Day: July 4, 2022

Share Your World — 07/04/22

Fandango10 Comments

Well, it’s Independence Day in America and there’s been yet another mass shooting, this time at a Fourth of July parade in a Chicago suburb. WTF, America?

Anyway, it is Monday and that means it’s Share Your World day. I was thinking about passing on the prompt today because I feel like my world is going to hell in a handbasket. But maybe Melanie’s SYW prompt will serve as a good diversion from all the shit that’s going on around us.

What do you think it means to be healthy?

Not ill or sick. Duh!

Is being obsessive about someone or something a good thing?

I would say being obsessive about someone or something is unhealthy.

After a disagreement with your S.O., do you initiate the makeup conversation or wait for your S.O. to do it?

My wife and I have never had a conversation about makeup. I don’t wear makeup and she doesn’t wear much makeup these days either. But if the question is about making up after having an argument, I’d venture that if I waited to initiate the “make up conversation,” it would never happen.

Have you ever done something incredibly embarrassing in front of a huge crowd? Feel free to share details or not. Some things are best left in the closet.

I was making a presentation in front of a large crowd at a business conference when I suddenly passed out and had to be rushed to the hospital. That was, indeed, embarrassing.

A Tragic Independence Day

Fandango17 Comments

They were gathered along the main street in downtown Highland Park, a suburb of Chicago, to celebrate America’s Independence Day at the town’s Fourth of July parade. Mothers and fathers, son and daughters, grandparents and grandchildren all out for a fun day.

Then shots rang out. Chaos ensued. “Everyone was was running, hiding, and screaming,” a witness said. As of this writing, six people are dead and two dozen people have been taken to area hospitals with injuries. The shooter, who has yet to be apprehended or identified, is described as a white male, approximately 18 to 20 years old, with longer black hair, a small build, and wearing a white or blue T-shirt.

Police have said that a firearm has been recovered from the scene and it appeared the gunman was shooting from a roof. The weapon is described as a “high-powered rifle.”

So it’s once again time for our politicians, on America’s birthday, to send out thoughts and prayers. But take any meaningful action on gun control? Fuhgeddaboudit.

How many more tragedies like this must occur before we come to our senses?

Blogging Insights — Rules for Writing

Fandango10 Comments

It’s Monday and Dr. Tanya is back with her weekly Blogging Insights prompt. She provides us with a quote about blogging or writing and asks us to express our opinion about said quote.

This week’s quote is from English playwright, novelist, and short-story writer W. Somerset Maugham.

“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”

How does Maugham know that there are three rules if no one knows what they are? Maybe there are five. Or two. Or ten. But what do I know? As Tanya pointed out in her post, I have three started novels on my laptop, but none is finished. So maybe the only rule that counts should be finish what you start.

I like to think that I’m good at coming up with characters and at writing dialogue. The problem I have is with plot, and being able to devise and sustain a story arc sufficient and engaging enough to produce a novel. Hell, I can barely write enough to sustain a blog post, which is why the average length of my blog posts is fewer that 250 words.

Maybe I should just publish a book that is an anthology of my flash fiction posts and call it a day. Yeah, that’s my rule for writing: just do it!

TMP — My Nation On Its Birthday

Fandango10 Comments

Every Monday, Paula Light, with her The Monday Peeve prompt, gives us an opportunity to vent or rant about something that pisses us off. Today is the 4th of July, America’s Independence Day. And I’m sorry folks, but I’m not feeling it. So here is my peevish post.

I’m just not in the mood to celebrate my nation’s birthday. It’s not so much apathy as it is frustration, disappointment, anger, and resentment.

There are powerful forces who want to suppress democracy in America. They gleefully pull the petals from the flower of freedom until there are no freedoms left, no justice for all, no liberty, no pursuit of happiness.

So you go ahead and enjoy your festivities, patriotically wave your flags, and set off your fireworks while so many watch in awe as our ship of state sails off into stormy seas.

I will stay home, far from the madding crowd, taking solace in the carefree little fireflies lighting the sky in my backyard. I will suffer in silence the grief I feel deep inside my heart for the impending death of my nation on its birthday.

Also written for these daily prompts: Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (apathy), The Daily Spur (suppress), My Vivid Blog (petals), Word of the Day Challenge (powerful), Ragtag Daily Prompt (sail), and E.M.’s RandomWord Prompt (fireflies),

Tragic Accident

Fandango4 Comments

You can hardly blame the ambassador for offering clemency to one of his old law school classmates. Suffice it to say that what happened to that unfortunate woman, a devoted housewife and mother, the night of the alumni campfire, was nothing more than a tragic accident.

This very short post was written for these daily word prompts from yesterday: Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (blame), Word of the Day Challenge (ambassador), E.M.’s Random Word Prompt (clemency), My Vivid Blog (classmates), Your Daily Word Blog (suffice), The Daily Spur (housewife), and Ragtag Daily Prompt (campfire).

blame housewife suffice classmates campfire ambassador clemency