SoCS: The Medium is the Message from Journalism, to Psychics, SciFi, and Faith

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is… “medium.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

When I read the prompt, I remembered something we learned in journalism class in the community college I went to before I decided to major in psychology. This was in the late 70s and I flirted with the idea of being a journalist. We went on a field trip to the newspaper and I was told that they better not hear of any of their journalists having their name on a petition, let alone, starting a petition, which I was known to do in my little community college where I got to be a big fish in a little pond. So I decided not to major in journalism because I might want to start a petition some time.

But back to the message which was, “The medium is the message.” That was a famous quote by Marshal McLuhan, probably in the early 70s or late 60s. When I saw the prompt and remembered the quote, I became curious and looked it up. That was at least an hour ago so I’m writing from memory in SoCS style and not breaking the rules. Not this time, anyway.

I now understand the quote, “The medium is the message,” a little better having read a brief summary that refreshed my memory. The message is made up of content and character. The medium of mainstream TV news, or even on-line news, has a sensationalizing character which affects the choice of words and content. Too much news can make us crazy. But we have a lot more control if we read the news, than if we watch one of the major networks at 6:30 PM. Oh, we can turn it off or change the channel, but reading or browsing gives us more choice about what we focus on. That’s why I try not to scroll on Facebook. Facebook is a medium which is part of media. Social media is plural. My FB page is a social medium.

Medium can refer to what type of substances I use to make art. I usually do acrylics, but have experimented with alcohol ink. Collage can be fun, then there’s mixed media.

Medium can be comfortable, an in between place on the thermostat or a setting on the stove. It’s the safest bet in most cases, unless you’re talking with a psychic medium.

I went to a psychic once. She said I had been imprisoned as a witch in a far ago past life, but that I was not a witch and never had been. I got this image of brick walls. I’d forgotten about that. It was like 15 years ago. There was a time when I thought I might become a Christian psychic. I bought this book about becoming a Christian psychic on my kindle but I seem to have lost it when I got my new phone. Never read it, but I’m still interested. I bet they (as in Christian psychics) recommend lots of preliminary prayers for protection. It’s not something I’d want to jump into without protection.

Maybe psychic ability is something science will be able to explain some day. There’s a reason why I can find a lost item (sometimes) when I shut my brain off and just tell my body to take me to it. We know stuff that we don’t know we know. Science feels safe when it can explain things. But some things do require faith. That reminds me of the movie, Contact, which is one of my very favorite movies.

In Contact, Jodie Foster plays a scientist who is an atheist. She has an experience with extraterrestrials but has no proof. Her friend and love interest is Palmer, a man of faith played by Matthew McConaughey. I love Ellie’s speech at 2 minutes into this clip. The movie (one medium) is based on a novel (another medium) written by Carl Sagan. Early in the story, they get a message from the extraterrestrials in another medium.

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For more takes on medium, and the rules, visit our SoCS host, Linda Hill at:

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Oct. 10/2020

SoCS: What’s in Your Brain?

Today’s prompt is….. “container.” We have lots of latitude as to how we use it.

My brain is a container.

Full of 64 plus years of memories,

knowledge, questions, clutter, images

Formulas, trivia, mistakes, emotions,

Successes, failures, learnings, maps……

The question is, what more shall I add?

Political news can be stressful

But it’s necessary in small and specific doses.

Music is better. Reading for pleasure is better.

Science Fiction can be a good escape,

But not so much shoot em ups

Not so much blood. Not so much cop drama….

Star Trek is always good.

Romantic comedies are warm bread.

Jeopardy is better than news.

Facebook invites stress

if I’m not careful where I go.

We can change the channel

Click the X.

Learn some new dance steps

A new song

A new path through the woods

Or a well treasured trail.

Books are good friends.

Furry friends and funny friends…

Find room for loving conversation

Making new memories to add to the old ones.

Take out the trash.

Make room for good

food for thought.

I was feeling stressed by news and FB and realized I needed to relax. Here’s my current go-to meditation. It’s about 45 minutes. The sleep part doesn’t come in til the very end, so you could watch it in sections: protection, calm, wellness, then the sleep if you want to, or just go on with your day, save the sleep for later. Sometimes I fade in and out, imprinting on Michael’s British accent.

I’m on the road for a short trip to the mountains, so will catch you later. Have a great Saturday!

…

For more streams of consciousness, visit our host, Linda G. Hill at:

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 26/2020

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

SoCS: The Road to Fruition is Lined with Caladiums

Our Stream of consciousness prompt for today is: “-tion.” Find a word that ends with “tion.” Bonus points if you start your post with it. Have fun!

Fruition takes time. Fruition is one of the words I thought of when I read the prompt. There was also communication, action, imagination….. I recently did a one-liner on imagination. Creation is a word close to my heart. But fruition keeps tugging at me.

When we want something badly, we don’t want it to take a lot of time. But fruition is about growing into, becoming, developing. There’s a readiness that needs to happen. Like in my memoir. 39 years is a long time, but a lot happened in the meantime. Life flows up and down, around and under, twisting on The Long and Winding Road which is one of my favorite songs.

My garden veggies are not coming to fruition as I’d hoped. David says it’s because there isn’t enough sunlight on account of all the trees. We cut some back, but maybe we’ll have to cut more in the winter. Not cutting any big ones mind you. Mostly we’ll cut privet. The basil has done well and the ginger seems to be growing nicely. The zucchini plants have plenty of leaves and beautiful flowers, but no zucchini. Maybe we’ll try spinach.

The caladiums have done great.

Behind the elephant ears are basil and ginger on the left, and maybe squash leaves coming through the fence. Maybe we let the squash vines get too long. I don’t know.

Prayers come to fruition over time, but not always how we expect. A few nights ago I stood in my backyard in the dark praying hard about a family issue regarding one of my adult children. The angels heard me. God heard me. Jesus heard me. I felt a bit of relief that comes when you can’t deal with it any more and have to trust a Power greater than yourself. Things have improved, and I am reminded that sometimes things have to get messed up before they can get better.

The long and winding road continues to twist and turn, and I will enjoy the caladiums. And the basil.

May all your best dreams, hopes and prayers come to the best possible fruition.

One more thing. US Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at the age of 87. She was a strong pioneer for equality and justice. She lived a life that came to abundant fruition.

For more streams of consciousness, and the rules, visit our host, Linda Hill at:

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 19/2020

Checks and Balances, Check Book, Reality Check, Check it Out, and Rain Check

Today’s prompt for SoCS is check, cheque, or Czech. I noticed after reading the prompt that Queennandini had already posted and went to check on her post since I had no ideas yet. She had a long and lovely list from which I jotted down my favorites. This is not planning. It’s peering into someone’s stream of consciousness and fishing out a few interesting ideas.

Here are the ones I liked. Rain check, Check it out. Reality Check, check book, and something about checks and balances or was that in my head? Well, I think I’ll start with that and maybe work my way back.

“Checks and Balances” is something I heard a lot in history and civics classes in high school about how the US government is supposed to work. The administrative, legislative, and judicial branches are supposed to check and balance one another and no one branch should have too much power. Someone should remind the administrative branch about this.

I like balance. However, I do not balance my checkbook. Yes, I still use a check book and write deposits and withdrawals in it with a pen, but I don’t balance it. I do check on my balances on line and keep an eye on that which is not too far off. Close enough.

Reality check. That’s a huge topic full of possibilities. I’ve noticed if I spend a lot of time looking at news stories or something serious, like listening to a debate on systemic racism like I did a couple nights ago, that I need a break from reality. That’s when I watch Star Trek or read some fiction, or maybe paint something easy. Coloring works too. Later, I might watch a romantic comedy and paint a mermaid. That should do it.

Check it out. Here are some mermaids I’ve painted:

Mermaids by Joannaoftheforest

My husband, David, cut these out of wood, though I’ve recently learned how to do that myself. Three of these mermaids were “painted” with alcohol ink and one was painted with acrylic, all by hand. Alcohol ink is more fun if I’m willing to let go of some control which I need to do anyway to be more abstract.

Hey! I have a Redbubble shop! It’s under my other name. Here’s the link. You’ll find my mermaids, angels, and other stuff there on cups, T shirts, etc.

Rain check. It hasn’t rained here in days and days. The temps have been in the 90s. I’ve heard some thunder, so hope we’ll get some rain soon. Saying, “I’ll take a rain check” is a good way to get out of something you don’t want to do or you’re not sure if you want to do it. Though if you really don’t want to do it, I guess you should just say, no thanks. But if you really do want to do it, but can’t, then we can say, “Can I have a rain check?” Like my girlfriends reunion which we’ve rescheduled twice now. Sigh.

My stream of consciousness had brought this song. It may be wishful thinking about rain.

…

Stream of Consciousness Saturday is brought to us by Linda G. Hill. For more streams, check out:

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS July 25/2020

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

SoCS: Look Before You Link

These days linking is done mostly through our computers. In bloglandia, we’re used to this type of connection. I find it comforting. Do I add a link to my new book? Not yet. We’ll see.

Some of the book is about linking with the wrong person and how to find the right person – a compatible person who is a good fit. Not someone who has fits. Now, I’m streaming. Those kinds of fits aren’t in the book. But you don’t want to be around someone who has fits, do you? Like hissy fits, or fighting fits, or even being fit to be tied. Not often anyway. Where was I going with this?

I had a list of traits I was looking for in a compatible partner. Some things were non- negotiable, like, “Must Love Dogs.” I got that one. Maybe the one about “not snoring loud” should not have been way at the bottom on the list. I did not get that one. But it’s not a deal breaker. Thank goodness.

Link with someone you trust. But how do you know? People are on their best behavior when you first meet them. It takes time to find out what someone is really like. And then if you link, and find out, oops, this person is crazy and not in a good way, you have to unlink.

If I could go back in time to the rebound from hell and tell myself something, I would tell myself around the second or third date, “GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!” But I didn’t. Due to my vulnerable state of low self worth, I was linked in there for a year. Which was 365 days too long.

I didn’t mean to write all about that. But it (the rebound from hell) gave me compassion for people who stay too long in unhealthy or abusive relationships. Maybe it can help someone avoid the mistakes I made. That’s the point of my new book. That and manifesting. What a weird word. How about making your dreams come true? That’s better.

Some links can be great. Strong. Stable, a good fit. Like when you find the puzzle piece that really does fit, and it makes the picture make sense. And you don’t have to force it. Cause if it don’t fit, don’t force it. A good link makes the whole thing work better. So look before you link. Ask a lot of questions. Or stay home and read a book, or watch TV. Learn stuff. Love yourself. Be well.

We don’t need a link to the book. You can just click on the top right picture of the cover of From Loneliness to Love if you’d like, or scroll down below the post.

But we do need a link to Linda, who gave us this prompt for SoCS. Here it is:

https://lindaghill.com/2020/07/17/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-18-2020/

And here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

SoCS: Letting Go and Tossing it Up

Today’s prompt is simply the word, “toss,” with the encouragement to use it any way we like and to enjoy!

It’s a toss up. Will I toss and turn tonight or sleep well and deeply? I think I will lean toward the latter. I’m in the mountains this weekend, and fresh air will help me sleep. That’s what Mom always said. The grand kids are here, and we’re not as cuddly as usual because of the thing. But we did a little hike this afternoon and will go on a longer one tomorrow which will be Saturday.

I’m writing this on Friday night as usual. The sky has a pink glow beyond the abundance of trees. I’ve been wanting to find a kayak to use on the nearby lake.  Been looking on line and nothing is jumping out at me. Plus I need  would like to have it delivered – something I’ve never done with something that big. Craig’s list doesn’t have anything in the area. When things aren’t happening in my expected time frame, I have to remember that God might have a plan, even for something as minor as a kayak. So, I’m going to toss this desire up to God. It worked with my desire for a compatible partner.

Tossing a thing up to God does not relieve me of responsibility.  I still have to look around and take care of business. I just don’t need to fret over it. Or anything. So, sometimes, the fretting goes away for a little while, until it comes back. But those moments of letting go and trusting the timing do feel good. Like taking off a heavy pack and tossing it someplace for safekeeping. Or tossing our cares to the wind so we can run free, at least for a while.  When it’s time, we pick up the responsibilities that are truly ours – our actions and words, thoughts, and prayers, hopes and dreams…. perhaps for peace starting in our own minds and our own hearts.

Here’s a recent photo I took because I thought I saw angels in the sky.  By the time I took the shot, they had already started to disperse. What do you see?

Happy Freedom Day!

…

For more streams of consciousness, visit Linda Hill at this link:

https://lindaghill.com/2020/07/03/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-4-2020/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

SoCS: Flirty Lines, Old Songs & Giant Frogs

Today’s SoCS prompt is: “coffee, tea, or me.” Find a flirty phrase of your own or use “coffee, tea, or me” in your post. Have fun!

I’ve heard that phrase, “Coffee, tea, or me,” in the 70s. But oddly, I didn’t know where it came from, so I looked it up. No, this is not planning. It’s curiosity. What’s even more odd is that I didn’t remember it was a movie. The book was published in the 1960s and was about uninhibited stewardesses and their escapades. It was made into movie in which appeared in 1973. That was about the time when I started working at the local movie theatre. Working concessions, and later, the box office was my high school and early college job, so you’d think I would have remembered this was a movie. But alas, sometimes I knew something very well in the 70s and don’t remember now. There’s only so much room in this brain.

I was probably much more flirty in the 70s. Yet, I don’t clearly remember any flirty phrases I used then. My friend had one: “Hi guy, Wanna Try?” She didn’t usually say this to a guy, but would say it when talking about a guy and rolling her eyes in a flirtatious way.

Eyes can be very flirtatious. Probably more than we realize. There’s a wink, or a smile, and all sorts of things like pheromones’ beyond our conscious awareness. In the seventies, I would be more likely to sing a song, maybe something by Donna Summer. Or maybe I’m just making this up in my head. Seems like I almost remember singing to someone…. I was going to find a Donna Summer video, but feel free to look for yourself. My stream is rolling.

I did sing for David when we reconnected in 2011. I danced around him at night on the beach singing, “It’s a Marvelous Night for a Moondance.” I’ll go find that one later maybe. I asked David tonight (Friday which if your reading this was last night) if I have or had any flirty expressions. He said, “Not really, but you do say, ‘Hi Handsome,’ sometimes.”  I say that to him because he is handsome. It is kinda flirty. When we dated in the 70s he used to say, “If you feel froggy, JUMP!” That wasn’t exactly flirty, but it was funny in a goofy way.

I just took a slight detour to listen to “Moondance.” I don’t know all those words, so I probably didn’t sing much of it. But I do know all the words to “Blue Moon.” And I’m sure I’ve sung that one to my love. Here’s a very relaxing version:

 

And since that was soooo serious, let’s end with feeling froggy. These are giant frogs at the local aquarium. They look like they’re about to jump, don’t they?

 

“Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.”

…

Thanks for a fun prompt, Linda! For more flirty streams of consciousness, visit:

https://lindaghill.com/2020/06/26/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-june-27-2020/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

What Flames are You Fanning?

Today’s SoCS prompt is: “fan.” Use it by itself or find a word that starts or ends with it. Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

 

Fan the flames of peace.

Sing out to bring the dove.

The road might not be straight.

Let me start with my own heart.

 

Fan the flames of justice.

Not with violence, but with strength.

Be persistent.

We can’t always wait for Karma.

 

Fan the flames of love.

Speak your heart’s desire.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Remember we all belong.

 

What do we want to speak into existence? Our thoughts and our words are powerful! Focusing on what we want, not what we don’t want, brings our heart’s desire. Yet, there are times when we must vent to release and make room for something better. Just don’t linger in the darkness. Don’t let the negativity become toxic.

Imagine the best. 

That’s the fifth step in my new book, From Loneliness to Love, Five Steps for Finding a Healthy Relationship. The e-book will be available on Amazon tomorrow! (June 7) I’m still trying to get the cover right for the paperback. It looks good digitally, but the printed proofs….. Oh well.

I will imagine that this book will help people. The principles work not just for finding a healthy relationship, but for many other goals.  Here are the steps:

1. Clarify Your Heart’s Desire
2. Request Help from the Divine
3. Love Yourself Well
4. Focus on Friendship
5. Imagine the Best

 

On another note:

Fan blades remind me of flower petals. So I’ve recycled ? upcycled a couple.

Painted with alcohol ink and soon to be a sunflower

This one spins in the wind.

 

For more Streams of Consciousness, visit our host, Linda G. Hill at

https://lindaghill.com/2020/06/05/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-june-6-2020/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

 

Spay, Splay, or Spray Your Way to the Peace Train

Today’s prompt for  Stream of Consciousness Saturday:

“…spay/splay/spray.” Use one, use two, use ’em all, it’s up to you. Have fun!

There’s so much I could write about, but I’ll start with the prompt.

Spay or neuter your pet. There are so many homeless dogs and cats, so many killed because they were abandoned….   I’m feeling tense right now and sad because of the news in the US, and now, thinking of abandoned pets being killed in shelters…. I don’t want this to be a downer post, but that’s where the stream of consciousness is going for me right now. Consciousness sometimes means being sad or angry or afraid because of what’s happening….

Going back to spaying and neutering, there aren’t enough homes for them all, so I don’t understand why people would find it acceptable to breed more dogs and cats when you can adopt from a shelter and save a life. If we get another dog, when we get another dog, I’ll be looking for a shepherd mix from a shelter. But who knows who will find me.

Doodle, our Treeing Walker Coonhound, may she rest in peace, was adopted from a shelter or rescue by my husband before we got married. Her big walker feet would splay out when she got excited. It was involuntary. I wish I had a picture of her feet splaying. Here she is sleeping on our bed with her big feet.

 

Spray. The first thing I thought about with that was pepper spray. I’ve been watching news on the protests in Minneapolis over the murder of George Floyd. When I watched the video of the police officer kneeling on George’s neck for several minutes even after he became unresponsive, I was yelling, “get off him! Just put him in the car!” (He was already handcuffed!) But when I was watching the video George was already dead. Bystanders were yelling for the policeman to, “check his pulse!” and “He’s unresponsive!” Afterward, I cried. I don’t wish I hadn’t watched the video. It was important to see it. So many black men (and women) have been killed by police officers or “vigilantes.” This one was the worst I’ve seen. But they’re all horrible.

I’m usually optimistic, and I still have hope that we can do better. Sometimes things have a way of getting worse before they get better. I believe this is enough. My heart is heavy.

I know there are plenty of (?) some good cops in the world and in the US. I know at least one personally. There must be more. Police suicide in the US is very high. Some big changes need to happen. Police officers and cadets need a lot more training in de-escalation and community relations.  That’s an understatement. They need routine screening and supportive counseling.

Here’s my hope and vision for the future of my country where violence and injustice are concerned:

The US stays involved in the United Nations. We have a Department of Peace that gets just as much funding and status as the military. We have offices of peace and peace workers in every city and town that get just as much funding as law enforcement agencies. We organize for peace. We seek it diligently. We nurture peace and each other. It will not be easy. But it is possible.

I haven’t been smiling lately, but here’s some medicine:

Oh, yeah, my husband David just made a peace chair protoype. I’m going to paint some color on it. Painting is my medicine, too.

Peace Chair from Reclaimed Wood

…

For more on SoCS visit Linda’s blog:

https://lindaghill.com/2020/05/29/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-30-2020/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

Desire and Divine Intervention

Here’s something different for a Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt:  The word is, “want.” Make the word “want” the first, second, or third word of your post. Have fun!

I didn’t want to want a man in my life. 

The divorce had strangled my heart – figuratively, and acid reflux made me think I was having a heart attack. The rebound from hell should have made me swear off romantic relationships. Rebound number 2 was better, but still stressful. I couldn’t relax with him, even after three years. Men were too much stress. The little bit of romance and security was not worth the headaches and stomach aches.

So I asked God to take away the desire for a partner. Then, as an afterthought, I said, “or send me a good one.”

And eventually, when the time was right, God did just that. (God didn’t take away the desire, though I relaxed a bit just turning it over.) God sent me a good one.  Not perfect, but maybe perfect for me – allowing me to work on my issues and him to work on his issues, and the little bit of (normal) stress is totally worth the abundance of security and compatibility.

The long version is my memoir, Trust the Timing. But I’m also working on a short version, called From Loneliness to Love, Five Steps for Finding a Healthy Relationship.  It’s almost ready for publication. Just when I think I’ve got it all lined up, there’s a formatting issue that pops up between the uploading and the proofing. I guess I need to keep plugging away and trust the timing.

I want it to all fall into place, which happens occasionally, though not as often as I want. A friend of mine told me, “If it don’t fit, don’t force it.” If you want something really bad and it’s not happening, don’t force it.  Don’t give up, but try something a little different, take a break, take up a hobby. If it’s meant to happen, it will.

When David was 15 and moved far away,  the lady I babysat for told me, “If you are meant to be together, you will be.”  It stopped my tears and gave me hope. Life went on and on. David became a sweet but distant memory.  Then, 39 years after we said goodbye in 1972, he found me again. Now he is my life partner. The good one. Not forced, but falling into place.

We are all waiting to see what will happen in the world and in our lives. But we are not alone and never were.

Don’t force it. Trust the timing.

I’m still learning that one.

This is for all the lonely people.

…

For more Streams of Consciousness, visit our host, Linda Hill at:

https://lindaghill.com/2020/05/15/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-16-2020/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!