A new year for change … and butterflies

Not to sound like a Debbie Downer, but wow, talk about feeling lower than low.  Ever take one of those good long looks in the mirror and you didn’t like what you saw?  What about when you see yourself through someone else’s eyes?  For me, the answer is change.  And change is hard.  But I suppose if it didn’t hurt sometimes, the results might go under-appreciated.  While 2012 was a year to stretch beyond my comfort zone, 2013 looks like it’s going to be a year of some painful changes.  One change, although without discomfort, is that I’m doing away with my daily blogs.  I’ll check in from time to time, ramble here and there, spout off rhetoric, but for the most part I’m going to work on changing.  Another word for change is transform.  It’s what the caterpillar does when it breaks free from its cocoon.  That’s me.  And I’ll emerge not unscathed, but I will be a beautiful butterfly.

What does 2013 look like for you?

Word-of-the-month: laconic (adj.)

[Image credit: Arvind Balaraman]

First, it feels like I just posted the word-of-the-month.  Even my daughter thinks that time seems to be speeding up.  I did remind her, however, that it goes faster the older she gets.  Second, if you know me even a little bit (especially if you read my blogs), you will agree that laconic does not describe me or the way I write.  Instead, it is an adjective meaning (according to thefreedictionary.com) (of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words.   Synonyms include terse; curt, as in “a response so curt as to almost be rude” or concise, such as a crisp retort.  A sample sentence might read: The student’s answer, although correct, consisted of the laconic reply, “yes,” which is short and easy to understand.  Another example is: Stand-up comics need to be laconic, or audiences may quickly lose interest in the act if he or she tends to ramble.  

Are you the short and sweet laconic type, or do you tend to ramble like me?

Humor me

[Image credit: digitalart]

The other day I wanted to share with two different people a couple of tidbits I thought were cool.  Both of them told me they weren’t interested.  It hurt my feelings to be brushed aside, so I did the next best thing: posted it on Facebook.  Most days, at least one person goes on and on to me about something in particular or maybe nothing important, but I try to listen.  Granted, sometimes my mind wanders, but typically I stay plugged in.  After all, it isn’t that hard to lend an ear.  And we just may be the only one that person comes in contact with on a given day and maybe they simply need to feel like someone cares.  But if you run into me and I start to ramble, it’s okay to stop me mid-sentence to say you have somewhere to be (even if you don’t).  Just humor me if you’re able to.

How do you handle the person who always has a story to tell?

Always keep dreaming

[Image credit: nokhoog_buchachon]

Dreams are illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you. ~ Marsha Norman

This marks my 200th post since I began Always The Write Time to chronicle my journey as a non-traditional student, and has evolved into an excursion (or peregrination) through life.  I’d like to say thank you for joining me as I ramble and reflect daily, and for sharing in both my frustrations and my triumphs.  I hope over time, you’ve discovered as I have, that we’re not alone — that others possess similar struggles and hopes, as well as their own “Somedays” they’re waiting for while doing their best to live out their todays.  As for my dreams, they’re few.  I envision myself enjoying good health, a successful career doing what I love and moonlit walks on the beach.  Perhaps your soul and mine have written each other into our respective books, and one day our paths will cross.  Until then, I wish you the most beautiful dreams and a happily ever after.

What do your dreams say about your life’s story?

Where did you come up with that?

[Image credit: jscreationzs ]

My ideas usually come not at my desk writing but in the midst of living. ~ Anais Nin

As a writer, the question of where I (we) get my (our) ideas is frequently raised.  At the end of 2011, when I decided I wanted to go from a weekly to a daily blog in 2012, I didn’t think ahead to the fact that I’d actually have to come up with something new to write about every day.  While some days are definitely more of a challenge than others, more often than not, something happens or I hear something that strikes a chord, makes me think or feel a certain way, and voila, a blog is born.  I also find myself jotting down notes for the idea coffer when the muse strikes, so when it’s lacking (which will and does occur frequently), I either use one of those future topics or whip up a grammar lesson.  Considering there are 24 hours in a day, it’s really not too hard to stumble across at least one thing to ramble about.  So the next time you’re wondering where an idea came from, look around you.  It may have been right under your nose the whole time.

Is there a story hiding somewhere under your nose that begs to be told?