Happily, I can say that I already have a super power, so this prompt would be more aptly written as, “What super power are you glad you have and why?”
While I could play a game of riddles with you, in order to assist in your discovering what my answer might be, I won’t. To save time, I’ll make things easy for you.
My super power is Invisibility!
I can vanish from before your eyes, only to reappear at a later time, and place. Yes, it’s true! I’ve been doing it now for a number of years. Some might think that if one always fades away into the shadows, their life would simply be a lonely place of existence. But, surprise… it’s not lonely, at all. Well, not all the time, anyway.
When I get to feeling a bit on the lonely side I’ll surface for a bit, but only that.
When one reappears to those in their environment, that’s when the drama arrives. The gossip, the strife, and everyone climbing over one another, just to get ahead.
I know it may seem selfish of me, not to be visible, and all. But if I’m out of sight, then that means I’m also out of mind. As nobody ever came looking for me, while I was in my invisible form, it became apparent that I hadn’t really been missed very badly.
Oh, don’t feel badly on my behalf. Being invisible has it’s perks! You can go places, and do things without anyone taking notice. I can spend hours reading the bible, crafting, working on puzzles, watching documentaries, playing video games, and things of that nature. But, what I love the most about my times of invisibility, would be the hours of imaginative writing. It doesn’t even matter if none of you ever read it. I was there, and I wrote it all down as the adventure unfolded.
Perhaps one day, long after I’ve faded away, someone will find the things I wrote down. Maybe it will be something beautiful, or maybe not. I guess it depends on whose eyes were able to see the words written on the pages.
Before I ghost you again, you should probably grab some cookies…
Personally, I think this prompt is too difficult. Perhaps if there were only a single moment in time that were noteworthy in my life, but there have been many. Far too many, in fact, for me to successfully pick the right moment that should be frozen forever.
Why, the birth of my children has already created a conundrum, as I’ve three daughters. How on earth am I supposed to choose between them? Time would be frozen, remember, so if I chose one over the other, I’d lose a life’s worth of memories for the other two that I didn’t pick.
What about my wedding day? What about that moment? Again, if I choose my wedding day, it would again erase my chance at memories being made with all three of my girls.
While I’d love to freeze the moment I finished reading one of my favorite novels, with the combination of all the emotions being experienced at that final page… there are waaaay too many books that accomplished such a moment!
First big successes, or even first adventures… or what about our most amazing vacation moment? The problem with freezing any of the moments we may or may not pick, is that it’s permanent. No going back, and no going forward. How very limiting, I think.
For this reason, I am unable to pick only a single moment to dwell in forever. The problem with having anything wonderful is, eventually, we want more. The new becomes old, the exciting becomes rather mundane, and boring. It sounds harsh, but it’s the truth.
While I won’t pick a moment, I will pick today. While I don’t know what’s to come, I’ll walk the path, none the less. No matter the joy, or the pain, I will make my way to tomorrow, and leave today behind.
I, just as you, are travelers. We were never meant to stand still. If we did, time would simply wave as it passed us by.
Enjoy a cookie…
Tomorrows may be even better, or perhaps not. It’s a chance you’ll have to take, my friends.
I refuse to answer this prompt, on the grounds that I may incriminate myself!
Actually, if you really want to know why I have no intention of answering today’s WordPress repeat, you should look up my Thursday Thoughts post for this week. Sometimes, a girl just has to get things off her mind.
Part of me wants to complain, and the other part of me really wants to poke fun at WordPress. Honestly, I don’t think they’ve any concern over what goes on within their own company. That is, unless we count all the business accounts that spam the feed.
Reality has been surfacing over this last year, as to how little WordPress cares for any account that doesn’t produce the money. I’ve watched countless ads surfacing across Facebook, and the like, touting how great WordPress is for business accounts.
The tide is changing for bloggers, with AI becoming the new typing assistant for many writers. It’s discouraging, to say the least.
Site after site has begun seeking prompts from other venues, just to submit posts out on the feed. Doesn’t it make more sense to just move to that venue, if the prompts are better. Why are we giving WordPress any time at all, if we have to leave the platform in order to find a good prompt?
How many years in a row do I have to tell my readers which holidays are my favorite? Did they suddenly change from last year? Am I that fickle?
I have the strong urge to throat punch whomever it was that invented the job title of Happiness Engineer. Where are they? And, what is it, exactly, that they actually do? For the last two weeks, I can’t even comment on half of my subscribers sites, even though I am a fellow subscriber. I see numerous other sites writing about their struggle with technical issues that seem to never get resolved.
My renewal deadline is coming up in the next two weeks, and I’m letting it go delinquent. I’ve had that little button added to my site for the last two months, but as I don’t have any monetary sites that follow mine, there hasn’t been any gift subscriptions arriving. It’s probably for the better, as I’m not sure the cost pays for anything other than extra photo storage. I know my illustration work will suffer for it, but it is what it is.
While I’ve written numerous pieces of literary works, in an attempt at being a part of something wonderful, it seems to have become nothing more than myself doing all the heavy lifting. Comments are virtually becoming like that of a ghost town, with only a few tumble weeds of words drifting down a dusty street.
For this reason, I pulled my first full length novel off the feed over a year ago, finishing it privately. I do much of my real writing offline now, and plan to begin my own publishing journey within the next few months. It wasn’t that only few read along with me, but even fewer took the time to comment, or answer my questions.
Over time, it has become more of me out there liking and commenting on some of the nearly 1700 subscribers that follow my site. The comparative numbers are staggering! While I spend nearly two hours a day reading and commenting on a minimum of nearly sixty active accounts, my numbers usually never exceed sixty to eighty total visits, and or likes. The comments section hasn’t been working, lately, but I think that is the fault of our HappyMess EngiSneers.
Though I have no intention of leaving the platform, my writing choices are changing, and I’m choosing to pursue only those accounts that I know are active members, and dear friends. If you hadn’t picked up on it yet, I no longer have the energy to devote to a project that get’s 5 views and no comments! Barnyard Business will be moving to a new venue, and any publishing work will also be held private.
The trend for free this and free that, has turned the value of words into Bantha Fodder!
** According to Google, Bantha fodder” is a Star Wars phrase referring to the food eaten by banthas, often used as a synonym for nonsense, lies, or worthless material, similar to “@#*$&%@* or “bull crap”. It is commonly associated with the Huttese phrase “bantha poodoo” (bantha fodder) used by characters like Jabba the Hutt to mean something foul or low-quality. **
While I have never sought to become wealthy, I do have to make a living. If something is worth having, it’s worth paying for, and I believe that there is value within the pages of my work. I could say that I’m sorry for not sharing my dreams with you, but no apology will be forthcoming.
We now live in a day and age where anything you put out on the internet is subject to being stolen by ai bots, or plagiarized by someone without the skill to write anything of value by their own hand.
Google’s AI overview,
Plagiarize means to steal and pass off another person’s ideas, words, or creative work as your own without proper attribution. It is a serious form of academic and professional dishonesty, often called “literary theft”. Penalties include failing assignments, suspension, or expulsion, while legal implications can include lawsuits for copyright infringement. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Types of Plagiarism
Verbatim: Copying text word-for-word without quotation marks or credit.
Mosaic/Patchwork: Taking phrases from various sources and patching them together.
Paraphrasing: Improperly changing a few words while keeping the original structure.
Self-Plagiarism: Submitting your own previous work without permission or citation. [1, 2, 3]
I don’t know where things will lead me, though I have every confidence that it will be beautiful. If you desire to continue on this journey with me, I welcome you, as I always have.
If we’re to hold to the very fiber that makes us the writers that we claim to be, we need to stand beside one another, and take back all that which is being systematically stolen from under our very online noses. Avoid sites that are clearly spamming the platform, pursue other bloggers who write free form, and not chatgpt, or one of the other ai writing assistant programs.
If you want to write, learn how to do it like the rest of us… good ole blood, sweat, and often times, many tears. Don’t let ignorance be your excuse for utilizing a computer program to do your work for you. Are we to stand back in complacency, as your libraries become clogged with nothing more than pre-programmed algorithms.
I want to move against the tide, and forge a path straight into the heart of the worlds literary sea.
Join with me in becoming the keepers of true literary treasures; handwritten history, truly inspired poetry, courageous adventures, and tales of ancient hero’s and heroines.
I truly believe that these artificial computer programs will never be able to capture hearts, like the stories of old… the ones truly dreamt about, before the ink ever stained the paper they were written upon. Help me prove it!
I’ve answered this prompt on several occasions, but last years response is still my favorite!
Enjoy…
I had to laugh when I saw this prompt, as it brought up a memory that had been lost to me… so thank you, WordPress!
I swear that I might have been born in the wild, because my earliest memories include riding bareback while still in diapers… ya, I have a mind like a steel trap!
Anyways, camping is something that came naturally to this girl, and so, I passed it on to my children. My daughters have been camping since before they were born, as I freely went camping during my pregnancies. When my girls began to grow, we began traveling with a group of about 4 or 5 other families during the summer months, camping and fishing throughout the great Northwest. From southern Oregon, across Idaho and into Montana, and even into British Columbia.
Needless to say, my family are avid campers, fishers, hikers and hunters! They weren’t always so experienced at this stuff, and it took a great deal of training and practice, especially in the bathroom department, if you know what I mean? I had three girls!
How does one raise a little girl to be a tough camper, and yet still be a little lady? Like I said, we traveled with a huge group of camping families, which meant cooking together, bathing in close proximity to others, and yes, using the restroom in groups, for security!
With little ones running around, we grown ups thought it was easiest to make an appropriate code word, to signal our restroom intentions. If one needed to use the restroom, we simply said, “I have to go camping”, and anyone who needed to go, simply agreed to come along.
Now, this went on for nearly an entire summer before one of my girls finally asked, “Mamma, how come the grown-ups keep saying they’re camping and then disappear into the woods?”
I explained that it was a polite way of saying that we needed to use the restroom, without saying it in front of others. She didn’t question me further, and seemed not to even understand what I’d said. About a week later, all the families gathered at our home to plan the next upcoming adventure.
There we all were, standing around the kitchen talking, when my daughter marches into the midst of the group and boldly announced, “Everyone, I need to go camping… that means I have to go poop!”
I nearly dropped the plate in my hands!
The entire room went silent for a moment, and then erupted into laughter!
All of the adults in the room knowingly laughed themselves silly, while my daughter marched off to the bathroom. The rest of the day was filled with children running around the house, loudly claiming they needed to camp and then laughing about it!
Early mornings have always been my time to be most productive, due to the quiet, most probably. After a good nights rest, the early morning hours become like a peaceful sanctuary. There are few interruptions to distract me from the days goals.
While I may rarely leave our apartment, my day is certainly not without it’s numerous interruptions. There are busy traffic sounds, just outside our windows. An entire five story building is being constructed right across the way, so there are those sounds drifting in, as soon as the work day begins. Never mind about phone calls, text messages, chores, and meal planning. The list is still a long one, even for a homebound writer.
Mentioning that I am a writer only goes to further explain my need for the early morning quiet. While some might find writing in a chaotic environment to be conducive to successful literary creation… I most certainly do not!
Quiet hours of early morning study, prayer, and a hot cup of peppermint tea, are what I consider my most productive hours. As much of my WordPress writing is done live, and without previous preparation, I need it quiet so that I can concentrate. Some days I hit it well, if I’ve slept enough and woke in my normal early fashion. Then there are the days where I didn’t sleep so good, or stayed up later than was normal on the previous night. All bets are off on those mornings.
Well, that was most assuredly more information than any inquiring mind really wanted to know, regarding my productive hours of the day. But, just in case my answer gets used for some study that gets published in the New England Medical Journals, I figured I should put forth some effort.
Just for extra credit, I baked some cookies, as well…
While most of the world may have adapted to communicating their ever-changing emotional states, by simply selecting any one of a number of prefabricated symbols, I have NOT mastered this particular skill.
Not only am I unable to assign myself the correct cartoon symbols, at any given moment, but when I do attempt using emojis, they’re so tiny that I often pick something that doesn’t have anything to do with what I meant, in the first place.
Honestly, if I want to display my thoughts and feelings with a cellphone, I’d much rather just call you to say it out loud. Even better, I’ll write my feelings out in actual words.
While I know that we live in a day that requires we do things at a much faster pace, than we did back in the day, I refuse to be rushed into communicating with others. So much gets lost in translation, if we aren’t fully paying attention to those we communicate with.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Some of the emojis out there are actually cute and funny. The problem arises when one uses them to complete the whole conversation. I get lost on a sea of smiley lips and exclamation marks, and usually miss the meaning of the message, entirely.
Don’t expect to receive any long list of tiny cartoon images from this writer. Though I may not be well versed in the emoji department, I can bake a decent batch of virtual calorie-free cookies. Of these, I do have my favorites…
Chocolate Chip are always a fan favorite!
I do love putting frosting on things…
My favorite, however, are those buttery shortbread cookies…
I should have known better, I really should have. Putting any trust and faith in man, without relying on God to sort out the details always ends badly.
I am learning to walk one day at a time, seeking God’s sustaining power over man’s. It’s been a hard learned lesson, though. I can come to the father readily, when it comes to studying scripture, prayer, and living a godly and obedient life. But when it comes to certain aspects of surviving this earth, my strength can sometimes waver.
I’ve been enduring several form of physical ailments over the last year, without any real successful resolution. I get many headshakes, frowns, and “I know it’s unfortunate” statements from much of the medical profession. The stream of physicians offering pills to cover symptoms, but no cure, has been staggering.
The word discouragement doesn’t begin to cover it!
Several weeks ago, I took the risk of seeing yet another specialist, in the hopes that they might simply move ahead with my hernia surgery. Once again, there were a lot of apologies for how I must feel, but only more referrals that never went through, anyway. I can’t even get the insurance company to pay for one of my much needed medications. They’ll prescribe drugs that you can’t afford, nor will they do anything to solve the issue. Just more band aids.
Its become rather obvious that I must rely on God, and God alone. I’ve already dropped off two of the medications previously prescribed, and am working towards discontinuing three more. No more drugs!
2 Corinthians 12:9 says,
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.””
One day at a time, is all that I need to make it home. I would offer the advice of “Physician, heal thy self” but I don’t think most of them can any more…
Journey With Me! 