Maybe we are not the only ones, but at birthday parties for my kids – and now grand ones – the cake ceremony has been rendered the opportunity to belt out your absolute worst rendition of “Happy Birthday” ever.

A cacophony of the off-key, off-kilter, off-rhyme, off-everything by all in attendance. As long as it maintained a “G” rating, anything was allowed. Atrocious acapella. Raspy rhythms. Squealing. Animal sounds. Flatulence.

Provided you remained in “Happy Birthday”, all bets were off.

Can’t you tell how much she loved hers?

Now, two things have since happened.

First, since my kids have all growed up and left the nest and have the latest version of an Apple or Android, the old man calls them early on their birthday and leaves a sonnet on their voicemail. You have no idea how well you can sing hands free in a car making your way to your first call. Only once has one of them answered the phone. Sorry to say, he got the live version. I bet his ears are still ringing.

Second, now that I have three grandkids, they too get a voicemail version of “Happy Birthday” from the old fart. I just coordinate with momma and let it rip.

I hear it makes them giggle and laugh.

I bet mine do too.

They just won’t admit it.

But I will.

Daily writing prompt

What’s a fear you’ve overcome — and how did you do it?

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According to Merriam, fear is “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.”

So then, I guess to be fearful of something, then you have to anticipate or at least be aware of the danger or dangers laying in wait. However, in my case, stupidity, ignorance, and a lack of presence pretty much cancels out any ability to anticipate and/or be aware.

Thus, no fear can exist.

Just luck.

But I digress….

Let’s just say there are certain ways of being and certain ways of being used that I really have no use for. I have travelled a path for much of my life where I allowed my worth and value to be allocated by others. A way of confirming my low self image.

Since the light went on in my noggin and I have turned on the blinker and taken the off ramp, I really do not go that way any longer. If a billboard from the past appears, I tend to ignore it and stay within the moment.

So there really never was fear. Just a willing acceptance of that mode of treatment for some bizarre reason.

These days, a pleasant often strong emotion is caused by anticipation and awareness of the opposite of danger.

Salvation.

Daily writing prompt

Do you believe in soulmates? Why or why not?

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Let’s just say I was mated to certain ways of thinking, speaking and behaving that tapped into my soul

Requisite divorce proceedings from that way of living are well underway and I will be puruing a different tack altogether.

My soul thirsts for something different.

So this time, I will listen more carefully.

Trust.

And be.

Daily writing prompt

What’s something you’d love to see in the future, but know you probably won’t live to witness?

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This will be a leap of faith.

Here goes nothin.

We were all gifted with free will. For simplicity sake, I will let Artie explain in layman’s terms:

“…the philosophical and psychological concept that individuals have the capacity to choose their own actions, control their behavior and act as the ultimate source of their decisions.”

Thanks Art.

If I am not mistaken, this has been a source of inspiration and exasperation our entire existence. While we do have the capacity to choose our own actions, we can tend to be incapacited by following a herd. There is a wide variety of those these days.

Speaking from experience, I for one have had issues controlling my behavior. Some caused by the internally driven, but plenty of help appeared from the external side of things too. And add to that, the unsavory and destructive characters I have allowed to play a role in the decision making process.

All by products of my will.

At present, I am currently in the process of turning mine over to a higher power.

And you know what? The more that goes over to His side, the better my side is.

Maybe I will make it to the day that my side is empty of will. (I hope He knows what he is getting Himself into. )

Maybe not.

But what the heck.

It is worth a shot.

(pun not intended)