I Want to #ShareInspireConquer

Every Wednesday Thomas Ives of The Bestowing Fire hosts the #ShareInspireConquer event on Twitter. He invites us to share our positive posts which he will help promote. I always want to participate, but I’m a grumpy old man and never feel like I have anything appropriate.

Last night I took part in a discussion on a blogging group about sharing our truth, particularly as it relates to rape. It was inspired by the conquering Darla Halyk who was writing a post about rape culture and offering to share some of ours. Part of our discussion was about how such truth attracts trolls, and Darla’s post was no exception.

As I say frequently, abusers hate for the truth to be told. They will try to shut us down however they can, and sometimes their tactics work. But we keep encouraging each other. We continue to share our truth. We inspire each other. And together we will conquer.

I Want to Fill the Playground

The following was written from the Carrot Ranch Communications prompt “Empty Playground”.

Content Warning: Abortion or loss/death of a child could be inferred from this story.

I Want to Fill the Playground

I look out my window at the silent playground. It’s a bright sunny day, but there’s not a child in sight. Drugs are still making me groggy and numb, but watching the empty swings swaying in the breeze leaves me cold. Hardly anyone will talk to me now, and the ones who will seem to think this was easy and painless. I’ve never hurt so much, and I wish the pain was only physical. I love watching children play out there. I want to fill that playground with joyous, laughing children. I wonder if I’ll ever get the chance.

They Used to Call Me Fossil

I tapped out a little response to the most recent flash fiction challenge from Carrot Ranch Communications. The prompt was “fossil”.

Content Warning: War, death

They Used to Call Me Fossil

Fossil, I remember when they stopped calling me by that name. I never minded it. It was their way of letting me know I was part of the gang despite being several years older than most of the guys. It seems they found that name disrespectful after I supposedly saved their lives. I’ve never been sure I saved any lives. I only know about that one life I took, the man everyone says was going to kill a lot of us. They called me a hero. I wish I could’ve let them keep thinking of me as a fossil.

Gabby Douglas Is a Great American Hero

First, Gabby Douglas didn’t put her hand on her heart during the national anthem, and now it appears she didn’t cheer hard enough for her teammates.

At 16, Gabby Douglas was the greatest gymnast in the world and widely revered. Somehow at 20, she has become an example of what is wrong with young Americans. I don’t buy it. Gabby Douglas is still a great American hero.

I’m not anything close to an expert on gymnastics. So I have no idea how much skill Gabby Douglas has lost. I do know that she would’ve easily qualified for the individual all-around competition if not for the limit of two gymnasts per nation. Adding on to what must surely have been a painful disappointment, she was limited to just one even for the team competition.

Songs I Grew Up With: #LinkYourLife Challenge

I have a couple of deadlines to meet and a few other projects I want to get to on top of that. So to help clear out my head, I’m going to get back to my previously-derailed #LinkYourLife Challenge with the prompt: Make a playlist of songs you grew up with.

I remember as a young child being enamored with this amazing voice I heard from a baby-sitter’s record player. The singer was Harry Nilsson, and the song was “Without You”. Maybe it was some kind of mystical thing since Harry would be connected to so many musicians I grew to love throughout my life. (This could turn into a whole nerdy post somewhere down the line). Even the end of his life was eerily synchronistic. I heard this song on the radio the night Harry died, several hours before the news broke.