After all that has been said and done…
Now I am exhausted, I think I will take a nap. Please wake me in 2015…
~AJP
After all that has been said and done…
Now I am exhausted, I think I will take a nap. Please wake me in 2015…
~AJP
Here in the states we celebrate Veteran’s Day today. Other areas also celebrate Remembrance day/Poppy Day which is similar to here in the states, but more like our Memorial Day. But wherever you live, or whichever you celebrate, today is the day to honor those who have served/ are serving your country. Without them, the world would be a darker place in my opinion.
The ones who sign up at 18, giving up everything that they have known to serve their country are the most admirable individuals.
The military touches us all in some way or another. Whether it is a family member putting his/her life on the line, or just being able to celebrate your beliefs freely.
For those of you who know someone who has served, you know that sometimes life after is not always easily adjusted to once they are back home. It takes time, patience and compassion, something that our system doesn’t offer much of. Many stories go untold because the memories are just too painful for them to retell. The people we kiss goodbye come home as strangers more often than not.
It is a horrendous cycle, but we are thankful for what they did, for what they endured, for what they never tell us. So today say thank you; to those you know and love, to those you merely pass by on the street.
Last night I was going over old Army pictures of my grandfather with my mom, picking out the one we favored the most and then this morning I heard on the news someone comment that they were wearing their poppy in remembrance of those who had served our country. I guess I have been living under a rock for the most of my life, because I was not aware of the poppy being the symbolic flower for today.
Later today I get to hang out with my poppy and celebrate him on Poppy Day.
These are my military people…
My husband was a Marine in the USMC, medically discharged. He is a man who learned many pages in life from his dad. I am blessed.
My brother is in the United States Navy. The snotty nosed little boy has grown up into a man who chose to serve his country and even though he has a wife and baby in another state, he never complains.
My father in law served in the United States Air Force. And for as long as I have known him, he’s never shared a story of his time served. A quiet man, but one who loves his wife to the end of the moon and back. He loves the rest of his family of course, but I’ve never witnessed a doting husband quite like this one.
My grandfather, we call him Poppy, was part of the United States Armed Forces, known as the Army. He was stationed in Germany sometime in the 1950’s for a period of time. As a child the only thing I knew about his time served was that he had a tattoo of his name put on his forearm. It wasn’t until I was an adult that the photo album was placed on the coffee table showing pictures of his time in Germany. His experiences there? It was cold. He doesn’t talk about it much, hardly at all. I am not sure if that is because he doesn’t want to or if it’s because we don’t ask for fear of the stories he will tell. Maybe a little bit of both.But he is a good man with a good heart. My memories consist of him taking me to ballet classes every weekend. Of hiding me behind him when the masked man demanded his wallet. Of always being calm and patient when I lost my way.
These are my people, being in the military was something that they chose to do, but it did not dictate who they became/are.
~AJP
Some days we are thrown set backs that mess us up. Then sometimes we are thrown several days that really just cramp our style. This would be my past three days. I was dealt a migraine on Friday that screwed all of my writing plans up and then it carried over into Saturday and by Sunday I was a mental basket case. So after all of my hard work all week, almost catching back up on my NaNo goals, the last few days shot my numbers into the dirt.
This morning I was feeling blue and then I received this… and it helped. I love chubby babies.
Last week I typed up this post, which was supposed to have been published last Friday, but sometimes things just do not go as we planned. And that is alright.
My muse this past week has mostly been music. I have been exploring multiple POV’s when writing, to see how far I can push myself outside of my comfort zone. Over the summer, I wrote what would be considered a novella length story with six different POV’s, which seems like a bit much. Until I read Rooms by Lauren Oliver and this book had 7 different point of views and I loved it.
For NaNo, I am applying the concept of multiple POV’s to one story again. And I find that each character has to have his/her own band/type of music for me to really get inside of their head.
I have really had to dig deep for different inspirations and playlists to get my head into my NaNo project so this weeks Flash Fiction prompt hit right on the nail head for me. November 5, 2014 challenge from over at the Carrot Ranch Communications prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story inspired by your muse. It can be about a muse, about longing for a muse or being thwarted by a muse. It can be serious or a-musing. It can be prose or poetic. Whatever you and your muse agree upon.
So my muse is music, hence the eccentric playlists every day.
Festering Thoughts
The tile was cold against my cheek as I lay down on the floor. I could have put down a towel first so that my face wasn’t touching the nastiness that lies on a bathroom floor. Today, I didn’t care. Let the dirt and piss splatter mix with my tears. What did it matter?
My insides felt like they were burning – every nerve ending, sinewy muscle, hair follicle- felt alive with an angry searing pain that couldn’t be calmed down. My throat blazed with unheard screams that couldn’t escape.
It wasn’t fair. Why? Why did she give up?
NaNo Update:
Words written: Day six – 2324, Day 7 – 129, Day 8 & 9 – 0, Day 10 – 2000
Words total: 11,288
Playlist: Instrumental classical
Writing Worries: I’ll get back with you on that
Things accomplished while procrastinating: Nothing good.
And as I finished typing up today’s post {on Thursday} about pushing myself out of my comfort zone, my mom sent me today’s encouragement. How perfect.
~AJP