A Traveler's Tale

I am not about to fall off the face of the earth (in case you didn't get the memo, a sailor discovered that the earth is round, thus making it impossible to fall off the seemingly flat edge on the horizon).

My curiosity is about to send me (& my husband) on an adventurous journey through 7 countries on 4 continents over the next 2 months. What does that mean for my blog and you my dear readers? It means irregular postings and possibly adventurous ramblings as I find my way into internet cafes in various cities around the world, sampling various blends of caffeine, from Turkish coffee to French lattes to Yerba Mate. What does that mean for the end of January when I will be regularly behind a computer once more? Fresh new perspective and more stories! Travel always has a way of finding its way into a storyteller's tales. And I promise they will only be long in length, not in exageration.

Thank you for joining me so far in my blogging journey and I hope that you will remember me and continue to check back to read my future writing. I am bringing a journal for daily writing and for writing posts when no internet will be available AND I am bringing my camera. I hope I have peaked your own curiosity. And remember: follow your bliss!

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
– Mary Oliver, poet

Some Gave All / Hero

Hero. That word has a connotation that has been widely abused by the movies and people desiring an elevated position in life. The media bombardment of TomKat’s wedding this week does not signify anything heroic in my mind. Others will contest that only soldiers, firemen and policemen can be heroes.

The dictionary definition of a hero is: Hero: (noun) a man [or woman] of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his [her] brave deeds and noble qualities. Whatever your idea of the definition, I am taking a moment to pause and reflect on two soldiers who died here in Iraq this week. Whatever your views on the war, I urge you to respect the sacrifice made by these two young men. They were 24 and 26 years old. Younger by a few years than myself.

CPT. John R. Dennison and CPT. Rhett W. Schiller were KIA in Iraq this week. They were men who left their families, joined the military, and weren't afraid to die for what they believed. They sacrificed their lives to help a nation rebuild itself.

I attended their memorial service this cold afternoon at sunset, with the mosque blaring and drowning out the words of the soldiers speeches. I watched as soldiers in formation paid them respect with a salute. I stared at the memorial to them – their boots, M4 with helmet on top, the dogtags dangling off the weapon. The constant wind blowing the two flags behind the memorial, the silver dogtags catching the light in the setting sun as they were blown on their chain.

I shuddered at the final roll call. A man’s deep voice called out a name. “Here 1st Seargent” was the reply yelled back. Three times the fallen soldiers’ names were called and three times they did not respond. Cpt. Dennison. Silence. Cpt. John Dennison. Silence. Cpt. John R. Dennison. Silence. Next company began roll call. Here First Sargeant came the reply from the first few then silence. Cpt. Shiller. Silence. Cpt. Rhett Schiller. Silence. Cpt. Rhett W. Schiller. Silence. I have shivers remembering even now as I write.

I watched as soldiers marched up then saluted the memorial. A few kneeled in front. I watched as they touched their boots, upturned M4s with the helmet on top, and the dog tags hanging off the weapon.

At the DFAC, a table was set with two clean place settings. There was a name placard above each plate. Half the lights were out at the chow hall and a picture slideshow was playing on the far wall to music. The mood was solemn. The night bitterly cold, but clear so that stars were visible where sand had clouded the sky earlier.

My heart grieves for their families. One wife and one fiancee in mourning. Each had siblings and both sets of parents. It is not right for parents to bury children. But it is a fact in this awful world where wars claim lives.

I remember your dedication to God and country. I remember your bond to your brothers in arms. I will always remember your sacrifice.

May they rest in peace.

NaNoWriMo inspired word count

Over the course of this month, I have hit the 10K mark in words. I am at 10,150 but that’s counting a variety of writing, not a single document and that does not count my journal, which I have been writing in every day. Even tho this may seem like procrastinating, I was extremely curious at my word output for the month. If I wanted to have a fully accurate count of all my words, I would have to count all my emails and also my handwritten journal, but I am not going to get that detailed. And besides, that sounds a little anal. Although I am curious, I have better things to do than procrastinate that long!

How are all you doing with your writing???

November 15, 2006

Yesterday was a day of death. Today, the world awoke the same as yesterday. The sun rose bathing the earth in light. The clouds formed high in the sky. Flowers bloomed.

And five wives woke up without their husbands. Four families of children woke up without their father. Two mothers woke up without their sons. One wife woke up rejoicing that her husband’s injuries were minor.

And these attacks and deaths didn’t even make the news. The insurgency will kill more people today. They will terrorize more civilians. They will kidnap, torture, maim and kill more innocents on their way to work, on their way home from work. The Iraqi leaders will turn a blind eye, blaming the Americans. They will not lead their own country men toward peace, but find a scapegoat and a place to hide.

The innocents of Iraq, the ones with money, will look again for a way out of their country. They will send emails to embassies and be rejected yet again. They will change jobs and move their families to less dangerous towns.

While some will pray to Allah before they kill, others will pray to Allah before they die.

And the mosque will continue to call people to prayer five times a day.

The New 7 Wonders of the World

I try not to write about the news on my blog, but this one was interesting. There is a contest to name the new seven wonders of the world. Only one of the original is still standing: the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The new 7 will be announced on July 7th, 2007 and the public can vote until July 6th on this! That is what I like. That the “little people” have a say in what is decided to be the new seven wonders of our world.

The original 7 are: the Pyramids of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Pharos lighthouse off Alexandria. These were chosen by travelers to the Mediteranean and the Middle East in ancient times.

The following are on a short list: the Taj Mahal, Stonehenge, the Acropolis, the Great Wall, the Pyramids, the Statue of Liberty; Eiffel Tower; Peru's Machu Picchu; Turkey's Haghia Sophia; the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral; the Colosseum; Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle; Spain's Alhambra; Japan's Kiyomizu Temple; the Sydney Opera House; Cambodia's Angkor; Timbuktu; Petra, Jordan; Brazil's Statue of Christ Redeemer; Easter Island; and Chichen Itza, Mexico. (These will be chosen by people like you and me).

Without knowing about this, I have already visited 7 of them: Stonehenge, the Pyramids, the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, the Coliseum, Kiyomizu Temple, and Petra. Pretty wild, eh!

To have your say: vote at http://www.new7wonders.com

To read the entire article on this and see a short description of the final contestants, visit: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20061113/ap_tr_ge/travel_trip_new_seven_wonders_2

Sunday Scribblings - 33 - Driving my Life

Prompt: “I don’t want to be the passenger in my own life.”
Diane Ackerman

Mountain slips down the steep incline /
Disappearing into the ocean deep. /
Rocks lodged on the precipice, /
Threaten to fall off the mountain. /
My Jeep has no roof /
But the roll bar is strong. /
The weather is sunny & warm /
clouds hover on the horizon /
They threaten but I am prepared. /
I have gone thru their storms before and survived. /
I am alive. /
I am still living.

I’m driving now. /
For so long I was the passenger with the map /
But /
now I am the driver. /
Still listening to those who hold the map, /
but going where I want to go. /
That is good. /
It is time. /
Just like a butterfly comes out of its cocoon, /
painful tho it is, /
I am no longer hiding. /
I am spreading my wings. /
I am flying.

A fave quote of mine about being your true self:

“The world needs you.”

~ John & Stasi Eldridge

The Past in the Present

I love history and geographical history, learning the reasons why people settled where they did, the way the land affected settlement, the way the land changed over time, the way the civilization grew and changed.

I have been blessed to have been able to travel many places and this week I came across two paintings of places to which I have traveled. I’d love to do a “then & now” painting/photograph side by side and I know that I do have some photos in storage of these places. I think we can learn a lot about not only our selves and our culture, or another culture, in the present and for the future if we understand our past, from where we came.

This is a painting of Notre-Dame de la Victoire, in Quebec, Canada. This is after the English bombing in 1755. In the present, the church is still standing, having been rebuilt and the buildings on the sides have either been torn down and rebuilt or renovated because today there are buildings on either side and they are in that old style. But the rebuilding of this area and subsequent population growth resulted in this square reducing significantly in size. From the location of the painter, there are now buildings which house shops and apartments (and an excellent bakery!).

This is a painting of Place de la Madeleine in Paris. Now, I’m sure this doesn’t need too much explaining as we all know that people dress differently and there are no more trams running along the roads. I like this view during fall, at sunset. It gives us a glimpse into the past.

Although the two paintings were done about 100 years apart, the evidence of Old World and New World are apparent. The Old World just has that many more years from which to draw for their sophistication. They are no longer in the building/formation process, as was the New World at this time, still struggling against the wilderness.

Both squares have evolved along with their respective cultures. Yet both retain evidence of their past. They remain standing, a testimony to the integrity and strength of their foundations.

halfway there!

It's DONE! One story is done! I'm not exactly thrilled with it, but the tale has been told and the editing will come next. And to further point out... I'm halfway complete for my November writing goals! Today I'm working on more writing prompts for the Creativity Portal. I should have that done by tomorrow and can submit after that. Then it's on to the next story, the one that feels so important and therefore intimidating. Wish me luck! And GOOD LUCK to all of you who have taken up the NaNoWriMo challenge. And of course best wishes to those of you who are not participating in NaNoWriMo, but are nevertheless participating in your own creative challenges! Keep on truckin! And, as Winston Churchill said (albeit in an entirely different context) "Never, never, never give up!"

Klimt "tree of life" frieze found on www.art.com

Push past the procrastination

Just when you feel stuck… INSPIRATION... or at least ENCOURAGEMENT!

Today in my inbox, I received not one, but 2, emails regarding procrastination and pushing through that phase in the creative process.

Chris Baty from NaNoWriMo wrote: “The more you write, the better it gets. So make it a priority to write in torrents this week. Allow your characters to change, and have change forced upon them. Follow your intuition, even if it leads away from where you thought your book was heading. And know that writing a novel is like building a car. Your only job this month is to create a clunky machine that will eventually move people from one place to another. If your beast rolls at all at this point, you're doing great. Pretty prose, snappy dialogue, brilliant metaphors---they're all part of the high-gloss paint job and finishing touches we put on *after* the body is built.”

Jill Badonsky, author of “Nine Muses and a Bodyguard”, wrote of the Flying Monkeys in her monthly MUSEletter. They steal our ideas and cause distractions. Here is an exerpt from the museletter, which you can sign up for at: http://www.themuseisin.com/ :
“Albert Einstein said "No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it." So I altered my consciousness with different expectations. Creativity doesn't move in order, from an outline or a plan - expecting it to. Creativity is non-linear so I expect that just sitting down and expecting an enlightened flow will not always happen. . Creativity can go from A to B to G, then it pauses at H, goes ahead to 25, swerves over to Geography, takes a vacation for a month, revisits G for coffee and then comes back like fireworks on parade. Creative productivity sometimes requires tricks and mind-play in order to fool and bypass flying monkeys. It asks us to seize our power, break rules, and trod down a new path of our own making, confidently. Or at least pretending to be confident.”

All that said, after I post this entry, I am going to push on in writing my story. Good luck to all of you in the same boat! Here’s to calm seas and fair sailing!

Procrastination, part 2

I have a fear that this could potentially be a theme this month. Procrastinating the NaNoWriMo deadline. We all hate deadlines and yet with deadlines we are forced to work.

How many of us have a story, a poem, a song inside of us that we know is there, that we know wants to be released to spread its wings, but we keep it inside. Why? We are afraid.

Fear is powerful. It tells you to keep quiet when you want to speak. It tells you to keep walking when you want to jump. It tells you to keep smiling when you want to cry. Basically, it tells you not to do what you want to do. And, most of the time, it works.

So where am I in day 8 of November and my 2 stories? Only 2 new pages into story 1 of the 2! AGH is right. I have done my research, written a bit, realized where more research had to be done, done that research, tried to write, and let myself be distracted and unfocused. Why? There is a fear of being wrong that stops me from writing. And yet when I think about it, I know that the first draft will not be perfect and does have to be perfect. That is what a first draft is for!

A first draft is the writing of the thoughts in your head! It is the culmination of a myriad of ideas. Only when you have released the thoughts to take on a life of their own can you begin to edit them. If you begin to edit them while theyre inside your head, you may never release them. How many stories, biographies, poems and songs die with the author.

We have to push past that fear. Push past the internal (and external) critic. We have to ignore what “they” think. Here’s a thought. We spend so much time being afraid of “them”, but who are “they”? BE YOURSELF! Allow yourself the freedom to be who you know you are deep down inside! Allow those ideas to surface into the light. Allow them to take on a life of their own.

Those of us who have ideas are like the Creator who created out of nothing. We let loose our ideas into the world where they can take on a life of their own. We join the Creator in the creating process. I like what Sarah Ban Breathnach had to say on that subject: God created the world out of nothing, but at the end, he didn’t say it was perfect. He said it was “good.” I like that. May we too be brave (courage is pressing on despite being afraid) and give life to what lies inside of us and then have the confidence to stand back and declare our work “good.”

Thoughts

I have a thought that I am going to express, one that many may disagree with, but to which many will, possibly, say yes. I think that many of us want to be told what to think. Pause. Are you still reading? For those of us who have gone to university, we are used to having our thoughts judged and rated. That may make us look for approval of our thoughts or shy away from expressing our views out of fear of what others may think. For those in the military, they are used expressing their thoughts respectfully but also keeping their thoughts to themselves, depending on their rank. In other countries, religion or government cannot control the thoughts of the people, but controls the output of those thoughts: their speech and actions.

Today I was in a mixed emotion, not sure of what I was actually feeling. I began to surf some of my favorite blogs, apparently wondering if they’d be able to give me a lift in my mood. I was surprised when I became aware of what I was doing. I was looking for someone to validate my feelings, or to focus the direction of my thoughts. How sad.

It can be hard to question all the information that bombards us daily. It is equally important to be a critical thinker so that we can evaluate each piece of information hitting us. As a history major, that is one quality that was paramount to a good understanding of historical texts: ascertaining the biases in the texts and the validity of the arguments in historical documents. When I was teaching, it was something that I tried to impart to my students. Question what you are being reading and being told (respectfully of course) and see if it makes sense when you bring into the light other sources of information.

When we are unsure of what we are feeling, this is the time to get away and get quiet just with ourselves. This is where meditation comes in handy, or a focusing of thoughts. But it is important not to focus on what others tell us. We must choose where our focus is.

A few sayings are popping into my mind at this point. “As a man thinketh, so he is.” If the maxim “Garbage in, garbage out” is true, that would mean that the converse is also true: if we fill our minds with good stuff, good stuff will come out. I remember reading something in the Bible’s New Testament that went like this: “Whatever is true, whatever is lovely, whatever is good, think on these things.” Sage advice in a world that seems to be teeming at the seams with bad news that threatens to pull us under if we succumb to the evil.

However, I like that we have a choice. We can choose to take in all the evil or we can consciously look for the good in the moment and reflect on the good in our day. I’ll be the first to admit that this is not the easy route. I find it much easier to harp on the bad stuff and find someone who will listen to my complaints. But if I want to be truly happy, I have to heed the sage advice of a boss that I respect:

You have a choice. You can choose to let the other person’s mood dictate your feelings or you can choose to not let their attitude pull you under. You can remain yourself despite what it going on around you.

I pray we all know who we are so that we can remain true to our selves despite what is going on around us.

ps. here's a little plug for my other blog: if you have good news to share... share it on that blog! I'm trying to shine a little sun into the darkness of this world by having a blog that showcases good stuff. www.thereisasilverlining.blogspot.com

Damn

I wrote this poem a few weeks ago on a dark night in my life. I'm happy to say that things are better now. Because just like every storm, it comes to an end and the sun begins to shine again.

the anguish

in my soul

threatens to bleed my heart dry.

my eyes remain

tearless.

i wish for rain

to listen to the soft

patter of raindrops

falling

falling

landing on my dry eyes

that dam the tear drops behind blue.

Procrastination

What is it that makes us not do what we want? There are a variety of reasons, but ultimately, is it fear? I have set for myself a deadline for Nov.30th to complete the two children’s novels/books I have started and you would not believe how much opposition there is to reaching my goal.

Much of that opposition is in my mind. There are a plethora of excuses that meander along my thought line from the right to left brains and back again. Some are creative, others are logical. But they are hindrances that must be overcome.

I have resorted to Natalie Goldberg’s Morning Page routine. Before I begin I write my stories, I write out everything in my mind. The other day when I did that, I actually wrote what I was afraid of in doing the actual story writing and what could happen when I finish them. Once it was on paper, I giggled. It wasn’t nearly as scary as it is in my head. And my goal is to finish the books, not have them perfect. The editing can come later, and will come later. But first you have to have something to edit.

So if there is something that you want to do but fear, or whatever else, is standing in your way, try being honest with yourself. Sometimes a little honesty can bring the darkness into the light and the monsters will retreat or pop into nothingness.

“Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8.32

NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month

I am participating in the NaNoWriMo attempt to write a novel in one month. (Quote from their website for those of you not participating: "National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30." www.nanowrimo.org)

However, I am not going for the certificate, nor the 50,000 word/175 page goal because my goal is different. I want to write 2 children's books in this time. The idea I have is that one is a picture book and one is a young readers novel.

Not that I need to explain myself, but this is my little soapbox, so I'm going to explain anyways, LOL! I feel that writing is my vocation. I've heard it said that a career is a job, but a vocation is a calling. I have always loved to write (since the first story Ms.Letkeman had us write way back in grade.2 - I still remember the joy at creating). In highschool, another super teacher, Ms. Morgan, taught English in a way that I loved. I began to write poetry at this time and enjoyed the pleasure of getting out the feelings quickly.

I have just a few months until I turn 30 (ah!) and have already embarked on two different careers since university. I feel that it is time to head towards my passion ~ writing. I'd love to do it full time, not have to work another job and write on the side. How excellent it is for the people that get to work their vocations! (hmmm, one slip of the keys with one vowel and vocation becomes vacation!).

During the last year, I am amazed at how well my work has been received in various publications, especially on the Creativity Portal. This is the kind of encouragement that means I'm on the right track. That, and the fact that writing brings me deep intrinsic satisfaction. That's the ultimate indicator that you're on the right track.

SO... with all that that personal info about me & my dream, will you wish me luck this month?! If any of you have a dream in your heart, I urge you to go for it! Don't wait another day! Figure out what steps you can take to make it happen. After all, there is something that only you can bring to the world. In the words of author John Eldridge: "The world needs you."

November

November poem

A day to remember: each 11th hour of the 11th month of every year.

Always a chilly day… always a cloud filled sky as if heaven itself is ready to burst into tears at the thought of war,

Remembering the tears that fell from soldier’s eyes,

from soldier’s loved ones,

remembering the fear, the horrors,

the change that overcomes.

One does not stay the same,

one cannot stay the same in war.

Loved ones change as well.

Children yet to come will be changed by the war of their fathers, of their mothers

entangling all who enter war,

ensnaring those who succumb to the evils,

the atrocities,

the pain.

November Acronym

Never forget.

Old tell the young the truth of war, the

Victory tales or defeat.

Embrace the past so we can move on into the future. War is human kind’s history:

Myself, my father, my grandfather, my great-grandfather, my great-great grandfather

Beware lest we make the same mistakes again. Learn from the past

Education will help us to act better in the present and the future.

Remember the sacrifices. Remember the walking wounded.

Photos courtesy: http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-tributes/poppy.htm This is a website worth checking out.