Blogging Challenge Day 6: My Gender is Sweatpants

30-Day Blogging Challenge
Day 6 Prompt: Masks Off

We’re less than a week away from Halloween! If you had to design a costume that channeled your true, innermost self, what would that costume look like? Would you dare to wear it?

I was going to write about sweatpants, but I have written about this before on Facebook. So I’ll paste what I shared as a Facebook status in January:

The word that best expresses my gender is “Sweatpants.” Continue reading “Blogging Challenge Day 6: My Gender is Sweatpants”

Blogging Challenge Day 5: Things That Make Me Laugh

30-Day Blogging Challenge
Day 5 Prompt: Laughter

List as many things as you can that make you laugh.

Okay! In no particular order:

People falling down: I feel a bit bad about this one because bodies are fragile…but watching people trip and fall can be SO FUNNY! That seems truest on TV and online because it’s easier to see the fall occur without a connection to a person getting injured. Continue reading “Blogging Challenge Day 5: Things That Make Me Laugh”

Journaling Day 4: In Which I Decide That Daily Digital Journaling Is Not For Me

30-Day Digital Journaling Challenge
Day 4 Prompt:

Choose a photo from your childhood and study it closely. What is going on in the foreground? The background? Who is in the picture and how are they related and interacting? Describe the setting and the furnishings. Make the picture come alive with your words!

Alternate Prompt:

Debbie: Are you evaluating a new opportunity?
This is an exercise about being mindful of the projects we choose to take on, by making sure each new challenge or opportunity supports our top priorities. Start by typing out “My top three priorities at this time in my life are…” and answer for yourself.

Then, consider a new idea, project, task, or opportunity that you are investigating, and write out some reflection: Beyond the initial enthusiasm, how much does this opportunity contribute to each of my top three priorities? How will my efforts be returned and when? How much will it COST, in terms of money, time, energy? BE PRESENT. BREATHE. LISTEN. SMILE. DO ONE THING AT A TIME. ENJOY.

My fears have been confirmed. It turns out digital journaling is not what I thought it was, and it’s not what I’m looking to do. Continue reading “Journaling Day 4: In Which I Decide That Daily Digital Journaling Is Not For Me”

Journaling Day 3: Something About the Law of Attraction?

30-Day Digital Journaling Challenge
Day 3 Prompt:

According to Law of Attraction, we attract to our lives whatever we give our attention to, whether wanted and/or unwanted. Describe in one sentence something that is uncomfortable and unwanted for you. Then give 5 minutes to writing about how you would like things to be.

What? These prompts are going downhill fast. Today’s Journaling Challenge message had this information about the prompt’s contributor:

Michael Pearlman, M.D. is a Boston area psychiatrist and Personal Life Strategist with a spiritual focus. He uses the Law of Attraction to help people reveal their Divine Self-Expression and live the life of their dreams. Throughout his journey, journaling provided clarity and insights, and, at a deeper level, a way of listening to the soul. This awakening led him to develop Law of Attraction Journaling. The LoA Journal provides a direct route to Self-Realization via an intentional, meditative journaling inquiry – guiding people to effectively separate their heart’s will from their ego’s will.

Oh my god, no. Continue reading “Journaling Day 3: Something About the Law of Attraction?”

Journaling Day 2: I Am Supposed to Have a Conversation with My Body

30-Day Digital Journaling Challenge
Day 2 Prompt:

Today when you begin your writing, spend a few moments to bring your awareness to your physical experience and tune in to your body. Run an inventory check from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. In your journal, greet your body/tension or feeling. Perhaps ask its name. Then ask what is has to tell you today. What is the message your body has for you? How does it feel? Is there any pain or tension? Is there any sensation you’ve been ignoring? Allow the words to flow. Once your body has responded, ask the next question that occurs to you. Type the questions and answers on separate lines, and indicate which “voice” is speaking throughout the conversation.

Uhhhh…what? After reading that prompt three times I’m even more tempted to throw the prompt out of the window. I was trying to avoid this kind of creative writing assignment…

But damn, Day Two and I already don’t want to do this? Blaaaaaaaah. Okay. I’ll give it a go. Continue reading “Journaling Day 2: I Am Supposed to Have a Conversation with My Body”

Journaling Day 1: Okay, I’m Going to Try This 30-Day Journaling Challenge

A few days ago my acquaintance Bakari Chavanu posted a link on Facebook to a 30-day Digital Journaling Challenge. It seemed up my alley—I’ve considered NaNoWriMo for years, but I’m more interested in blogging and composing articles than in trying my hand at writing a novel. I have mad respect and a slight bit of envy for my cool writer friends who can do that kind of thing. Digital journaling seems easier and more in line with my interests, so sure, why not? I signed up.

Apparently I’ll receive one or two daily journal-writing prompts in my inbox. My plan is to attempt to post one blog post a day, maybe here, maybe on other sites, for the next 30 days. What I write might not fall under the category of “journaling,” and that’s okay ‘cuz it’s my damn blog and I can write what I want. So let’s get started! Continue reading “Journaling Day 1: Okay, I’m Going to Try This 30-Day Journaling Challenge”

Seventh Grade English Writing Assignment: “English: Descriptive Language”

Here’s another elementary school assignment I typed up. In this one, I had to try to cram in examples of descriptive language and identify them for the teacher. Blah. I left my old notes in. I’m pretty sure from the language used that I didn’t take the assignment too seriously—and after reading the teacher’s notes, it looks like I didn’t follow the directions too closely, either.

I left in any grammar and spelling mistakes I may have made. I’m pretty sure I had trouble keeping the tense consistent at that time. It’s all over the place! Continue reading “Seventh Grade English Writing Assignment: “English: Descriptive Language””