn about each other that you didn't know before! ;-D

Well, here is the format to follow...

WHERE I'M FROM

I am from a St. Patrick's Day Card bought a couple of weeks early, from Specialized, and pedaling.

I am from the stairs up to the 2nd floor (smelling of my Mothers' perfume, and my Fathers' hard day working outdoors).

I am from the roses, the ivy I remember surrounding my 3rd home, and allowing me to feel secluded in an open space.

I am from immigration, and humor, from the psychological traits of Gorge Kundurdziev and Mary Alice Wells, and from twice married John Hesson.

I am from baldness in later life, and the travellers.

From the story my Father shared of his exploits in World War 2 (1 version my Mother told me, and 1 that I later learned Dad told to the IRO), and a lemon pie.

I am from Greek Orthodox, and lapsed Catholic. From experiences with organized religion that make me wonder why some people don't believe in scientific fact.

I'm from the Pomona Valley, Kentucky, and Macedonia, baklava and homemade gravy.

From the mysterious evening, roadside, death of William Jennings Wells near Rudy's Farm in Owensboro, and the 1 or, maybe 2, of 5 men married by Mary Hesson, and the advice Grandma Iva gave about sex ("don't you let him ride you like a horse! Once is enough for any man!") .

I am from envelopes full of 87 years of family photos, from birth, marriage, and death certificates, and Immigration Files, a priceless record stored in a box in my studio apartment.

Prompting Yourself to Write 3: Describe Your Ideal Writing Space

Describe your ideal writing space.

Fill it to the last detail.

When you are finished, read the description with an eye toward patterns and details.

What does it say about you? What does it tell you about your writing goals and dreams? Does it say anything about your vision of what a writer is?

There are no right answers. (What do YOU think what I have written below says about me, dear reader?)

It is a room separate from my living space, with a wide window looking out onto the outside world along one wall.

There is a forest green floor rug, or 2, covering the carpet, and there would be photos, paintings, water colors, whatever, of an environmental nature along the other 3 walls to provide an overall feeling of being in a natural setting.

It would be a place of solitude, with talk radio or Classical/Jazz music wafting in from the stereo in the other room.

It is a space for creativity to sprout from.

In front of the window would be my long, wide, wooden, writing desk.

It would have enough room to write, to spread out a book or 2, to let my cat, NIKITA, lounge about so he can observe me or look out the window, and still have space to set my computer monitor and keyboard.

With nothing under the desk, my chair would be able to slide from side to side depending on whether I was writing or on my computer.

On either side of the desk would be carts for sitting my hard drive, and 3-in-1 printer, copier, and fax.

On the wall near the window would be my favorite family photos from 98 years of family history.

Along one wall, under the artwork, would be bookshelves (4 shelves each).

Along another, under the artwork, would be shelves for CD's and DVD's.

Along the last side, and taking up the major space in the center of the room, would be a comfortable couch (against the wall, with artwork above it) and 2 reclining chairs facing each other, with a large coffee table between them, and a reading light between the recliners.

This would be a retreat from the cares of the everyday world, a place to relax, think, reflect, write, and create.

A place to bring friends and family to sit and talk about life, the universe, and everything.

If I had a date over to the house it would be the place I'd invite her to relax in during her visit.

On either side of the desk would be carts for sitting my hard drive, and 3-in-1 printer, copier, and fax.

On the wall near the window would be my favorite family photos from 98 years of family history.

Along one wall, under the artwork, would be bookshelves (4 shelves each).

Along another, under the artwork, would be shelves for CD's and DVD's.

Along the last side, and taking up the major space in the center of the room, would be a comfortable couch (against the wall, with artwork above it) and 2 reclining chairs facing each other, with a large coffee table between them, and a reading light between the recliners.

This would be a retreat from the cares of the everyday world, a place to relax, think, reflect, write, and create.

A place to bring friends and family to sit and talk about life, the universe, and everything.

If I had a date over to the house it would be the place I'd invite her to relax in during her visit.

Prompting Yourself to Write 2: Writing is an act of Hope

One of my favorite books on writing is The Writer's Idea Book by Jack Heffron.

The 1st 4 paragraphs of its introduction struck a chord with me:

"Writing is an act of Hope. It is a means of carving order from chaos, of challenging one's own beliefs and assumptions, of facing the world with eyes and heart wide open. Through writing, we declare a personal identity amid faceless anonymity. We find purpose and beauty and meaning even when the rational mind argues that none of these exist.

Writing, therefore, is also an act of courage. How much easier is it to lead an unexamined life than to confront yourself on the page? How much easier is it to surrender to materialism or cynicism or to a hundred other ways of life that are, in fact, ways to hide from life and from our fears? When we write, we resist the facile seduction of these simpler roads. We insist on finding out and declaring the truths that we find, and we dare to put those truths on the page.

To get ideas and to write well, you have to risk opening yourself. Rather than making us weak, it makes us confident and fearless. The more confident we grow, the more open we can allow ourselves to be. If you can write even when your life seems dark and bleak, even if all you can write is "Life sucks," then you have the hope and courage necessary to keep moving, to persevere as an artist. In perseverence you will find your creative self.

Writing also is an act of joy and celebration. With it we say that life is worth preserving, worth exploring in all its facets, and to do it well we must have fun. it must be approached with a sense of play, of risk and experiment, openness and laughter."

 

Blogging is one such experiment, and is full of risk as you open yourself up to the scrutiny of a potentially limitless readership.

As a Blogger you are expressing your joy in writing and celebrating your ability to laugh in the face of Writer's Block.

Prompting Yourself to Write 1: What's Outside My Window?

Give us a sense of where you are, what's visible, how you feel about what's out there.

When we first arrived in the OC, several years ago, Nikita and I lived in Costa Mesa.

For a while, during this time, I attended a Writing Group at a Barnes & Noble in Mission Viejo, the leader of which recommended some writing exercises.

What follows is my answer to this exercise at that time:

The 1st thing I see, sitting at my small, round, table near the window of my 2nd floor apartment is the walkway outside, then a small section of a metal railing that's designed to discourage the taking of a shortcut to the parking lot 1 floor below.

I look at this and smile because I picture the neighbors cat, walking along, and being so spooked by something unexpected that he forgets where he is at and dashes between the rails and over the side.

It's bound to happen sooner or later and I just hope he lands on all fours. :-D

Beyond the parking lot my view encompasses 15 of the 44 magnificent cypress trees lined up as a windbreak at the southern boundary of the property.

2 to 4 stories tall they sway gracefully in the wind whenever it blows in from the ocean.

On the phone lines, above, crows will sometimes alight, but there are none around at the moment.

Today is a clear day and I can see the tops of several buildings a mile away.

By the simple act of stePping beyond my door, and onto the walkway, I can see the shopping center across the street, to the west, and the street itself.

The street......

It is the starting point of my own personal Yellow Brick Road across the Land of Orange County to a better life.

Like those magnificent trees, out there beyond my window, it will take more than the clicking of heels, and 3 times repeating a wish, for me to take myself to greater heights.

Proper nourishment, physically, emotionally, and intellectually, will help me get to where I want, and hope, to go.

I feel opportunity awaiting me beyond that window, and just around the corner from this, my new base of operations, and now that I've made it through my 1st 2 months here it's time to look and see what's out there.

That's what I saw and thought of, as the sun set over the Pacific on a hot early July evening in 2003. ;-D