Guest post
12 words by Kate
I’m growing
because I’m listening….to me,
not copying others.
Being myself.
August 10th, 2010 - Posted in personal growth, haiku, wisdom, self-care | | 1 Comments
12 words
The micro story isn’t new. Ernest Hemingway once said his six-word story, Baby Shoes, was his favourite. “For sale: baby shoes: never used”
Gertrude Stein beat him with a shorter story still called Longer “She stayed away longer.” More recently, New York based writer, Amy Hempel wrote a twelve-word story – Memoir – “Just once in my life. Oh, when have I ever wanted anything just once in my life.”
What we love about the micro story is that it is accessible for everyone. Whether you are a published writer or you have never written any fiction before, you can give this a go and enjoy it. It’s also quick to text, email and tweet.
There are also loads of sites with micro blogs and very short stories on them, see our links below, and suggest more if you know of any.
Gratitude to Kate for sharing this link, and for her 12 words, which will be posted next.
August 9th, 2010 - Posted in learning, personal growth, play, community, wisdom | | 0 Comments
Self-reliance
picture by DoubleM2
Hubby is away. Has been away for over a week and we have another few days to go. We’ve been doing this merry-go-round for ten years now and even though it is getting easier as the kids grow up, and as the communication technology gets better, the period of separation still has its inevitable pitfalls.
Actually, this would be one of the first times we haven’t had some minor disaster or technological breakdown of one sort or another. We’re just coming out the other side of a tummy bug that I have so far managed to evade. In one 24 hour period, three kids went down with it. I was expecting it because Master Almost-Seven had it last Friday. I had thought we’d got off lightly.
But I’m not here to talk about the negatives - much as I’d like to indulge myself a good long whinge about life and it’s spewy wash piles.
No, I’d rather point out that there’s an up side to every down. This work-related travel, disruptive though it is, augments my personal growth. When hubby is home I can be lazy because he’s always been good at helping out around the house. But when he’s away, everything falls to me. Well, not everything. I let the mail collect at the front door, and I don’t bother to mow the yard. But I keep up with the essentials and all the commitments, and I like it. To be honest, I feel a great sense of self-reliance during hubby’s away-time.
I shop and stockpile so we can be as self-sufficient as possible. We drop a few extra-curricular activities so the schedule isn’t too full and plan as little as possible for the weekends. When I cook, it’s a double batch, so we have a meal for the freezer, we eat simply but still allow ourselves the odd take away meal.
And despite the spew-a-thon, I’m caught up on the laundry, I got the bins out last night (this week I snuck out two recycle bins, which I’ve never done before but since we missed last time, it seemed justifiable) and I haven’t let the disorder get too out of hand.
I realise that I don’t need a full social life or a lot of outside input to keep things ticking smoothly. I can do this, all by myself. So this alone time (with the kids) is something to be grateful for, too. Doesn’t mean I won’t be happy to see dear husband walk through the door on Friday.
June 9th, 2010 - Posted in personal growth, gratitude, happiness, partnership, parenthood, self-care | | 2 Comments
Creative U-turns
picture by elventear
I’m coming to realise that I’ve bitten off more than I can chew this year by taking on the president role in the P&C. I knew it was self-sabotage when I volunteered and I knew I’d possibly regret it later, but I went ahead and did it anyway. Not that I don’t care about my kids’ school, because I passionately do, but school-related stuff officially gets to take priority over my own creative stuff now. Before that I had set myself goals and deadlines that I now know I’ll never meet because I keep bloody u-turning every time I find myself with regular time to write!
Uni is going great and I’m having a ball and if I didn’t have it for myself I think I’d have gone to pieces by now. I got a high-distinction and a distinction+ for my two creative pieces so far this year, which I’m really pleased with, but I’m not writing anything that isn’t for uni or school or social networking. Haven’t blogged in ages. I’m so sorry I lost momentum.
My creative energy is low, I realise, because it has been heavy-going the past month, physically, mentally and emotionally. It wasn’t just a month of personal travel and birthday parties (they were the highlights). It was also having a husband in bed for two weeks for a ligament in his back, my BIL away with family, so no extra help with the yard, uni assessment, taxi-ing the kids to sports, dance and other commitments, and somewhere in amongst all that, showing them some love because they aren’t seeing as much of their dad and me as they’re used to. The whole of the labour day long weekend we had our band friends recording in our garage. Fun, but demanding, and definitely not something I can contribute to in a satisfying way.
So I suppose I’ve let myself fall back to being a shadow artist, enabling others but holding myself back. I don’t know how to stop doing it.
May 8th, 2010 - Posted in personal growth, partnership, parenthood, duty of care, friendship, self-care | | 2 Comments
Milestone
picture by hasby
This week I turned the big 4-0, but I feel weirdly young and vital. I’ve spent the whole month of April celebrating my milestone with an enthusiasm that, one year ago, I could never have imagined possible.
What’s in a number, really? Several of my girlfriends shared their dread at the prospect of turning 40–positively middle-aged! Some found themselves dealing with several days of genuine grief, others felt a need to do something to affirm their youth or vigour, like go get some botox, or join a kick-boxing class. Surprisingly, I didn’t experience any of that. I feel quite delighted to be putting my 30s behind me and welcoming a new era in my life.
Perhaps this is because I’ve resolved any sense of regret in my life up to now. I may not have achieved the fame and fortune that I dreamed about in my youth, but life has been kind to me, throwing me enough fortunate surprises, rewards and moments of synchronicity that I feel truly grateful for my 40 years.
Finally, I have come into my own. I’m no longer the harried mother that I was just a short time ago, no longer housebound with babies and toddlers, no longer relying on my laptop to connect me with my community when times get rough. My youngest child is now four and gradually leaving her babyhood behind. I feel some degree of entitlement for my hard work. I don’t feel guilty about my new studies at uni taking me away from my family. This is my time!
And at the beginning of this month, husband and I managed our first full week holiday away from our little family–and the sky didn’t fall on us. In fact, the kids had such a good time with their aunty, they can’t wait for us to do it again! So gee, maybe we will!
I still have some celebrating to do with my woman-friends, and I feel so honoured to be in the position where people actually want to celebrate with me. My cup of gratitude is overflowing this month and I vow to savour this feeling for as long as I can. I want to share it with everyone I know for no reason other than that it makes me feel good.
For my birthday, the kids performed a play they created themselves about a baker with no eggs and no flour and a broken oven, who had to bake a birthday cake. We captured it, bloopers and all, on our newly acquired digital movie camera. I can’t think of a better present for my milestone birthday. Can you?
So happy birthday to me!
April 23rd, 2010 - Posted in personal growth, gratitude, community, ritual, wisdom, self-care | | 3 Comments
