Tag: time

SoCS-10/15/22- Happy Place- Suspending Time

On By Susan St.PierreIn In my humble opinion..., Writing Prompts11 Comments

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “happy place.” Write the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “happy place.” Have fun!

I want to talk about Time. Human beings have calibrated it to milliseconds and like many things we make possible to measure, we feel that we can manage it. Don’t get me started on the ‘Climate Crisis’. The arrogance of human beings is beyond measure. The belief that we can control or manage the Natural world is absurd. But I digress.
Time is an oppressive force according to my sensibilities. Escaping that ‘weight’, even in small episodes, is my ‘happy place’. I don’t wear a watch. Why should I? The ticking of time is all around us. Clocks are everywhere and the calendar is mentioned or referred to many times a day. But I want you to know that it is possible to step away from that tick, tick, ticking existence.
Have you ever been absorbed in a book, movie, or project, and lost all concept of time? To me, that is the most freeing place I can be. Freedom looms large in my soul if you haven’t noticed.
There are times while I’m at my camp when I feel weightless and lost. So much so, that I ask what time it is and truly have no idea if it’s 11:00 am or 2:00 pm. It’s a glorious experience that to many on ‘timed existences’ would be dizzying and might even give them a feeling of being off-balance.
Schedules and deadlines are necessary, but I dread them. I love winter in New England for the peace, beauty, but mostly for those snowstorms. On a snowstorm day, life slows almost to a stop. Businesses close, travel is unlikely, and no one expects you to BE anywhere. The world is yours for your own sake.
Gosh that’s grand!
I often write about ‘living in the moment’ and I pursue that every day. In retrospect, my choice to spend most of my days with children [animals too] came from my, then unrecognized but looming, pursuit of shunning time. Kids and animals truly do live in the moment and that is where time releases you from its grip.

I am an unapologetic Star Trek fan and have been since I first sat too close to the ‘boob tube’ in the 1960s drinking in all the mind-blowing themes it presented. This stream of consciousness brought one of my favorite themes in the movie Star Trek Insurrection immediately to mind. It is the perfect ‘cherry on top’ of this post. I’ll share it below with a brief explanation for people who are not Star Trek buffs.
Happy Saturday friends! Try to take some time for yourself today!



Here are two (very short) scenes from Star Trek Insurrection that express what I’ve talked about.
Captain Picard and his crew have encountered a foreign human race who live on a planet that, because of unique conditions, are capable of living for centuries. In these clips, he learns a lot about time from one of the inhabitants. Enjoy!

https://lindaghill.com/2022/10/14/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-oct-15-2022/

Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge-A Troiku- Aging in Full Color

On By Susan St.PierreIn Words 'n' such Poetry23 Comments

The Troiku is a form created by Chèvrefeuille at https://carpediemtroikuworld.blogspot.com/2015/10/welcome.html. 
Start with a Haiku then create 3 more Haikus using each line from the original.



When did I grow old?
In a moment? A year?
Transcendence is life.

When did I grow old?
Bright colors in crisp Autumn
Focus my reward.

In a moment? A year?
Wholeness created new value
A crescendo sweet.

Transcendence is life.
Seasons promote refinement.
Growth requires time.

https://wordcraftpoetry.com/2022/10/11/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-293-specificform-troiku/


Blogging Insights #47- Ideal Conditions

On By Susan St.PierreIn In my humble opinion...3 Comments

We’ve been asked how we relate to the above quote.
I made a 44-year career out of caring for children in my home and, even now, my granddaughters frequently spend time here.
Most of my adult life has therefore not been interruption-free.
For a while, in my earliest blogging days, I got out of bed an hour and a half before the ‘gang’ arrived and wrote speedy pieces. Actually, that time limit fueled my interest in flash fiction which I accidentally found I had an aptitude for!
Since my husband retired, there’s no actual me-time or space. Yet, I’ve always been a spontaneous sort and my inclination to surround myself with children is proof of that.
I now pull out my laptop to my kitchen table randomly and race to run errands mid-post frequently. All the while, my mind mulls over the original inspiration and, quite often, inspires excellent new insights!
Zigging and zagging all day comes naturally to me. LOL
I set no schedule nor limits for myself making my writing endeavors a treat not any sort of chore.
My goal of one day writing a book will be subject to life’s plan. If I were to stress over it, then all the other things that I do would suffer. I am more than a writer.
With this attitude I’ll probably never be a Stephen King, but I’m happy, useful, and thankful for all of my opportunities. The rest of my life will write itself, I guess. 😉

https://saltedcaramel670.wordpress.com/2022/07/25/blogging-insights-nf-47/

Sunday Poser #73- Easy Does It

On By Susan St.PierreIn Writing Prompts3 Comments

Sadje has invited us to respond to her Sunday Poser Question.

I don’t know if I got used to not keeping a schedule before I did childcare for the better part of my life, or childcare inspired me not to keep a strict routine.
When I recall how ‘last minute’ I was with school assignments, I’m inclined to think it’s the former. It may seem odd to care for kids and NOT have a routine. I’m sure some people do. But kids live life ‘in the moment’. Appreciating that myself, is probably why I was drawn to kids (and all kinds of animals). What I’m doing at any given moment is the most interesting thing.
I joined a bowling team once… having to be there at a specific time was just too much for me! That experiment lasted two weeks. LOL
I can’t imagine watching a backhoe digging in the driveway and breaking away from that interesting experience according to the demands of a clock. Deadlines, schedules, and routines ruin my life experiences more often than enhance them. I’m oddly very punctual at scheduled events. (I just want to get them over with, as soon as, possible.)
When my husband and I are at our camp, guess when we eat meals? When we feel hungry, of course. Because we’re happily busy there, it’s most often, only once a day and likely not together. We’ll enjoy a few adult beverages at day’s end together though. Day’s end isn’t even a specific time. 😉
I take blogging the same way. Some days it’s one fun ‘write’ after another, and other days, something else captures my attention. (I don’t have ADD or Autism. I’ve checked. lol)
I can leave blogging alone for extended periods, like weeks or even months. Actually, rediscovering it after a long absence, is its own kind of fun.
I hope this post serves my blogging friends as a warning. If I don’t respond to a comment, I’m not ignoring you. I haven’t seen it yet. 😀

https://lifeafter50forwomen.com/2022/03/27/sunday-poser-7

Mindless in America

On By Susan St.PierreIn In my humble opinion...4 Comments

A telemarketer called a few days ago. He was promoting a new organization and hoping to sell wholesome family films.

The idea was admirable. No one can argue, against the fact, that there are too many images of violence and “adult” subject matter available to children on prime time television. Soon enough, it became clear that he was reading a script.

It was a time, in my work day, when I was getting my day care charges ready to go home so I was distracted and rushed. My manners have always kept me from just hanging up, so I listened. I also always figure that the person,calling, is earning a living and deserves, at least, a few moments.

As I listened, he repeatedly said,” Studies show…” . Then, he started saying that Spongebob was an example of mindless broadcasting to be avoided because “Studies show, this is also a poor choice.”

He had my interest, at first. But frustrated from not being able to get a word in and the time constraints…after all, I was “on the job”… made me lose my patience. This is what I told him:

“I believe you are promoting a worthy cause and this call is your job, but when you have said repeatedly, “studies show” and have expected that you could convince me without telling me where the studies were conducted, who did them, and how many people were studied, suggest that you are the mindless one here or you believe that I am. I grew up watching the Three Stooges and never once was tempted to hit someone with a hammer. There is definitely too much violence on TV, sir. The greater problem, in my opinion, is the cultural break down of the American family. If you have any interest in the success of your organization, I suggest you change your speech and get real. I have no extra money to invest and I thank you for trying, good-bye.”

Now, I wonder, how many people are willing to believe the rhetoric “studies show” without pause?  I don’t really want to know because it scares me too much to consider further.

The original Three Stooges in Soup to Nuts
The original Three Stooges in Soup to Nuts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Tuning in” on Nature

On By Susan St.PierreIn In my humble opinion..., Sideshows2 Comments

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I spent most of my Autumn getting caught up in the political debates. It was a depressing time for me. I felt agitated and angry, as well as, without hope. My journals and photography went from plentiful and bright, to almost nothing.

Today, I posted in my Nature Knowledge category for the first time in months. It made me feel good. Then I happened upon 2 articles that gave definition to my happier endeavors. I’ve entitled the 2 links:

Seeing is Believing

and

Connecting with Nature

Disconnecting from social media in favor of being outdoors is a prescription for true happiness. One of my status posts during the political rumble of last Fall asked everyone to stop labeling each other and look at their neighbors. I dared them to find bigots, baby killers and ugly Americans. In taking my own advice, I noticed charity, compassion and goodwill surrounded me.

The first article, linked above, clearly states that what we see is too often predicted by what we expect to see. The second article is a scientific experiment about our brains and what technology does to us.

I believe spending time with Nature is an awesome learning experience. Mother Nature has no agenda but for life. She can be cruel but never hateful. She can be beautiful but never vain. When I feel depressed and without hope, I choose to listen to Nature with my eyes and heart wide open. I suggest we introduce our children to that wonder for their own happiness and future.

Related articles

Worry Not our Children

On By Susan St.PierreIn Sideshows2 Comments

A fellow blogger ( Backward222.com) posted some interesting scientific facts in her blog.

The facts came from: http://www.mindjunker.com/random/17-amazing-science-facts-to-discover.html/

The one that rattled my thoughts most was the one in the image above.

Let’s say it is even half-true.

Is that a matter for humankind to handle?

Humankind has absolutely made an impact on our Earth. Myriads of people run shouting and waving and warning. The presumption is that humans will cause  Nature’s premature demise.

Conservation of our resources and mindfulness of our place on this Earth is, not at all, foolish.

Still, I keep feeling that we are way too arrogant about assuming what we can do and should do to prop-up ecosystems. Human influences, have not been the only destructive forces on the planet. Our existence is a pinprick in time compared to Earth’s existence.

Mother Nature has experience in birth, death,extinction, and renewal that I dare say, we could not possibly understand.

Predictions about the time needed for recovery from oil spills has been traditionally over estimated. In fact, there is much evidence to support the premise that our efforts at “clean-up” interfere with Nature’s recovery.

I want kids to learn to recycle.

I want kids not to litter.

I want kids to treat water as an exhaustible resource.

My problem is the message we send kids. The above poster is a shining example of the urgency and frightening way we, humans, have appointed ourselves guardians of the natural world. Even someone who could not read would understand that we are considered responsible for extinctions and caretakers of all living things.

Please think about the scariness of the messages  we give kids today. The burden of debt will all too likely be their inheritance. I’d like the kids to feel the world will turn and Nature will continue in spite of us not because of us.