Starry Night

So last year, my good friend Marie gave me a journal of 300 writing prompts.  I did one, which you can read here http://thehookandthepen.blogspot.com/2016/06/lazy-day.html , but I forgot/lost the journal for a while.  I rediscovered it the other day and decided that, starting today, I am giving myself until the end of 2018 to complete the other 299 prompts.


Here is #299: What is your favorite work of art?  What do you love about it?

As cliche as it may sound, I love Van Gough's Starry Night.  To me, it makes me think of the churning and swirling of the cosmos.  When we look up at the stars at night, all we see are little balls of light that twinkle ever so slightly.  It you are lucky, you may even see a streak of fire as a meteor comes through our atmosphere and gets burned to nothingness.  But that is all we see, at least with the naked eye.  We don't get to see the fires that churn on each star's surface, sending their light in every known direction in the universe for all life to see.  Starry Night seems to encompass a small part of that celestial dance, at least to me.

(Picture from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Van_Gogh_-_Starry_Night_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/1280px-Van_Gogh_-_Starry_Night_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)

Gift to the World

With all the negative stuff that is happening in the world today, it is wonderful to hear the positive things that kids can come up with.

In my 3rd grade class today, we did a short writing assignment about what gift we would give the world.  The other group that was working in the room with the 3rd grade teacher was having fun coming up with silly gifts and not being very serious about it.  My group, however, blew me away.  

My five students came up with gifts like money for bills, food for hungry people, new clothes and shoes for everyone, pets to teach people how to love, and so much more.  These are students whose families don't have a ton of money so they know how important the necessities are.  It was amazing to hear these things come out of kids that are eight to nine years old.

With their words, it made me feel as if there is still some hope for our world.

(Picture from: http://sendinglovetotheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Give-the-Free-Gift-of-Love-to-the-World.jpg)

My Goddess of Writing

I have always been a lover of mythologies, especially those of Greece and Egypt.  Recently I came across a name of an Egyptian goddess that I didn't know of: Seshat.  It took a bit of time but I found out who she is.  In a nut shell, she is the goddess of writing.  (For more info, click this link: https://www.ancient.eu/Seshat/)

What better goddess for a writer to invoke while working on a manuscript?  I know many that ask the Muses for inspiration and ideas to place in their manuscript.  While I am grateful for the inspiration, I don't always need it.  What I do need is the motivation to start the writing process.  Once I get going, I can only be stopped by cramps in my fingers.

So, to the Goddess Seshat I offer up this prayer:

Lady Seshat, goddess of writing
May my fingers always be nimble as I type my manuscript
May my characters be complex and may the storyline never be flat
May my writing be an inspiration to those that read it

(Picture from http://www.crystalinks.com/seshatglyphs.jpg)

You Can Be Santa

Santa is seen as a spirit of giving; an individual who thinks of nothing but bringing joy to good children and encouraging those that aren't doing so well to do better.  Now I know that this is something that many kids believe in and very few adults do, but why discourage believing in Santa?  Hear me out.

Santa is more than a person.  Santa represents the good that can dwell in everyone's hearts.  He is the idea that everyone can help those around them, brighten their day, and lift their spirits when they are feeling down.  And even though it is only for a brief period, that spark of joy & wonder that Santa brings can help ignite a fire of love and hope in the people that the spark touches.

Now, a lot of people would say that it is wrong to tell kids that Santa is a real person and that they are only letting them down when they are older.  I can understand the disappointment that a kid can feel when they find out that Santa is not a real person but there is no need to kill the spirit of Santa within them.  Every child should be able to hold onto that sense of wonder, joy, and love for others that they get when they believe in Santa.

So, on this holiday season, I will continue to believe in the spirit of Santa and the good it can do for this world.  I will do my best to embody the best qualities of Santa, not only now but during the whole year.  Maybe if everyone can do this, the world will not seem so dark.

(Picture from: https://d3ewd3ysu1dfsj.cloudfront.net/images/stories/large/18904.jpg)

Hallway Poem

I sit alone
On the outside.
You all enjoy the shows
Yet I am still on the outside.
No one asks
They just assume
That I will do it all
And that it is okay.
But it is not.
So remind me again
Why I do this?

What Would Santa Do?

I realize that it is still October but many stores are putting out or have already put out their holiday decorations.  Soon, there will be tons of normally nice people transforming into sadistic, discount demanding, spawns of evil.  They will argue with associates over every little thing, picking at imaginary flaws in the merchandise and trying to get an item that normally costs $10 down to $5 just because they feel that they have the right to be a tightwad and that the associate they are dealing with is just a drone with absolutely no feelings what so ever & only exists just to serve the customer.

Well, I am here to point out a few things that you, as a holiday shopper, can do to make your shopping experience easier & a lot more pleasant and not be the person that an associate wishes, as my good friend Melodie Ramone said, that "Santa shits under your tree".  And I am including my brothers and sisters in the food industry as well.

Rule #1: Be prepared
Nothing is worse than dealing with a customer who has no idea what they are looking for.  My best friend Marie used to work at a bookstore and she actually had to say "There are 5,000 blue books. I have no idea which one you are looking for".  Don't just give a random description of what you are looking for.  Do what you were told in school: do your homework.  Most people have cellphones these days.  Take a picture of what you are looking for or text yourself a description or sku of the item.  Retail associates are dealing with a lot of people during the holiday season and nothing drives them nuts more than a very vague description that could be applied to over half the items in the store.

Rule #2: Read the fine print
The holidays is a big time for coupons.  I am a lover of a good coupon but, unlike many of the customers that come into the store I work, I actually read the fine print.  Make sure that the coupon that you are holding will actually work on what you are purchasing.  It is rather frustrating dealing with a screaming customer who insists that the coupon "should work" and having to explain that it doesn't because of what it says in the fine print.  You will save yourself a lot of pain and aggravation if you just take a few extra seconds out of your shopping day and READ THE FINE PRINT!

Rule #3:  Don't wait till the last minute
Oh holy mother, this one has to be one of the top of the frustrating list.  If you actually think that one of the hottest items will actually still be available three days before Christmas, you must be smoking something really strong.  Stores are sent a limited number of items and their online store warehouses only have so much storage room.  You have 2 choices: one, stop being a cheapskate and actually buy the item when the stores have plenty but may not be on sale or two, wait until the item goes on sale right before the holiday and risk it not being in stock.  It is your choice.  And that leads us right to the next rule.

Rule #4: Stock is limited
Stores have a finite amount of space.  They can only hold so much.  Do not ask if there is more in the "back room", as if there is a pocket in the space/time continuum that holds extras of everything that you could possibly want.  It does not happen.  If an associate says that it is the last one, over 99% of the time, they aren't lying.  they don't have it.  They have checked their inventory.  If there was some at another store or online, they will probably tell you.  If they don't, POLITELY ask about the possibility.

Rule #5: Be aware of your surroundings
Stores will have many more people in them than other times of the year.  If you are one of those people who insist on carrying a purse that could double as a piece of luggage, it would be better for you to switch to a smaller bag so you don't take out associates, merchandise, or your fellow customers.  This particular rule also includes making sure you know where the line starts and who is already waiting to check out.  Don't just set your stuff on the counter where there is a sign that says "register closed" and expect service.  Read the signs people and you won't have your fellow customers slashing your car tires because you decided that you were better than everyone else.

Rule #6: Patience is a virtue
This is a big one folks.  The holiday season is a busy one for everyone: shoppers and retailers alike.  Lines are going to be longer, stuff may sell out quicker, and people's tempers are definitely shorter.  It is supposed to be the season where you are to show love and kindness to your fellow human beings.  If something is sold out, if they don't have what you want, if your coupon doesn't work (see rule 2), don't turn into a demon and verbally abuse the people trying to help you or your fellow customers.  Remember, they are just people who have feelings that can be hurt by individuals who feel that it is okay to flay people bloody with their evil tongues.  Take a deep breath and put yourself into the other person's shoes before you go off one them.

There will probably be a part 2 to this post as the holidays get closer.  Just don't be a douche this holiday season and remember to show kindness to your fellow man.


P.S. Please feel free to let me know of any rules that you think I should include in the comments.  :-)

(Photo from https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Santa-Naughty-List.jpg)

867-5309

There was a song back in the early 80's that talked about seeing a phone number scrawled on the bathroom and whether or not he should call it.  (You can listen to the song here: https://youtu.be/8ou6DDG5e7I).  This got me thinking of how many times I have gone into a public bathroom and seen a number scratched into the paint of the stall wall.  It normally got my brain working on two tangents pretty regularly.

The first of these tangents was why.  Why would anyone Put someone else's phone number on the wall?  Was it for revenge or a prank?  Did they actually use a real number or did they make one up in the hopes that it would be called and the person on the other end would be rather annoyed?  I have never known any one to write a person's name on a bathroom wall, or at least no one that would admit it to me, so I have no answers to any of those questions.  My husband Lee did text a random phone number once and he said that the person was rather confused about the whole situation.

The second tangent was what would happen if I called one of those numbers.  Would the phone number actually work?  Would the call actually be connected or would it be disconnected?  Would I get a voicemail or would an actual person answer?  Since I have never actually called a number that was written inside a bathroom stall, I guess that these questions won't be answered either since I have no plans to call a random number since I get enough random calls to my phone, which annoy the hell out of me, so I don't want do it to someone else.

(Photo from http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/8675309-jenny.jpg)