Wednesday 13 April 2016

Writing Prompt: What Can Happen In A Second

When technology throws you a curve ball you got to move to where the ball is being thrown. I wrote this blog last night, and some how it vanished. So, I get a second chance. 

"Give me a second."
"Just a second."
"Wait a second."
"Hold up a second."

I am guilty of saying these sentences. The one I use the most is "Just a second." I throw that phrase at my boys all the time. Here's prime example. Close your eyes and picture yourself at my house at about 5:45AM. What you see is a little boy lying on the couch in a nest of blankets. What you hear is a little boy bellowing,"Mom! Can you make me a hot chocolate!" That's when you see a bleary eyed mom stumbling down the stairs and mumbling to the bellowing boy on the couch, "Just a second. My eyes are not even open yet."
Time is measured in years, months, hours, minutes and seconds. A second counts. The second is used mainly in races. It used to be that a winner would win the race by a mere second. But somehow, somewhere, and by someone, a second was taken and chopped into 100th's of a second. Now a winner wins by seconds and teeny tiny chunks of a second. Those teeny tiny chucks of second decides who goes on to the Olympics and who gets to stay home and watch the Olympics on their TV. 
I can make a second last for minutes, much to the annoyance of my boys. I frequently use "just a second" so I can get another 5 minutes. That table gets turned on me too. When I'm hollering so we can get going, I get retorted back, "Just a second." 
There are things that can happen in a second. It just took a second for an egg to slip out of your grasp to fall to the floor to cause a 5 minute clean up. In a second, a china plate can slip out one hand's when emptying out the dishwasher, causing shards of china to explode and hide in every crevice. You can lose your finger if you're not paying attention, and that one second of looking away from the saw, has caused a lot of hours spent in the hospital. Clicking on your computer mouse, just takes a second, but if you click wrong it could cause a company to lose millions. Or a click of a mouse could lead you astray. Just taking that second to look down at your phone while driving, may lead to a lifetime of consequences. 
But on the other hand, lovely things can happen in a second. In just a second, I can receive a sticky kiss on my cheek from a chubby cheeked boy. It just takes a second, to give a hug. A knowing wink to a friend takes just a second. A smile to a stranger, takes just a second. Holding the door open, that's a second. Saying please takes a second and add on one more second for thank you. A click of your computer mouse sends a thoughtful email to a dear one in a second. 
We are told as we go bumbling about this life to make our days count, as time passes by so very fast. After pondering about what can happen in a second, I'm going to think about what I can do to make each second count. And I'll do that in just a second. 

From the 4th line,
Arlene




Sunday 10 April 2016

642 Things to Write About

Writings prompts....

     While foraging through Chapters one Tuesday morning, I stumbled across this book: 642 Things to Write About.

     A quick scan through the book peaked my interest. It gives you writing prompts. Creative exercises to get the mind thinking and writing juices flowing.  I bought the book and set it on my end table and stared at it, flipped through it, stared at it again and then thought about it. The book itself, when you flip it open looks much like a fancy notebook, it states the writing prompt and then gives you lines, like paper how which to write your response. I don't want to write in the book. That would cause a mess, and my penmanship has a lot to be desired. If the book got messy inside I would never pick it up again and it doesn't give you a lot of room to write. Plus...I may have a lot to say on one writing prompt where as I may only have a few sentences to throw at another writing prompt.  

     That left me with a dilemma. Thoughts swirled in my head about starting a new blog based solely on the 642 Things to Write About. As I checked out different blog sites, from SquareSpace, to Wordpress, and Weebly, it occurred to me that I already have a blog that has been lying dormant for quite some time. Dilemma solved.

     There will still be tales from the 4th line, but I'm going to take my cues from the writing prompts for the next little while and see where that takes me. Let's breathe, change is good!  I plan on incorporating some truth, and loads of embellishments in the storytelling.  Of course I'll change the names and places to protect the innocent. You may think at times that I'm writing about myself, or you, or you, or you.

Maybe.

Let's hope you get so lucky.

From the 4th line,
Arlene :)