The slow creep of corporations; Day 15 of Writing 101

You know the most important thing to do if you want to be a writer? Practice. And yet, you get home from a long day at work and you know the last thing you want to do is sit down and write. Me too. Until I signed up for Writing 101 – WordPress will sent a prompt every weekday for the month of April.

Day 15: “Think about an event you’ve attended and loved. Your hometown’s annual fair. That life-changing music festival. A conference that shifted your worldview. Imagine you’re told it will be cancelled forever or taken over by an evil corporate force. How does that make you feel?”

 When this prompt was emailed out, I feel like the people behind Writing 101 wanted a fiction, wanted the passion imagined, but the reality is, all of our events, all the time are being taken over by an evil corporate force.

Okay, maybe not evil, and maybe it’s not a hostile takeover, but are you telling me that you don’t notice the slow creep of corporations at your favourite events.

When I was in high school, my mom and I used to go to university basketball games. That was one of my favourite activities and had a huge impact on me as a young, female athlete. When I went, it was all about the game and the players. Lately I attended a local game, and it was all about a fast food place giving a sandwich to the person is row P, seat 34. The first point was brought to you by the automotive repair place around the corner. No it wasn’t, it was brought to you by that 20-year-old who has put hours of work into getting to be on the team and scoring that point.

Music festivals spend a major part of the introduction of each act thanking the sponsors, everyone from that international mining corporation to the airlines that flew the musicians there at a reduced rate.

The question is – how does this make you feel? The answer, it makes me feel tired.

I am tired of sharing the things I love with multinational corporations whose activities I often don’t agree with. I am tired of constantly feeling like I am the target of advertising, that I can’t go somewhere without being told what to year, eat, drink and where to buy it. I am tired that the content of events, education and activities change because of the influence of these corporations.

The most tiring part though is realizing that there isn’t much I can do about it on my own; that many of these events can no longer happen without the support of said evil corporate force. So I pose a new question.

Once you establish how you feel about the evil corporate force talking over your event, what do you want to do about it?

Heading south; Day 14 of Writing 101

You know the most important thing to do if you want to be a writer? Practice. And yet, you get home from a long day at work and you know the last thing you want to do is sit down and write. Me too. Until I signed up for Writing 101 – WordPress will sent a prompt every weekday for the month of April.

Day 14: “Pick up the nearest book and flip to page 29. What’s the first word that jumps off the page? Use this word as your springboard for inspiration.”

Charleston

The name alone conjures images of grand old mansions, fine food and drink, and carpetbaggers. I’m pretty sure the first two are right, and the third one is only what I can remember of what Rhett Butler tells Scarlet about the city in Gone with the Wind.

I’m on route to Charleston right now actually, typing this post as I sit in the airport. Unfortunately my knowledge is limited mainly to Gone with the Wind. Actually I picture a lot of South Carolina and Georgia as sweeping green expanses of plantations in front of massive houses with wings – wings like the part of the house, not that I imagine any of these buildings taking flight. While I know it is unlikely the case I also hope to encounter southern belles in giant dresses at these plantations.

The good news is, even if Charleston and Savannah are nothing like Gone with the Wind, there is little chance of disappointment.

What I know to be true is amazing southern food – I happen to be a fan of grits, shrimp, fried chicken, and barbecue. I’ve never tried proper collard greens but I am looking forward to them too.

Panic, the art of finding; Day 13 of Writing 101

You know the most important thing to do if you want to be a writer? Practice. And yet, you get home from a long day at work and you know the last thing you want to do is sit down and write. Me too. Until I signed up for Writing 101 – WordPress will sent a prompt every weekday for the month of April.

Day 13: “Write a post about finding something.”

It would be wrong of me to write of finding only one thing.

I am that seemingly oh-so-fortunate person who is constantly finding thing. Of course in large part that is because I am constantly losing things. My mom always said I would misplace my head if it wasn’t firmly attached.

My cell phone goes on top of a desk at work during a conversation; I walk away, my phone remains. Panic. The keys get tossed into the wrong part of my purse; I need to open a door. Panic. My glasses are a similar colour to most of the wood surfaces in my house, I didn’t put them in the exact place that I always do (always might be stretch here). Panic.

The good news is, if I spend any time thinking about the previous few minutes, I manage to track down my belongings quickly. The bad news, the thinking always comes after the panic.

My mantra is: Stop. Think about where you left it. Check purse. Then panic.

I’m still working on it. Speaking of which, where is my cell phone? Uh oh. Panic?

Reluctant wedding bells; Day 12 of Writing 101

You know the most important thing to do if you want to be a writer? Practice. And yet, you get home from a long day at work and you know the last thing you want to do is sit down and write. Me too. Until I signed up for Writing 101 – WordPress will sent a prompt every weekday for the month of April.

Day 12: “Write a post inspired by a real-world conversation.”

“I’m waiting for him to ask me to marry him,” said someone behind me.”I tell him that all the time.”

I nearly got whiplash turning around to catch a glimpse of the speaker. She had a dark bob and was dressed to look older, with a low cut dress, and big, black leather heels, but the fullness of her face and the innocence in her eyes revealed that she was still young.

“Well he better get on that, if he knows what’s good for him,” said her dinner companion. Her back was towards me, so I couldn’t see her face. I could see her gesturing to her own ring.

“I know, right,” said the first girl again. “We have been living together for two-years, and we just bought a house, so I can already take him for half.”

I nearly choked on my diet coke. This is why I have promised to stop eavesdropping on the people around me. I mean I am completely failing at that, but that’s an issue for another time.

Today’s issue is, apparently, marriage is based entirely on material gain. Whether she is trying to take her boyfriend for half of what he’s worth, or that’s his fear, I am not sure, but it all seems kind of sad.

First of all the girl couldn’t be more than 21. If she and her boyfriend have been together for at least two years, she hasn’t had the opportunity to grow on her own, stand on her own two feet and decide what she wants in a partner. When I was 21, I like guys with motorcycles and tongue rings. I realize in my 30s that it is far, less important – tongue rings are not as sexy as I initially thought, and I could just ride my own motorcycle.

Secondly, while I am about as feminist (the good kind, who wants equal rights for all, and I like my bra, looking pretty and men) and independent as I can get, I have some romantic notions about marriage. Context: I hope never to be married. However, if everything was right, then maybe I would reconsider, but I would want it to be about being head-over-heels in love, with my best friend so we could show others how important our relationship is to us. Not about financial gains. Not about trying to hit some kind of societal set timeline.

Nothing says love like, “he better if he knows what is good for him.”

Sigh.

A whole lot of pink; Day 11 of Writing 101

You know the most important thing to do if you want to be a writer? Practice. And yet, you get home from a long day at work and you know the last thing you want to do is sit down and write. Me too. Until I signed up for Writing 101 – WordPress will sent a prompt every weekday for the month of April.

Day 11: “Where did you live when you were 12 years old?”

When I was 12, I was a people pleaser, more aptly I was a parent pleaser. I wanted my parents to feel good about the decision they helped me make (read: made for me), so I dutifully agreed, to four different sports, music lessons and dance classes. You name it. I did it. And even today, I remain so grateful for all the opportunities.

However, I also agreed to lace, and pink and hearts and flowers. When I was a kid I ran with the boys. My closest playmate was my brother; all the kids in the neighbourhood were boys. They ran around, I ran around, they climbed fences, I climbed fences – I’m sure you get the picture.

The year I turned 12, my parents decided it was time for an adult room and I would get to help choose what it would look like. I was ecstatic. I was already picturing bright purple or red walls, dark brown or black furniture, photographs and posters.

My mom had a slightly different idea in mind. She saw her only daughter as needing something more grown up, she saw me appreciating the light pink wall paper, with the lace hearts and ribbons on it when I was older. Being the parent pleaser that I was, and I mean, hey, they were adults, they probably knew way more about being older than I was, I went along with it.

My room was beautifully decorated. Pale pink walls, perfectly level wall paper and borders. My name was hung on the wall in stuffed pink letters. The desk was pink, the bookshelf pink, the headboard pink, and the dresser pink. My bedspread was a soft purple, but when you go closer you realized it was not purple, by tiny purple and pink flowers so closely together that it gave the illusion of a solid colour. Everything else was white and lace.

It remains that way today. I am one of those kids who is lucky enough to still have her childhood bedroom when she goes home for a visit. Honestly, I still think the room is beautiful today (company who visits my parents comment too), but I am still waiting for the day that I find I really love the pink, lace, hearts and flowers. Maybe I’m just not old enough yet.

Broccoli = best food ever; Day 10 of Writing 101

You know the most important thing to do if you want to be a writer? Practice. And yet, you get home from a long day at work and you know the last thing you want to do is sit down and write. Me too. Until I signed up for Writing 101 – WordPress will sent a prompt every weekday for the month of April.

Day 10: “Tell us something about your favorite childhood meal — the one that was always a treat, that meant “celebration,” or that comforted you and has deep roots in your memory.”

I know many think I was probably the weirdest kid ever, likely because my favourite celebration meal contains a lot of broccoli.

I’m sure my mom was all, “Yes! Parenting win. I ask my kid, ‘what do you want for your birthday dinner?’ and she says curry chicken bake.”

Sure it has a lot of broccoli, but the secret that most kids completely miss is broccoli is only a delivery vehicle. I mean think about all the deliciousness that goes with broccoli: butter, cheese sauce, ranch dressing, the yummy sauce that comes with beef and broccoli, and miracle whip. No I’m not crazy; there is more than one amazing recipe for broccoli salad that has miracle whip.

So my celebration dinner, this Curry-chicken noodle bake simply uses broccoli to deliver curry mixed with mushroom soup, noodles and cheese. To be honest it remains one of my favourite meals today – even the smell of it coming out of the oven takes me home.

And close second is homemade lasagna, but isn’t that everyone’s favourite food?

Looking into a scene; Day 9 of Writing 101

You know the most important thing to do if you want to be a writer? Practice. And yet, you get home from a long day at work and you know the last thing you want to do is sit down and write. Me too. Until I signed up for Writing 101 – WordPress will sent a prompt every weekday for the month of April.

Day Nine: “A man and a woman walk through the park together, holding hands. They pass an old woman sitting on a bench. The old woman is knitting a small, red sweater. The man begins to cry. Write this scene.”

It wasn’t so much the coarse, red wool that the woman was methodically moving between her fingers and the long, wooden knitting needles that got to him, but her fingers themselves.

He and his wife were walking through the park, when the nostalgia over took him. The memory of his grandmother’s gnarled fingers wrapped around a wooden spoon with the smells of garlic, onion and tomato surround her. Her fingers pulling the covers up to his chin as she tucked him into bed as a child. Her fingers operating the knitting needles into the click-clicking sound as she created him a bright blue scarf.

Her fingers plucking at his sleeve as he sat on the edge of her hospital bed. The pair of them, sitting in silence watching the liquid-chemical concoction running down from the IV stand in its sterilized rubber tubing; the chemotherapy, which was supposed to cure her.

It’s didn’t work. She fought for eight months, but in the end the cancer won. And those finger would never again grasp his hand with pride as she looked at her grandson’s accomplishments.

The man stopped in front of the old woman on the bench. His wife placed her other hand over his and gently tugged him along.

He followed her across the park towards the memorial garden in the distance to say a final goodbye.

I’m staying home; Day 8 of Writing 101

You know the most important thing to do if you want to be a writer? Practice. And yet, you get home from a long day at work and you know the last thing you want to do is sit down and write. Me too. Until I signed up for Writing 101 – WordPress will sent a prompt every weekday for the month of April.

Day Eight: “Go to a local café, park, or public place and write a piece inspired by something you see.”

So there is one tiny problem with this prompt. I am usually at the end of a very, long day when I get to the blog challenge. Tucked at my desk, which is actually a homemade, knockoff IKEA table that I acquired from an ex-boyfriend’s kitchen years ago, I open my email to read the prompt and write.

With today’s prompt I am being asked to head out; a park is too dark and not so safe in my neighbourhood to go to at night with a laptop, the cafes are already closed (and to go to them at this hour is considered breaking and entering) and I’m too tired to think through any other public places.

See you all tomorrow.

Opposites attract; Day 7 of Writing 101

You know the most important thing to do if you want to be a writer? Practice. And yet, you get home from a long day at work and you know the last thing you want to do is sit down and write. Me too. Until I signed up for Writing 101 – WordPress will sent a prompt every weekday for the month of April.

Day Seven: “Write a post based on the contrast between two things — whether people, objects, emotions, places, or something else.”

She is cold, but he is hot (seriously, her toes are constantly ice and it’s like he has a built in furnace)

She is left, he is right (there have been arguments over the environment, world politics, etc.)

She forces herself to eat healthy; he likes cheese melted on carb followed by dessert (she wishes she could eat that way)

She is likes 80s rock, he likes pop from the 2000s (at least they can stand each other’s music)

She is outgoing, but he is shy (so sometimes she finds herself talking for him)

She bounds out of bed at 6 a.m. ready to take on the world; he needs a few coffees (and would rather worth to midnight, long after she is asleep).

BUT

They both run.

They both believe they can help to make the world a better place.

They both love to travel.

They both love language, arts and culture.

Birds of a feather flock together and opposites attract.

Either way you look at it, it’s still love.

She is human too; Day 6 of Writing 101

You know the most important thing to do if you want to be a writer? Practice. And yet, you get home from a long day at work and you know the last thing you want to do is sit down and write. Me too. Until I signed up for Writing 101 – WordPress will sent a prompt every weekday for the month of April.

Day Six: “Who’s the most interesting person (or people) you’ve met this year?”

I hate girl dates. You know when you have to meet someone who you’ve only seen in photos. In photos my boyfriend’s best-friend’s girlfriend always looks amazing. Not a hair out of place, smiling, well-dressed, skinny.

Basically she is everything I think I want to be, and now we get to go on a double date. I think I was less nervous the first couple of times I met my boyfriend.

But, I am an adult, I will suck it up and we will hang out. And it’s a good think I did. She is great – vibrant red hair and blue eyes that match her outgoing personality.

She is talkative, like me, often speaking up and filling the void left by are sometimes-all-too-shy boyfriends. And at first glance I find her incredibly confident, but like most things there is more that meets the eye.

I realize some of her stories are less because they are a defining moment, and not to make people laugh or share some insight, but rather to cover up a vulnerability. She wants us to like her, she is as nervous as I was. As time has passed, my nervousness has disappeared, but her vulnerability hasn’t gone away. It’s interesting how we can believe something of others (in my case believing appearance means everything) and yet forget how human we all are.

[Not my best post by a long shot, but it’s late and I am tired. Apologies]