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Wednesday, April 1, 2020

IWSG, How Things Are, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:  Diane Burton, JH Moncrieff, Anna @ Emaginette, Karen @ Reprobate Typewriter, Erika Beebe, and Lisa Buie-Collard!

This month's question is: 
The IWSG’s focus is on our writers. Each month, from all over the globe, we are a united group sharing our insecurities, our troubles, and our pain. So, in this time when our world is in crisis with the covid-19 pandemic, our optional question this month is: how are things in your world?

It is the worst of times and the best of times. It is a supremely strange, surreal, and scary time. (Note my cleaver use of alliteration, humor must be maintained.)

I had a long dreary post detailing my angst but I figured we are all pretty much feeling the same thing so why belabor the point? It's also very easy to get bogged down in the quagmire, get sucked into the quick sand, get swirled around in the whirl pool and become depressed.

Therefore, I am choosing to share up-lifting quotes and pictures.


Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come.
Lois Lowry
Oak Tree at 176 Nile Street, Nelson

I've only written four songs in my whole life, but I've written those four songs a million times.
Bob Dylan

Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the the overcoming of it.
Helen Keller

Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud. Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.
Maya Angalou
Rainbow on Rara Lake

What else is love but understanding and rejoicing in the fact that another person lives, acts, and experiences otherwise than we do?
Nietzsche


What is the purpose of anger and hate? Does it bring you joy? Does it bring you happiness and contentment? Does it bring you love? If the answer is no, then why give anger and hate safe harbor in your heart when, like a category 5 hurricane, it will destroy the harbor and your heart as well?
Bish Denham
Pillar Point Harbor

Here's a little humor. I wrote new words to the song 
Loco-Motion. It's a brand new dance called...

The Hunker Down.

Everybody’s doing a brand new dance, yea
(Come on baby and do the Hunker-down, now)
I know you’ll get to like it if you give it a chance, yea
      (Come on baby and do the Hunker-down, now)

My little baby sister can do it with me
It’s easier than catching this new disease
So come on, come on, do the hunker-down with me.

You gotta buy TP, now
      Come on, baby
Snatch a pack, jump back
      Well I think you’ve got the knack

Now that you can do it share it on your phone, yea
      (Come on baby and do the Hunker-down, now)
A snatch and grab motion and a dash for home, yea
      (Come on baby and do the Hunker-down, now)

Do it nice and easy, now and don’t lose control
A little bit of rhythm and a whole lot of soul
So come on, come on, do the Hunker-down with me

Move around the floor in the Hunker-down
      (Come on baby and do the Hunker-down, yea)
Do it bumping elbows (stay six feet away) now
      (Come on baby and do the Hunker-down)

There’s never been a dance that’s so easy to do,
It’ll make you happy when you’re feeling blue
So, come on, come on do the Hunker-down with me


Being Thankful
***
Despite everything going on, I have plenty for which to be thankful.
My family and friends in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are well. We have enough food.
We have shelter, water, electricity.
And, it is spring.

I will leave you with these pictures which remind me that no matter what, life will continue.
Blue iris

Claret cactus


First spring bouquet, 
bluebonnets and columbines

***
What are you thankful for? Have a favorite inspirational, uplifting quote?

22 comments:

  1. That rainbow picture is beautiful.

    It's easy to get depressed but we have to fight it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup. I'm not a complete Pollyanna, but I think sometimes she's just who we need.

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  2. Thanks for the inspiring quotes and pictures. Given everything your family has already gone through in the last years, I'm sure you're putting this last crisis in the right perspective.

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    Replies
    1. I work on it day to day/moment to moment, Natalie.

      Delete
  3. I'm feeling thankful. I'm thankful for my family and my husband. I'm thankful for consequence bloggers like yourself who always seem to know exactly how I'm feeling and write their posts accordingly. How do you do that!? Stay safe, Bish! I know you will.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL. Maybe, Joylene, we are twin sisters from different mothers? ((hugs)). You stay safe, too.

      Delete
  4. Dig the song! And at least Dylan was honest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dylan's words were/are more important than his melody's. Can you see him winning anything like American Idol or any of those other talent shows? He'd get the buzzer so fast it would make your head spin. Nobel Prize for Literature? You bet. 100% deserved.

      Delete
  5. So glad you opted for fun instead of dire. I got the trauma and drama rattling around in my brain already!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome. There's enough doom and gloom in the world right now.

      Delete
  6. "supremely strange, surreal, and scary" - I love alliterative writing!
    The world has gone mad.
    I’ve decided to focus on what I can control… there’s enough doom and gloom out there.
    Stay safe, Bish.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And, it's an illusion that we can control anything. In truth all we can really try to control is our reactions/emotions. Peace.

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  7. Replies
    1. My pleasure. I did it for myself as well as for everyone else.

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  8. The pictures are great medicine for the doldrum! Thanks, Bish.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lovely post, Bish. I can't wait for spring.

    I'm grateful for my boyfriend and lovely friends and students. I recently lost my kitty, and they've been so wonderful and supportive. I'm lucky to have such amazing people in my life.

    Stay well.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love your pics and quotes. And the lyrics! Great job :)
    Hunker Down and Stay Safe.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Bish - love your words to loco-motion ... I even remembered the music - being totally unmusical: it can be a challenge. Yes we're all relatively lucky and can take care of ourselves. Love the quotes ... take care - Hilary

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  12. What gorgeous flower photos. Stay well and stay safe.

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  13. Thanks for the quotes and the pictures, Bish! I'm focusing on what I am thankful for this month. It is helping.

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  14. Your quotes and pics are so uplifting. Thanks! Stay safe.

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Your Random Thoughts are most welcome!