“Love is when the other person’s happiness is more important than your own.” Loretta Young
I found this to be an interesting quote. At first I saw it from one side as an unselfish act, but then I began to wonder. What if your focus on their happiness deprives them of something? What if they want to make you happy? Now you are happy because you make them happy, but they are the ones that want to give you happiness. How difficult is it to have someone understand that their enjoyment of whatever it is that you are doing makes you happy and that’s it?
I have that dilemma. You see, I am a happiness giver. I think it’s partially because I don’t know how to accept the giving of happiness. Seeing someone happy because of something I do makes me happy. So am I making myself happy or are they by enjoying it making me happy?
Who is the happiness giver?
You see, my problem is I think too much. However, I see thinking too much better than not thinking enough. Eventually I figure it out. I realize that regardless of who is doing what that as long as both people end up happy, that’s what’s important. Sometimes, my accepting happiness makes the other person happy, and that is what love is. Even though I may not quite understand the receiving of it, I know it makes the other person happy, so I go along with it and enjoy the fact they are happy, thus I’m giving them joy.
How’s your head so far? I’ve had to unclench my jaw three time so far making my way through this one.
If you are going through the same situation, just relax and take happiness as it comes. It’s not a turn taker either. Just do it.
“You might at times want to hit Liam over the head with something, like his accordion, but then, he is a man, it’s love, and he’s young, so what else would you expect? And that is one thing that makes this book real and allows the reader to connect with it. No one is perfect in the book. “
“He’s been referred to as the new Dan on the block of historical fiction conspiracy theories. I don’t agree. Dan McNeil handles his subject with a better hand than Brown ever has. Yeah, sure, you want to knock him across the room at times but who doesn’t want to read something that gets them on an emotional level at times? If you want a fluff read, skip this review. McNeil isn’t about fluff.”
“Nothing is perfect. Sex isn’t perfect like a scripted movie. Things happen, and man, I am still dying over the what I call ‘on fire’ part of the book.”
“You’ll learn where the answer to how we handle the issue of Santa with our kids begins. A great deal of what you find in Jesus vs. Santa you can use in everyday life with not only your children, but yourself as well.”
“The style he chose to use is contemporary in the use of language and symbolism in order for anyone today to relate and connect to the story. Unlike many other takes that are similar to what Royle has done you don’t get a preachy style. At the very end, after the story is all done and over with, you receive a look at passages from the Bible to show you what may or may not bring credence to what Royle has written.”
“Isabella George is not your typical spy. For one she’s a female spy in WWII sneaking in to German occupied France. Yes, there were female spies but not the norm in literature of this type. And for another thing, she’s a wizard. Her mission in this first book of the Gray Tower Trilogy is to find and bring home the wizard creating a chemical weapon for the Nazis. But would it be a book worth a Trilogy if it were that simple?”
“Levant Mirage takes snapshots from the headlines of the past few years to build a character and combines it with frighteningly realistic possibilities to give a story you pray never happens.”
“Levant Mirage takes snapshots from the headlines of the past few years to build a character and combines it with frighteningly realistic possibilities to give a story you pray never happens.”
“The stories are of love and tragedy and more. I felt while reading the stories I was reading not about people in a book, or about love between two people and what befalls them but the love of a people for their homeland and their culture and the tragedies they faced throughout the ages. Yes, it hit me where it hurt, or it felt. Got me in the heart. “
“Welcome to my haiku perspective on life. It is easy to enjoy this book because haiku flows, which means it can be experienced effortlessly. Perhaps reading this book will open up some creative energy within you and if so, you will share your haiku as well. Those who live to express themselves with words, craft a world using the alphabet, are giving life to imagination and thought.”
I’ve been working on my Romance novel and thoughts as I lay in bed last night, attempting to go to sleep, led me to impressions. Just so all of you are aware, my brain works in odd ways and chases what some in the world call rabbits. Rabbits are something you want to see, perhaps catch, even just for a photo, but will take you far away from where you once were.
For me, rabbit chasing has always been a philosophical adventure.
As I lay there thinking about one of my characters the idea of that person’s impression on others rattled around in my head. Then I began wondering about the kinds of impressions are made.
Where I ended up next is beyond me.
Some impressions are like the impressions you see as you walk along the beach in the evening. The footsteps you travel along beside with the deep heel, shallow toes and slightly kicked up bit of packed bits of all the things that make up that sand. You think about how interesting they look, wonder who made them, how lonely they look alone in their single file. Come the next morning you return to the beach and find that after a night of sleep the impressions are gone. They have been washed away by time and by nature.
Some people are like that. They pass through your life without leaving but a momentary impression. There was nothing in the impression to stay with you. A single file of footprints in an evening beach will be seen again, and not made by the same person, on a beach far away.
Then there are the impressions in your backyard. A frame was set up—the right mixture of materials of dry to wet—smoothening of the cement—patience for the cement to set up just right—then you are brought out as a child and your feet and hands are pressed into the wet but firm cement. You are now set.
Time was taken to make that impression. Time was taken to set it firmly in place. Care was taken to make certain everything was just right in order you would be a part of that world for as long as possible. There would be no overnight washing away of these prints.
I thought about impressions this morning during a conversation. The impressions we leave with our children. Those impressions are like an artist with a chisel. With each strike we leave our mark—our impression—on their minds, hearts, lives. Do we leave the impression of always being there and loving them and doing what it takes to get it ‘right’ or instead do we reinforce the impression of not caring, not being bothered to do something, thinking of ourselves first?
“The mind is like a sheet of white paper in this, that the impressions it receives the oftenest, and retains the longest, are black ones.”Julius Charles Hare
With each strike of our hammer into the chisel we set our impressions in place with our children and with those we interact with. What impression do you want to leave? Do you care what impression you leave? Have you sat back and thought about the impression you have made, are making, will leave?
This was written for my #BeWoW (Be Wonderful on Wednesday share) and for the Writer’s Quote Wednesday hosted by Colleen Chesebro ofSilverThreading.Com. Click her site link if the Writer’s Quote Wednesday does not have a link in it directly to her post for the day yet. You simply ping back to her post or copy and paste your link there. You do the same with your #BeWoW posts to here if you have one. Not familiar with a ping back? Click here to find out how.
Much Respect-Much Love
Ronovan
Ronovan is an author, and blogger who shares his life as an amnesiac and Chronic Pain sufferer though his blog RonovanWrites.WordPress.com. His love of poetry, authors and community through his online world has lead to a growing Weekly Haiku Challenge and the creation of a site dedicated to book reviews, interviews and author resources known as LitWorldInterviews.WordPress.com.
Week 61 was for the words Wine & Tears. I came up with the prompt words from a spur of the moment thought I had in a melancholy mood and I shared it on Twitter. I liked the way the words turned out after reading them the next day and they became the starting point for the example or opening Haiku of the Challenge. Laughter can do miracles. It’s my go-to for any situation and usually works to get people I know into a better frame of mind and realize all is not lost or hopeless or as bad as they think.
The Closing Haiku
With a wine red nose,
The clown made the people laugh,
While tears flowed inside.
Click Here for the Image version I created today and posted earlier.
Everyone, please try to visit all the poets you can for a show of support. Also share this Review in whatever way you can in order for all to get as much Social Media coverage as possible and perhaps be visited by someone new.
If you have been keeping up with the links in the Challenge comments in order, after you check out the new this week section, why not try working your way up from the bottom. That way you may visit people you’ve never met before.
New to the Challenge this Week:
NEW! Shelly Faber:No Rest For Me | My Red Wine Diary. Yes, that’s the name of her blog. Is that like so appropriate? “I look forward to sharing this precious practice. My stories, poetry, and thoughts relate to experiences I have learned from, and feel privileged, to be a part of, in my personal, and, professional life.” That is from her About page, but what did it say her career profession was? Click here to find out. Very interesting. Seriously. @ShellyFaber
NEW! Alice:Fade the Pain | Boomerang Zone. So the Haiku title is mine, and it is a take on the words she used in the Haiku. Funny. I did a take on her words when she did a take on my prompt words. Okay, maybe not that funny, but loved how this was put together. Great words. I like it when different words are used in great ways. By different I mean not the usual everyday words. Alice has been here before, but it has been a while and it was not quite as formally done as this, so it’s an offical welcome time here. “I am a Dutch non-practicing lawyer/human rights defender. I work on unsolved homicides, wrongful convictions, and assist other human rights defenders and attorneys when requested. This is my personal blog.”Notice she said that it’s her personal blog. Seriously check out the rest of this about page entry for her other blog and why it was named one of the Top 100 Blawgs by a certain American Association. I kid you not. Click here to check out the About.@Vidocq_CC
NEW! Colette B. Wine along | The Wishing Well. Ha, a play on words AND RHYMES! “‘The Wishing Well’ (previously Bedressed, then Bubblicious) has come a long way during August’s Blogging101 course and I’ve enjoyed the journey. There’s still a long way to go, but now we’re travelling in a well-equipped jeep rather than a saddle-packed donkey. As with any vehicle, there’s re-fuelling needs, maintenance checks / tasks and undergoing some hopeful improvements and further learning progression.” And that’s just the beginning of her About page?
First to Arrive This Week:
Faith Unlocked:Come Taste the New Wine | Faith Unlocked. If there had been any other type of message in this Haiku I would have been surprised. I was only waiting to see how it was done. And there was no disappointment. And 32 other people agreed with me. @FaithUnlocked
TJ Paris:Early but Too Late | La vie est trop courte pour boire du mauvais vin. Yeah, I know, the blog title is a mouthful, but if you think we have a hard time saying it, try it with a mouth of Early 21st Century Cake. As for the title? I came up with that from not only the Haiku but the description of the photo used. As always you know we’re going to get something creative from this entry. Entry #2In Vino Veritas. Looks like TJ has begun Writing 101 through Blogging U. Will be interesting to see what he comes up with. @Roccoco_a_GoGo
Annette Rochelle Aben (Best Selling Author, Radio Show Host):Fond Memories | Annette Rochelle Aben. That’s my title for her Haiku and I’m sticking with it. I just hope PETA doesn’t get hold of this one. Annette will have some ‘splainin’ to do. Click the Author link for Annettes books on Amazon and the Radio Show Host link for just ONE of her shows. @YouAreTheExpert
Judy:Bad Blood | Edwina’s Episodes. The title I gave this week is implied somewhat by the Haiku. I get a sense of initial conniving followed by realization. As I pondered a title friendship came to mind and the colors in the image used, and a take on the prompt words and that led me to Taylor Swift’s song Bad Blood. There is a story behind the song about friendship. @EdwinasEpisodes
Carol:Affair to Forget | Mama Cormier. Two Haiku that one reader noted was an affair in two Haiku. Thus I decided on the title. For me it would have been Moutain Dew cola at Taco Bell instead of the setting in the image she used. 🙂 @Carol_Cormier
Ritu:Dutty Wine Glass | But I Smile Anyway. Well, I learned a new song today. Now I am trying to picture Ritu in the one of the Haiku she wrote. If I tried that I would so not be able to move ever again. (still picturing…) @PhantomGiggler
Kat:Buzzin’ | Like Mercury Colliding… So with a prompt like tears and wine do you really need an explanation of my title for this Haiku?
Alka:To drown in Wine and Poetry | Magnanimous Words. That title would make a great blog title . . . and I didn’t come up with it. 🙂 All Alka. Now who in the world would think of creating an image like that is beyond me, but it worked. I didn’t know they drank. But now I do. @girally
Sue Vincent (Author): Rosé | Daily Echo. Have to say, this lady has a following. People loved this Haiku. Very nice use of the prompt words. Very poetic, as it should be. Nice. Click the Author link for Sue at Amazon and her many books.@SCVincent
Janice:Heart Torn | Ontheland. I think this one does a great job of playing with the words. This could be about romance broken, love lost, or a musician’s life. @ontheland1
Jen:Twisted Vine | The Secret Keeper. Very nice. Bit of mythology with a two meaning Haiku structure. The painting shared goes well with the Haiku created, and fits the prompt words perfectly. @occultguardian
Steven:Vineyard | Ramblings of a Drabbling Mind. Quite poetic with the words this week. I know poetic in a Poetry Challenge should be a duh thing but sometimes the offerings are very poetic. I would explain it but the more I read it the more the words begin to jumble. 🙂
Clarence:Taste of Wine | Prairie Chat. Clarence has been letting his inner romantic out lately. He doesn’t disappoint this week.
Sandra:View | Wild Daffodil. Combining the two challenges she likes to do, this one and Bluedaisyz Weekly photo challenge, we get a amazing photo that goes perfectly with the Haiku. I just hope they made it back okay. Nice to see where you’ve been as long as you can still make it to where you’re going. 🙂
Denis1950:Sunset Over Wine | Haiku Hound. Okay, the two Haiku are great. But when you put your photos of those sunsets of over the bay with those boats masts silhouetted…WOW. Great combinations all around.
Amy:Recovery | Haiku of a Homeschooler. I enjoy those Haiku that have a deep personal meaning. When the author shares that meaning and allows you to enter into that world of emotion with them, it is something special. This is one of those. The title is mine, but the Haiku gave it to me. @me_the_seeker
Meredith & Martha:Wine brings forth the truth | Meredith’s Musings. As you know, if you are a regular, we have four Haiku this week from our Angels. The one title is mine to somewhat sum up the feel I get from what they shared. First there are Frivolity & Lachrymose from Meredith and then Red, Red, Wine & Obloquy from Martha. You know, when you need a dictionary to read the Haiku you know you are in over your head. 🙂 The ladies went all out this week. @Meredithlbl
R Todd:Watercolor Ponies | A Flash of Fiction. This is the day for videos inspire or Haiku inspire video selections. A very sad Haiku. I may be dropping into a depression bout now. Read on at your own risk, unless I take a break. @psibrone
Shida:Another Option | 876Lover. I think this may be what they call Jamaican Rules. Not sure why but I want to say her blog theme or layout has changed since she first joined us. I’ve seen it like this before but I like the color and all. @realrebel_r
Becky:Peace Like Wine | Becky G? Oh, That’s Me. Nice twist here. I like those peaceful inspiring Haiku, especially when doing the review. (And now while doing it and my boy “B” ‘playing’ his trumpet he just got on Friday.)
Elizabeth:the solution | Tea And Paper. Ah, nice. Makes me wonder if it would make it worse. 🙂 And I wonder that because of some of the other Haiku I’ve read, but it seems like most of them would agree with Elizabeth. @Teandpaper
Geoff Le Pard (Author):The Problem Solver | TanGental. At first you think, “Oh no, he got it wrong.” Then you are like he suckered us. But he’s an author, so what do you expect. Click the Author link to go to Amazon.@geofflepard
Maylian:For Tears and Wine | Personal Self Perfection. Two Haiku this week. You know, I’m not sure why people are talking so much about wine causing or curing tears in their Haiku this week so much. 🙂
Serins:Turn With the Wind | Serins Sphere. Poetic. (If you haven’t picked up on it by now, that’s a big compliment from me.) Very good use of the prompts and phrasing. Very image inducing. @SerinsSphere
Shailzaa:The Plunge | Fewunsaidwords. You know, if you think about it, after this is over with, The Plunger might end up being appropriate. 🙂 Oh I slay me sometimes. And you people thought I had lost my sense of humor this week. Hrmph.
Vashti Quiroz-Vega (Author):Happy Tears | The Writer Next Door. Nice story behind this one. 🙂 She even managed to plug her debut novel The Basement. Check it out on Amazon by clicking the Author link above. @VashtiQV
Colleen:Sutter Home | Silver Threading. You know, I wonder what the yesterday is referring to here. Could be wine or tears. Very well done. Check out Colleen as part of the LitWorldInterviews team by clicking here to see her book reviews.@ColleenChesebro
Florence:Woman as Wine | Meanings and Musings. Well, Florence is afraid people will think she is a drinker, when she’s not. She can’t touch the stuff really. But this Haiku seemed to me more about woman than wine. At least that’s how I read it. Check out Colleen as part of the LitWorldInterviews team by clicking here to see her book reviews.@FTThum
E. Rawls (Author):Singing Dwarf & Crucified | Rawls E. Fantasy. Two for the return of the one called E. or Rawls. or maybe Rawls E. Hmm Rawlsy. Rowdy Rawlsy. Stop me now…please. Seriously. Okay. I’m good now. Check out Bleeding Hearts, a collection of short stories, poems, and riddles, at Elizabeth’s Author page on Amazon by clicking the Author link above.@VChronicles_
Juliette:More Vino Please | Battered Wife seeking Better Life. Two Haiku this week. She said her first one isn’t a proper Haiku, but I don’t see anything wrong with it. I think she tells a story of many lives in our Challenge without even knowing it. She would be surprised. @BWseeingBL
stu06bloc9:Drops Holy | Pitter Patter Poetry. A deep entry this week. Not only as far as placement but in meaning. I think people will take away several thoughts about this one. And the closing Video. You didn’t think I could do these prompt words and not use this video did you?
Much Respect-Much Love
Ronovan
Ronovan is an author, and blogger who shares his life as an amnesiac and Chronic Pain sufferer though his blog RonovanWrites.WordPress.com. His love of poetry, authors and community through his online world has lead to a growing Weekly Haiku Challenge and the creation of a site dedicated to book reviews, interviews and author resources known as LitWorldInterviews.WordPress.com.
Thinking of the prompt words for my Haiku Challenge this week, I encourage you to join with the great group of poets/bloggers, my evil mind came up with this week I kept thinking of how the word bridge united two worlds. Those worlds could be any two life systems this planet possesses.
I’m staying positive in these thoughts. I’m considering the world of love today. How often have you seen that true love in your life only to say it is impossible or too much trouble to achieve happiness? How often do you say it just wasn’t meant to be, or maybe you don’t deserve it?
For some it could actually be a physical distance. Maybe even other obstacles combined with that distance. Is ultimate love and happiness worth a going the extra miles, giving the extra effort, or perhaps even going through that miles and miles of pain knowing love is waiting at the end?
Is there a bridge too far for you?
A bridge too far is
A path you’ve never taken,
Could change your future.
To see the image at its best, click it.
Much Respect-Much Love
Ronovan
Ronovan is an author, and blogger who shares his life as an amnesiac and Chronic Pain sufferer though his blog RonovanWrites.WordPress.com. His love of poetry, authors and community through his online world has lead to a growing Weekly Haiku Challenge and the creation of a site dedicated to book reviews, interviews and author resources known as LitWorldInterviews.WordPress.com.
I guess without a computer I could become a full-time reblogger but I don’t think would keep me going. However, this article from Suzie helps and I wanted to share. I wanted to say her writing style has changed slightly since her career change and there is more joy in my friend from England and her writing has developed into something richer and even more relatable than it was, if that is possible. I love the photos of London and her real description of a trip. I felt as though I were there.
The Bloke and I have very different opinions on what constitutes as ‘a holiday.’ Give me a beach, a pool, a bar and glorious sunshine and I’m happy. He needs things to see and do. I like to adopt my inner vegetable and lay like broccoli, while he’s a ‘get up and go’ type.
We both, however, have a common love of London, and we try and visit as many times a year as we possibly can. Booked in advance, train tickets are very cheap and the journey is only an hour and a half, so getting there relatively easy. There’s something about it that we both connect with – the architecture, history and the atmosphere is wonderful, and over the years we have joined the millions of tourists with our cameras to experience everything the city has to offer.
Last Saturday I was attending the Annual Bloggers Bash, so…
Tim Hawkins is a comedian who happens to be a Christian. This means usually family friendly comedy. The guy is hilarious. Here he is in a 2 minute clip about marriage conflict resolution and texting.
It’s a bit late in the day to be writing my Independence Day letter. I hadn’t planned on doing one, or maybe I did, I’m not really certain. But I’ve learned something over the past year or so and that is if I don’t let something out, it will keep eating at me and I can’t rest. So here it all goes.
The Gadsden Flag from the Revolutionary war.
Nothing to do with any political group for this post purpose or ever.
My Declaration of Independence from . . .
I will no longer be strangled by heart strings. Those that I love know the one way to get to me is through the heart. Well that is over. Attempts to guilt me into things just won’t work any longer. Those that try it obviously don’t love me enough to love me as I am. And it’s not about choosing between either or.
Blog writing will be more open and honest and maybe in your face on issues. I’m tired of keeping quiet like the good little roll over Christian boy. I’ll voice my views, just as my friends do, and expect the same respect I show them in not commenting negatively about it. As everyone knows, I don’t stoop to petty bickering. And my Christian articles are well thought out and polite. They don’t attack anyone.
I love. I love hard. And I love faithfully.
I will no longer feel guilty about not remembering people. Some blog friends and real life people over the past year have disappeared from my memory not too long ago because of illness and stress. Nothing I could do about it, nothing that can be changed about it.
High maintenance, and emotionally needy people need not apply at my door. I’m a good friend, but I can only handle so much these days. I will do my best but the surest way to stress me out is to be a needy Ned or Nelly. Harsh, I know, but I’m just laying it out there. Stress will only lead to more memory problems. I already lose memories after sleeping too such as days in bed while in a Fibromyalgia Flare. I try hard to hang on to the memories I have.
These are the hard things one has to do in order to help themselves. These are the choices to have peace of mind and maybe someday peace of heart. I don’t know if that last one will ever happen because of some of those choices up there. If people I love don’t want to love me for me alone then so be it. Call me selfish if you like.
I do my best every day to bring a positive message to my blog and my world. It is much more difficult than anyone may realize. But I keep doing it every day. And I will keep doing it every day.
Know your adversary. How to learn your adversary? You observe them. And how do you observe? You remain silent.
Silence is an unsung hero of many battles. Silence is maddening to a fool. Silence is maddening to the arrogant. Silence is the enemy of your foe.
The more you refrain from engaging in banter with the witless, the more foolish your foe seems, because the more they talk the more truth people see. People watching see a deteriorating mind who rants on and on against someone who speaks not an inflammatory word.