3 Lines of poetry with the first line having 5 syllables, the second 7, and the third 5. If you get stuck, visit the Haiku Challenges Guidelines page. You need to insert words such as ‘the’ where they fit. Keep the syllables in mind.
Post your Decipher in the comments. You can guess as many times as you like, but please don’t look at the other guesses if you are going to make additional guesses. That just wouldn’t be fair, now would it?
Also, there is no Allow . . . in Love. Letting someone do something is a phrase that has always rubbed me the wrong way, or so I believe. I know it does now, because when I find myself writing the word let or hopefully catch myself, I cringe and must examine why the word let is being used. As with everyone who is conditioned in this society of letting and allowing, those phrases slip through even when we are looking for them, so forgive me if you find them.
I wrote an article a bit of time back called ‘Don’t ALLOW people to control YOU’. Allowing is a bad word, just like letting. You allow and let things happen to you that are in your control that are possibly not good for you.
You let me fall in love with you?
You have no choice in the matter.
You let me into your world?
I am in the world already, I just found you in it.
You let me determine our lives?
No, you say yes or no and determine your own life.
You let a child have a cookie. You cannot ‘let’ someone feel.
Then what is it we do with love or at least what am I driving at? Love is acceptance of things as they are. If you are with someone and find out you want to change certain non life threatening things about them or they want to change you . . . yes there may still be love but it is not THE love.
Perhaps you are not a fan of certain types of movies, TV shows, music, or foods. You do not ‘let’ the other person enjoy those things. When you realized you were in love with them and then expressed that to them, you then ‘accepted’ them as they ARE. That is part of what makes them who they are. Why want to change what brought you to them in the first place?
Do not enter a relationship thinking about a change occurring later on. The only thing that will change is the end of the relationship or the straining of one to the point of years of miserable.
I love you, I am in love with you, I give you my love; these are the phrases of love. In none of those phrases does the word let fit. In none of those feelings does the word let fit. In none of those phrases is permission being asked. Perhaps you will reject the phrases, but believe me when I say that the speaker of those words will continue on regardless of what you say.
In conclusion if you find yourself thinking the words you are letting the person in your life do something, rethink it. Are you letting or are you loving? Are you letting or are you accepting?
I have been brief today. If you need more explanation then let me know.
For all of you lovers reading, is it let or is it love?
Other articles in the future will deal with what you do ‘Let’ happen and ‘Change’ for love.
I am a simple man. What I desire is obvious to anyone that wishes to discover.
What do I desire? I desire to be stimulated, mind over matter. Turn my mind on and you have me forever. Only turn my body on and have me for a few hours. I want to belong forever to . . .
What do I desire? I desire physical pleasure; a touch from love, a hand in mine that sends electricity through my body, a caress of my cheek that makes my body melt, a tender kiss that makes my body alive. I live because of . . .
What do I desire? I desire friendship far more than relationship. A friend understands, cares, is there, is honest, fights for you and with you if you are deserving of either. A friendship wants to be and does not have to be. I want to be wanted by . . .
What do I desire? I desire a tortured heart. A heart that has been destroyed and resurrected knows what love is. Some say you do not need to have been destroyed to know love. Perhaps, however for me I know what love is because I am destroyed every day. Every day that ends away from . . .
What do I desire? I desire that one person that I can never stop thinking about. At 2 AM my eyes open and a thought comes to mind and sleep is finished. Thoughts of the day ahead and the conversations I wish for play out in my mind. What will be today? I cannot stop thinking about . . .
What do I desire? ‘What more could there be’ you might ask. Someone that consumes my mind, body, friendship, soul and thoughts is what I have shared, what is it I desire? What does all of this mean? You must know me well enough by now. You must know.
What one desire has not been revealed? The one I desire is . . .
3 Lines of poetry with the first line having 5 syllables, the second 7, and the third 5. If you get stuck, visit the Haiku Challenges Guidelines page. You need to insert words such as ‘the’ where they fit. Keep the syllables in mind.
Post your Decipher in the comments. You can guess as many times as you like, but please don’t look at the other guesses if you are going to make additional guesses. That just wouldn’t be fair, now would it?
RW: Allison, I have to say I am disappointed in you. You lied to me. Okay you didn’t lie to me, I asked why Long & Luxe, and right now your answer IS what it means, but you started your site as a fashion tips site . . . come on . . . what was the real original meaning to Long & Luxe?
ALLISON: You got me! So my original reason for L&L is kind of similar but more fashion angle – ready? My favorite song of ALL TIME is Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress by the Hollies – my favorite thing to wear is long flowing hair and a long maxi dress so luxe! Luxe to me was and is always about comfort – that is the ultimate luxury.
SET UP ALERT!!!
*****RW: Perfect. This just shows how things mature and change over time, even a site now matures into something more than we thought it would be. I set Allison up for that question because I recalled that when we first met she said something about it had to do something with something from her earlier days. So yes, Allison Marie, I gotcha on this one! And you can all hear the song at the bottom of the screen and now you know why I have the slide show above today rather than yesterday.*****
RW: We share a common bond in that we don’t write or blog to gain followers. I personally think of everyone that ends up clicking to follow my blog as Finding a new Friend. To me it’s more of a support thing than a following thing. What is your own personal philosophy of blogging?
ALLISON: I know just what you mean. If you are up for the lengthy version of my answer on this question do feel free to check out my 25 Tips On Beginning A Blog That No One Else Will Tell You. It’s not only tips for beginners but also my blogging philosophy in general. For the quick and dirty summary, I offer you this quote from the article: “Don’t write for numbers. Numbers are OK left alone. Write for people. Write for people because people don’t want to be alone.” In a nutshell, that’s what always brings me back home.
RW: I’ve found that many that do have the ability to care deep have been hurt deep.
Where does your deep heart come from? Is there a history?
ALLISON: You know, I’m really not sure where my deep heart comes from. I was always a sensitive, empathetic, introverted type and studied psychology because I have always been very interested in people, why they think and feel as they do, what choices they make, and what philosophies they adopt as their own and why. I do think I love big and I hurt big and it just comes naturally. A friend of mine and I talk about being ‘empaths’ or people who feel what others are feeling. I suppose a lot of my inner conviction to follow my heart comes from my mom, who died eight years ago very young. The experience of seeing my mom go through tremendous physical trauma to fight her cancer, and then to go through dealing with her death, has taught me that nothing is guaranteed in this life. It’s up to us to love deep and spread love wide in the time we are here. It’s the only thing that really matters.
RW: What tips do you have for someone to be able to keep blogging? For example do you have burnout tips?
ALLISON: Well, for sure my 25 Tips are my best gems so far. As for burnout I would say ask yourself why you got started in the first place and go from there. Maybe you need to go in a new direction? Maybe you need to post less often? What is so important to you that you couldn’t go another day without sharing – write and publish about that. I would also say that the more authentic your writing and connecting, the more likely you are to want to stick around. It becomes part of who you are, your way of sharing – of giving and receiving.
RW: How is the family with all of your blogging?
ALLISON: My husband is thrilled that I found blogging. I think I’m kind of a pain in the ass when I don’t have a creative outlet and this one seems to suit me quite well. The rest of the family doesn’t really get that involved. My blog isn’t for everyone and that’s totally ok with me. I think it should be that way – if you are writing from your soul, some people will groove with that and some won’t. It’s your job to stay true to you. It’s sort of a good life lesson as well.
RW: Where does the hippy chick come from?
ALLISON: My mom, I think! It’s so funny you say that because in all honesty I don’t know why I connect to the peace, love and grooviness vibe but it shows up in my world all the time. I love the music and clothing of that time and I love the peaceful revolutionary mindset of possibility and change. I have been channeling my mom’s spirit more and more lately and from what I understand she was quite an earth angel back in the day. I believe that love and peace can change the world. There’s a freedom of spirit there that – you guessed it – I dig. We are going through a time of global awakening and people are looking to come back to center, through meditation and mindfulness and a re-evaluation of our priorities. We know as a species that we need to change in some fundamental ways if we want to protect our precious lives and our planet. Greed will not get us there – love will. That is why I think my old soul always finds its way back to a peaceful revolutionary place.
RW: What is your favorite scent?
ALLISON: The beach. There’s no way to bottle it – you’ve got to sit in the sand and breathe with the wind and the salt spray and the waves.
RW: What is your favorite beverage?
ALLISON: A crisp, lemongrassy Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand
RW: What is your favorite word and why?
ALLISON: LOVE. Because it’s everything.
I doubt anyone was surprised with that last answer. Even though I had never asked her before, when that word came back to me, it was no surprise at all. I want to thank Allison for the interview and those great answers that turned some simple questions into what I think will be some life eye openers for some who read this interview series.
This weeks will be easy. As the weeks go by the will get a little more difficult.
Quick reminders:
3 Lines of poetry with the first line having 5 syllables, the second 7, and the third 5. If you get stuck, visit the Haiku Challenges Guidelines page. You need to insert words such as ‘the’ where they fit. Keep the syllables in mind.
Post your Decipher in the comments. You can guess as many times as you like, but please don’t look at the other guesses if you are going to make additional guesses. That just wouldn’t be fair, now would it?
Sometimes you want to say it but you can’t. You just don’t have the courage. You’re embarrassed. Then a song comes along that does it for you.
When a Song Comes Along
by: Ronovan
All my Friends here that wander by know I love music. I cannot listen to it often, if at all, but there are still those songs of long ago that I will see a lyric or it will slip into my mind as I write a word and it comes back to me. There are even songs from more recent years that have found their way to me even without my having been on the look out for them.
You may wonder how can I know they are from recent years when I have the whole memory thing going for me. I can look up a song lyric and find when the song was recorded. I do happen to play around with computers every now and then. Just saying. (I say that a lot, don’t I?)
Sometimes that melody or groove just can’t be denied. Maybe that’s the only thing you enjoy and the lyrics don’t matter. Sometimes you really do want to ignore the words or it ruins the whole experience. (JS) See what I did there? I got that acronym thing going now. Oh yeah.
But then we have those songs that . . . just can’t be denied. Yes, the melody catches us but then the lyrics keep us and carry us away to another place. And the good ones just say what you always wanted to say.
That brings me to the song.
You want to say those words to the woman in your life and the woman in your life wants you to say them. This hit record wasn’t just from luck. The man picked a song that was universal and every man and woman could listen to and get lost for several minutes. Your heart softened your eyes got a little dreamy and the corners of your lips turned up slightly as the song took you away and you just fell in love all over again. Just be sure when you hear the song come on, you pull over and stop before your eyes close as you just slip back into that dreamy land of love of . . . yes . . . you can sing it . . . your eyes, your hair, your smile . . . you’re amazing.