The first thing that popped into my mind, when I read this prompt question, was the time I ate a piece of chocolate cake that the cat had peed on! I wish I were joking, but alas, there is nothing made up about that event.
What would I have done differently? I would have made the cat live outdoors much sooner than I did. The peeing on things had begun about a month prior. I’d been attempting to correct the cats behavior, rather than evicting her from the house… until that day!
Why on earth would this be the first thing I came up with, as I read the daily prompt?
As a general rule of thumb, I do not look on past decisions as something I would change. I stay away from the whole woulda shoulda coulda mindset, not only because it’s done and gone, but because our past makes us who we are now. Mess with one eensie weensie past decision and who knows what might be affected, here in the present.
So, for the most part, there isn’t a great list of things I would venture to safely change… aside for the cat and the cake… that I could un-remember!
Here, have a piece of cake… I’m sure it’ll be fine! This cutie wouldn’t dream of being naughty…
There was a time when I could say that I was the poster child for Anxiety! My nervousness was my very own survival mechanism of choice!
Not much of my life went the way I’d wanted, leaving me traumatized and wounded for many, many years. All of the life interuptuses I’ve endured, some from my own making, have landed me with two nervous roommates that never leave… IBS and Fibromyalgia.
While you may be wondering why I’ve allowed them to stay, to me, they are more like helpless children, needing constant care and supervision. In good conscience, I could no sooner evict these two, than I could my own children. By loving and tending my roommates, or scars if you will, God allows me to manage my own nervous anxieties, with grace, compassion and understanding.
Assigning a specific culprit to hold responsibility for making us nervous, seems rather silly. As WordPress is not leading a support group or therapy session, by asking everyone what makes them nervous, the only thing this prompt will successfully do is make everyone nervous about answering what makes them nervous.
Did they even look up the definition of the word, before they thought to ask the question? I did!
According to Google, which the world seems to think knows everything, the definition of nervous is this:
It seems rather ludicrous to ask a nervous person what makes them nervous! It quickly became apparent to me that the idea of being nervous is a mannerism, or a trait that has long since been established. Once I read the definition, I began thinking about how hard it would be to just randomly come up with an easy answer, over a cup of coffee in the morning.
If it were that easy for all us nervous folk to discover what makes us nervous, there would be millions of spare dollars floating around, that no longer need to be paid to the professionals who spend years learning how to become a therapist!
Just sayin…
Here, have a cookie…
They were supposed to look like pins and needles, but as the AI art generator reflects, it was much easier said than done! The closest it could come to what I wanted, was cookies stabbed by a decorative paperclip… go figure!
For myself, I get a great amount of pleasure, as well as a sense of unwinding, when I climb into my bed and play those silly phone app games. I absolutely love puzzles, merge games, and/or the farming ones.
I realize that these games are rather simple and/or childish… but I don’t give a hoot! I have a very busy brain, which can often stress me to my limits just trying to not think! Something about these meaningless little games can feel cathartic or relaxing, if you will.
In truth, I think it’s because they’re meaningless or no-brainer games, as I call them. If I play any of my mmo rpg games, I get caught up in the adventure, often staying up into the wee hours slaying orcs or zombies, so this isn’t where I’ll go to unwind… it’s where I’ll go to vent!
I’ve actually used my phone merge games and puzzles to combat anxiety, by giving me a simple focus point. I know it sounds absurd to think that these games would help, but oddly, they do!
Ok, so I was bored this morning. If I’m to be honest with you, there was nothing in my think box that would be fitting for our normal literary investigations. It just wasn’t happening.
Out of desperation for a topic, I reached out to good ole Mr. McGoogle, in the hopes that I might find something useful to discuss.
But, what to ask? How does one come to find a useful topic, without the right query to pose, right?! That was an Interrobang, by the way. You’ll never guess how I know that?
I went out on the web and typed,
Words not often used in the English language
This was my result,
AI Overview
Rare and underused words in the English language often serve to describe specific feelings, sounds, or actions with intense precision. Many are antiquated, regional, or highly niche in their application, leading them to be replaced by simpler, more general terms in modern conversation.
Forgotten and Archaic Words
Twirlblast (n.): A 1700s term for a tornado.
Groaning-cheese (n.): A medieval term for a celebratory cheese marking the birth of a child.
Pilgarlik (n.): Someone who is bald, once thought to resemble peeled garlic.
Snowbrowth (n.): Freshly melted snow, a term from the 1590s.
Sooterkin (n.): Originally a deformed fetus, later used as a term of endearment.
Overmorrow (n.): The day after tomorrow.
Agelast (n.): A person who never laughs.
Highly Specific Descriptive Words
Crapulence (n.): Sickness caused by excessive eating or drinking; a hangover.
Callipygian (adj.): Having well-shaped or beautiful buttocks.
Swullocking (adj.): Humid, hot weather.
Chasmophile (n.): A person who loves nooks and crannies.
Scurryfunge (n.): The act of hastily cleaning before a guest arrives.
Groak (v.): To watch someone silently while they eat, hoping they will invite you to join.
Elflock (n.): Tangled, knotted hair.
Acnestis (n.): The part of the back that cannot be reached to be scratched.
Gorgonize (v.): To have a paralyzing or mesmerizing effect on someone.
Words That Deserve Wider Use
Ultracrepidarian (n.): Someone who gives opinions on subjects they know nothing about.
Snollygoster (n.): An unprincipled but shrewd politician.
Nibling (n.): A non-gender specific term for a niece or nephew.
Apricity (n.): The warmth of the sun in winter.
Petrichor (n.): The pleasant, earthy smell that accompanies the first rain after a long dry spell.
Anemoia (n.): Nostalgia for a time or place one has never known.
Anecdoche (n.): A conversation in which everyone is talking, but no one is listening.
Obscure Adjectives
Catawampus (adj.): Askew, awry, or diagonally positioned.
Jentacular (adj.): Pertaining to breakfast.
Crapulous (adj.): Ill from excessive indulgence in food or drink.
Sybaritic (adj.): Accustomed to great luxury and pleasure-seeking.
Agathokakological (adj.): Composed of both good and evil.
Whimsical and Odd Words
Interrobang (n.): A punctuation mark that combines a question mark and exclamation point (‽).
Bumbershoot (n.): An umbrella.
Flibbertigibbet (n.): A flighty, excessively talkative person.
Taradiddle (n.): Pretentious nonsense or a petty lie.
Skedaddle (v.): To run away quickly.
Words for Specific Situations
Lypophrenia (n.): A vague sadness without a known cause.
Limerence (n.): An intense, almost obsessive romantic infatuation.
Treppenwitz (n.): The perfect witty comeback that occurs to you too late (literally: “staircase wit”).
Zugzwang (n.): A situation where a person is forced to make a move, but every option is bad (often used in chess).
Resistentialism (n.): The belief that inanimate objects display spiteful behavior.
Librocubicularist (n.): A person who reads in bed.
If nothing else, this was an incredibly entertaining bit of research. I had no idea that I was a Librocubicularist. I think my autocorrect just had a seizure!
Which one is your favorite? I’m torn between Skurryfunge and Treppenwitz, probably because I’ve found myself doing both, often enough.
If society readily continued with the use of most of these, I think it would really spice up many of our conversations, don’t you?! See how easy it is to do. You too can become a successful Interrobanger!
Social media is like the fertile soil of a garden, just waiting to be planted.
Some may plant selfies, hoping to be viewed and shared. Others plant silly videos that bring laughter and likes. Still more plant how-to, self-help, and/or how-it’s-made videos for our viewing pleasure, with the hope of DIYing it, all the way to the bank.
While I’m not sure what I thought I wanted to do with my site ,when all this began, here on WordPress… I’m quite certain as to how I feel about it now.
I wish to plant things on social media, treating it like a garden. If the planting is fertile, then the harvest will be fruitful! By planting love, joy, peace, and goodness, then my hope is that there will be a bounty of fruit produced, come harvest time.
If one plants the right seeds, nourishes them with healing waters, well, who knows what kind of fruit will grow…
All those years ago, in the heart of a desolate child, God reached down and plucked me from the clutches of the enemy… in every sense of the words!
Utterly lost and forgotten, until He sought me out!
It’s been quite a journey since…
Dream of anything…
Snacks, of course…
Through anger, fear, and the nightmares that haunted me, I fought God for years. I refused to let go of the very things that were destroying me from the inside out… memories! Mine, theirs, the memories became baggage that only gained weight with the passage of time.
The good, the bad, and all that lay between… He never let go of this broken one, this forgotten child. After all the things I did to push God away from me, He still held on with such intensity, I could no longer deny Him!
Truly, I am walking this earth because of the grace and power of God, and God alone! Positive, oh yes… I’d say that encounter had a very positive effect on this child!
I’ve made a great many decisions in my life, some of which were good choices… and some, not so good.
While I could go into detail on many of them, it would take us far longer than a Friday morning to wade through it all. I am nearly 58 years old, so I’m bein fully serious about it taking us a good bit to work through my decision’s list!
The truth could be said for all of us, when it comes to how many decisions each of us make, on any given day. It’ll take much of our lives to discover the extent of good or bad that came from those choices. How then can I pick one choice above another?
Well, I know that choosing to have children definitely helped me learn and grow, but that’s naturally expected. It’s all a part of life. Marriage, children, jobs, homes, vacations, spending money, or saving it. The list of decisions goes on and on and on, so how in the world are we to decide which were the best and which were the worst of decisions?
Over time, it becomes rather clear as to which choices ended badly, and which ones were fruitful. Then it comes down to picking the best of the best decisions, but I’ve still got years and years of choices to sift through. That’s a lot of memories, if I’m being fully honest, here.
I don’t actually have to think that hard, as I knew my answer to the prompt, shortly after reading it. Without turning this into a full blown novel, I’ll briefly share what decision popped into my head after reading the prompt.
About four years ago, I made the decision to pursue God fully, pulling out all the stops. I’ve been a Christian since I was nineteen years old, but never truly pursued God as I should have done. Many mistakes were made along the way, some far more costly than others. Then I realized how desperately I needed God fully in my life. From that point, I opted to walk a different path for the rest of my earthly journey… the faithful kind of walk.
What am I talking about? I’ll explain.
This child of God chose to meet each and every day, standing in faith, on the word of God. Now I walk fully by faith… in all things. This means that I hold every thought, every action, and every motive, before scripture. It’s not always easy, and I’m far from perfect at it, but the choice in living this way has irrevocably changed me, and for the better, I think.
With each and every new day, I’m being drawn closer and closer to my Lord, and the home that He has prepared for me… and this walk has definitely helped me learn and grow.
Over the years of my life, I’ve learned that if I say never about a thing, I will most assuredly end up eating my words!
To be honest, there isn’t really anywhere that comes to my mind, as a place I would not want to visit. What if there were a valuable purpose in going somewhere, that I might only know about, once I get there?
My existence no longer revolves around any woulda, coulda, shoulda, sort of thinking. I walk forward in faith, looking up at all times. I don’t want to miss anything that God has planned for me on this journey!
There is positivity floating all around, if one takes the time to look for it!
While I may not have a large and/or extended family, when it comes to genetics, I’ve actually a huge family tree.
You see, I was adopted into an enormous family. Not only do I have my own husband and children, but I am also one of many sisters and brothers. Fortunately, I am a part of the family of God, so at any given moment, I’m being prayed for and/or being gifted something directly from my heavenly Father.
Sometimes God works through my husband, while at other times He may choose to act through one of my children, or a brother or sister in Christ. Still yet, there are those times when God chooses to act through a complete stranger; someone completely unaware that they are being used to complete a task for God.
At times, the positive things done by a family member may seem rather small and insignificant. Take for example, my husband will often surprise me by picking up a special food item that’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and safe. It may not seem like a big deal, til you factor in how I don’t like to leave the apartment until needs force me to venture out. My husband often does things to make my life easier.
Now, there are things that are much bigger positive’s than others. Like when my daughter makes it a point to face-time me each week, so that I can have special MeeMaw chat’s with my grandbaby. These video chats are the highlight of my week.
there’s a positive thing that I get from you, each and every day, when we interact with one another. We read others writings, share some of our own, and leave comments back and forth together. For me, that is considered positive family connection… as I consider everyone here on WordPress to be my family, in a manner of speaking.
Let’s consider these cookies as my positive offering …
MeeMaw’s Kitchen is the best place to share a meal, share some laughs, and leave feeling fully loved!
Along with walking away, carrying a full belly of homecooked goodness, the only cost for said meal is your time! And the beauty of it is, I’m always open!
Whether it’s a meal, or maybe just a cookie, you will know that you are loved unconditionally!
Journey With Me! 