I am a solitary man
That’s what I am
A solitary man
I am alone
That’s what I am
Alone
I am a rock
I am an island
That’s what I am
A rock
An island
Written for KL Caley’s #writephoto prompt. Photo credit: KL Caley.
#writephoto — I Am an Island
alone
TMP — Bored Girl
Every Monday, Paula Light, with her The Monday Peeve prompt, gives us an opportunity to vent or rant about something that pisses us off. My peeve today is about something that happened yesterday when my wife and I took our Mother’s Day bike ride through Golden Gate Park and along the Pacific Ocean.
It wasn’t her fault, really. She’s only 16 months old, you know. She just doesn’t know any better. And, after all, this was the first time we left her alone for an extended period of time. Nevertheless, when we did arrive home after being gone for six hours during our Mother’s Day outing, we were shocked at how much damage a bored little girl can do.
She had not only peed on the family room rug, she had shredded several pillows on our leather sectional couch. And she also pulled the stuffing out of one of the leather cushions. What a bad little girl.
What a bad dog.
Now bear in mind, we’ve only had her for two months after adopting her from a local shelter and we’re still going through the obedience training process. We had left her home by herself twice before without incident, but for less than an hour each time. Never for six hours.
So it wasn’t her fault, really. It was ours.
Share Your World — 10/4/2021
It’s time for another one of Melanie’s Share Your World prompts. Let’s answer her “off-the-cuff” questions.
How do you feel about sharing your computer or phone password with your partner?
We know each other’s passwords so that if anything happens to either one of us, the other will have access to all accounts and websites.
What is the greatest struggle you’ve overcome? (This isn’t meant to be invasive, just use general terms if you’d like. Or if not, feel free to pass on the question. That’s allowed too).
I have struggled with having rejected the religious beliefs of my family and most of my friends. I so wanted to embrace their beliefs, but my head and heart (and pragmatism) just couldn’t reconcile the mythologies they clung to with the reality I was experiencing. As a result, I have lost some friends and even alienated some family members. But I am at peace with my atheism.
If heaven is real and you died tomorrow, do you think you would get in? Why or why not? (This is purely speculation, no bias if you don’t believe.)
This is an easy one since I don’t believe in an afterlife and I believe that when I die, everything will cease to exists, at least from my perspective. So since there is no heaven, I’m sure I won’t get in to that “place” that doesn’t exist in reality.
What makes you feel like you really need to be alone?
After reading, watching, or hearing political news, I just want to be left alone to stew.
Do you have any traditions around this time of year?
October is the Major League Baseball month leading up to the World Series. The post season playoffs start tomorrow. Go Boston Red Sox. Go San Francisco Giants!
Liberated
After his wife told Harold to pack his bags, he knew that he was going to be on his own, at least for a while. He actually didn’t mind being alone for a change. He felt that his wife was always watching him like a hawk, ready to swoop down and pounce on him if he did something or said something that she didn’t approve of.
But Harold, who believed in the sanctity of marriage, decided, despite her raffish treatment of him, to continue the pretense of the happy couple. Until, of course, she tossed him out, which served as yet another reminder of how truly unhappy he was living with her.
As it turned out, Harold was much happier living apart, and he quickly learned that being alone was more liberating than staying with her and being lonely together.
Written for these daily prompts: The Daily Spur (pack), Your Daily Word Prompt (raffish), Ragtag Daily Prompt (pretense), Word of the Day Challenge (reminder), and Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (lonely).
Weekend Writing Prompt — Solitudinarian
How many times and in how many ways can a man have his heart broken?
Only the lonely can understand how I am feeling. It’s as if I’ve checked into Heartbreak Hotel.
I now refer to myself as “Mr. Lonely,” and I just don’t care anymore. I will no longer allow myself to cry those lonely teardrops. I will stop shedding the tears of a clown.
From this day forth I resolve that I am a rock, I am an island, and I’ll be what I am, a solitary man.
(Exactly 90 words)
Written for Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt, where the word is “solitudinarian.”
How many song titles about being alone or lonely can you pick out in this post?
This, That, and the Other 