Tag Archives: dailyprompt

Good to the last drop.

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Daily writing prompt
What’s something you used to believe as a kid that seems ridiculous now?
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Hmmm.

This is gonna take a lot of effort for this. Though elements of my kid hood yet remain, actually several now that I think of it, like Elvis, it has left the building.

They – not entirely sure who “they” are, perhaps a potential prompt some day – used to say lots of things to us kids as we were growing up. Allegedly.

A great deal of marketing mumbo jumbo sprinkled in with a lot of the other malarkey that got spread about. Thank goodness phones hung on a wall back then and TV’s had an appendage growing out of the top like My Favorite Martian.

I guess what I really cannot get my head around to this day, is why anyone would unscrew an Oreo to eat it.

There were those that would disassemble the confection to lick the icing off the foundation then consume the bottom followed by the top. Or those that would adhere to disassembly phase one, consume the icing attached to the bottom and then eat the bare top. Or vice versa.

Some might even disassemble, then add an entire Oreo into the center, and then reassemble to consume. I am confident that there were many iterations.

Crumble into a bowl of ice cream, add chocolate syrup and consume. Place into a bowl, pour in milk, allow for some saturation, then consume with spoon. Place into bowl, pour in chocolate milk, then follow same saturation process as discussed. On and on.

My preferred method requires two liquids, never employed together.

First, a shorter wider glass of ice cold milk. Dunk until the cookie is about to split from your fingertips, then quickly transport into your Oreo hole in one fell swoop. By then, you may be able to simply gum it some and swallow. If your timing is off, and the Oreo pulls a Titantic and sinks to the bottom, all is not lost. Simply chug and pat the glass once you have consumed the last one via your hand, and the sunken treasure will slide into your mouth.

Then once coffee took over, I discovered the same approach worked magnificiently.

Your timing had to change to adapt to the faster saturation time. But it was a whole new flavor. Hills Brothers and Oreos. And of course, those that fell away like the ships before her, could be encouraged to find their way into your taste buds with the last swig of Java.

Mmmmmm.

Good to the last drop.

And that makes all for the better.

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Daily writing prompt
What’s a piece of media (book, movie, song) that changed how you see the world?
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There are certainly pieces of media, of this world, that may have influenced how I see things. A search in that direction could result in a lengthy and rambling list that has produced some, yet overall, minimal impact upon this stoic. Not today.

Sorry about that Moe, Larry and Curly.

In all honesty, it has been a peace not of this world that has forever changed the way I see things.

Through that revelation, media and all its inherent iterations of this world will never be regarded as before, at least by me. Sure, they can bring some joy and happiness. But of late, and due to their current iterations, they become simply a distraction.

And this is a good thing.

For now I can discern, comprehend and appreciate the origin of genuine, honest and lasting change. Not to be found in a piece of this world.

But peace not of it.

And that makes all for the better.

Fin.

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Daily writing prompt
If you could change the ending of any book, which one would it be?
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As you get to know me from these routine assignments and other spontaneous contributions, there has been an ongoing, perhaps noticable transition. Intention is undergoing alteration. A reinforcement of values accompanied by a shift in vocation. A new day finally treasured for once with some hope on the horizon.

We are all authors of our own story.

Mine had become a messterpiece.

But with a pack of legal pads, once of those Sharpie ball point pens and this trusty chrome book, I am in the process of being able to document a rewrite.

The main characters remain, but in a new light. The plot has shifted with the introduction of some new to my story. I am not aware of the acromym for a spiritual, adventure packed romance, fixer upper, comedy. Maybe that is something that needs to be left for Al to figure out. But that is where it seems to be going. Hopefully, many chapters remain.

Just know that a script is not handed over to you at birth to follow because of circumstance, event, disbelief or choices. There is plenty of paper and ink to articulate your story the way you want it to be read. And never write it to appeal to an audience. Live it the way best suited for you and let them seek you out.

There are many out there that need to know that they too can become their own authors of life. And reading your genuine story, with all of the melodrama, history, pain, joy and awakening will prove to them that they can write theirs too.

It may seem otherwise, but we are all connected. We just need to open up and let that truth happen.

Until next time, I will steer clear of ig-pay atin-lay and return to my roots Francais.

Fin.

But I can still be umb-day.

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Daily writing prompt
Which languages do you speak and how did that impact your life?
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As part of my grade school experience, fourth grade happened to fall on the year we learned French. That continued through sixth grade. Then into middle school. Four years in high school. Then, considering the classes I took in college, may have even qualified as a minor. Wanted to study in France a semester, but other things in life crowded that opportunity out.

Today? I may recall “merci”, days of the week, “Mon dieu”, or “merde” if I need to utter an expletive under my breath. After that, sorry to parlez, “Je ne me souviens pas.”

In between all of that, for the past sixty some years, three excellent professors have learned me to speak a compelling version of Latin I can literally put to use at a moment’s notice.

For those of you with an open mind, here is a short sample of swinging the alphabet in a classroom setting:

For those more comfortable in a relaxed, lunch room environment, this approach might be etter-bay:

Though my exposure to a romance language for so many years undoubtedly shaped my educational foundation, finding my roots in vulgar latin has been life changing. Thank goodness for reruns and now You Tube. Otherwise, how would I ever been able to attend a class held back in 1938?

It all seems pretty simple to me.

But I can still be umb-day.

And still do.

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Daily writing prompt
What’s the best advice you’d give to someone younger than you?
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I tend to be a giving person. Often to the point of over stepping, reacting, functioning and just about any other word, phrase or idiom you wish to have follow “over”. But from an advice perspective, that would definitely fall into the misnomer category.

To this old stoic, advice would appear to reflect great knowledge and expertise. Honestly, I do not think I am quite yet qualified to carry that moniker. This guy is still earning his stripes. But I have benefited from a life littered with missteps, misdeeds, miscalculations, misspokeness, missoportunity, and yes, mistakes.

Plenty.

So perhaps when it comes to this day’s assignment, allow me to tweak it a bit to “what wisdom would you offer someone younger than you?” To me, that makes more sense. Advice is born of an expert. Wisdom is earned through life. You seem to pay for advice through commitment accompanied by commission. Wisdom is simply shared free of charge with love. The only stipulation being to be open and to listen.

There is this phrase I have held dear for some time though I don’t recall its origin. I know I have shared it in one form or another because of the wisdom it conveyed to me in practice. Even now, its benefits continue to flow inward. For proof, think about where I am and what I am doing this moment.

“Discipline creates independence”.

In a variety of configurations, I have made it my intention to embrace self-discpline. Not that It has been perfect in its implementation and there have been zero flaws in the execution and outcome. But when you engage in the variety that is focused on your self, little by little, freedoms will emerge. They may be in the shape of ten minutes here, less double handling there to start. But in time, the more sef-discplined you become, the more independent you can be. Mathematically speaking, what you then get to do is inversely proportional to what you have to do.

As Roger and the boys once sang, “I’d call that a bargain, the best I ever had,
The best I ever had”

My kids saw this performed as they were growing up.

Starting, taking care of and finishing what had to be done opened the doors to what got to be done. I see it now in how they live their lives today. Heck, I can learn some tricks from them. And these days, I continue to live by that phrase for this old guy and those in my life around me. I see what happens when it is tried and what doesn’t when it is ignored.

So maybe let’s end with this.

I don’t really want to offer any advice. I still don’t know what I am doing. But I am more than happy to share the wisdom I earned and learned in the process of trying to make sense of life.

You are free to do with it whatever you choose.

I just know I get to do now because of what I had to do then.

And still do.