Life

Fandango’s Provocative Question #203

Fandango21 Comments
FPQ

Welcome once again to Fandango’s Provocative Question. Each week I will pose what I think is a provocative question for your consideration.

By provocative, I don’t mean a question that will cause annoyance or anger. Nor do I mean a question intended to arouse sexual desire or interest.

What I do mean is a question that is likely to get you to think, to be creative, and to provoke a response. Hopefully a positive response.

I like to think that I’m in charge of my life and that, for better or worse, the course that my life has taken was established by the decisions — the choices — I’ve made along the way.

I know that there are others who feel pretty much the same way that I do, that our lives are formed by things that are within our control. But I’m sure that others feel very differently, and believe that much of our lives are formed by things that are outside of our control. Perhaps they call it fate or destiny, but the overall course of our lives, they believe, is predetermined.

And that brings me to today’s provocative question.

To what degree have you been able to control the course that your life has taken?

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WDP — As Time Goes By

Fandango7 Comments

Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?

Back in the day, when I was a younger man, that would have been an interesting question, as my life would change from year to year, sometimes significantly. I might have gotten a new job, moved to a different city or state, broke up with my girl and/or started dating someone new, met and fell in love with the woman I would marry. Had kids, kids had kids. Lots of changes over the years.

But the biggest change in my life was when I retired. Since then, the changes in my life from one year to the next have been relatively inconsequential. And that’s the beauty of retirement. My life since retirement has been the same as it ever was.

So to answer today’s daily prompt question, my life today is pretty close to exactly where I pictured it a year ago.

One-Liner Wednesday — Bridging the Gap

Fandango6 Comments

“Every person has to come to terms — even if just for themselves — with the gap between what they believe and how they live their lives.”

Courtney E. Martin, American feminist, author, speaker, and social and political activist

Written for Linda G. Hill’s One-Liner Wednesday prompt. Photo credit: Cali Godley

Time To Change My Life

Fandango9 Comments

Were I to take a snapshot of my life
A selfie
The picture I’d see would be underwhelming
With a distinct lack of diversity
Little variation
Day to day
Week to week
Month to month
Year to year
Nothing even remotely kitschy
Mostly just drab
Dull
Repetitive
Nondescript
Timelessly boring
A pantomime of living
I need to foster change
To find excitement
Adventure
To be alive once again

(Exactly 67 words)

Written for Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt, where the word is “variation.” Also for these daily prompts: Ragtag Daily Prompt (snapshot), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (underwhelming), E.M.’s Random Word Prompt (diversity), Your Daily Word Prompt (kitschy), Word of the Day Challenge (timeless), My Vivid Blog (pantomime), and The Daily Spur (foster).

E.M.’s Sunday Ramble Prompt — Life and Positivity

Fandango5 Comments

It’s time once again for E.M. Kingston’s The Sunday Ramble. Her prompt is based upon a certain topic about which she asks five questions. We are invited to ramble on about that topic however we wish. Today’s topic is “Life and Positivity.”

1. What are the greatest attributes about you that make you feel good about yourself?

I’m me! What’s not to feel good about that?

2. What is/are your biggest motivation/s to get things done?

No question that my wife is my biggest motivation to get things done. Because, you know, happy wife, happy life.

3. Do you have any tips that could help others with their own motivation?

Marry someone like my wife. She’s a great motivator.

4. As you are sitting there reading this question, observe the area around you. What item in your home/work/car (wherever you are) made you smile when you observed it?

Our new rescue dog, who’s been with us for ten days.

What always makes you laugh and smile in your life?

My toddler grandson and infant granddaughter.