Freedom

Daily writing prompt

What does freedom mean to you?

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Seems that today’s prompt should be a relatively simple one to write about. Well, it appears it isn’t. At least for me.

I think part of the problem or issue might be, that we go along in our daily lives and routines and don’t spend too much if any time at all thinking about “what freedom means to us?” I suspect that this is very well the case in most free and democratic countries.

The concept of freedom could be applied or examined in countless ways.

For example, one may define freedom as living in a free and democratic country. But for someone else, they may be thinking of freedom as in I am now retired and have freedom from a five-day-a-week job. Others may be thinking of freedom from children in the house and they can now tackle other pursuits.

Freedom can mean many different things.

Nevertheless, for many, including myself over the years, just simply living and getting by day-to-day took all the energy and commitment one could muster. Not much time left to think about freedom, when your days are full to the brim.

Perhaps freedom, given in this “vague notion” becomes hard to define. We know that we have freedoms or we live in a “relatively free society” but it is hard to quantify. I do think we all know very much when freedoms are taken away or threatened.

The pandemic of a few years ago brought that squarely to the attention of all of us. Restrictions on movement and other restrictive issues made the issue of freedom or in that case “lack of freedom” very clear for the most part.

So, however, how one defines freedom is one thing. The important issue is not to take freedom for granted and to protect it as best we can as individuals and as a society.

The freedoms we enjoy can be here one minute and literally gone the next. And when that happens, how many of us will wonder, “What the hell just happened?”

–as always with love–

— get outdoors; find inspiration; discover yourself —

Oldest Clothes

Daily writing prompt

What’s the oldest things you’re wearing today?

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Weird prompt.

This morning, the oldest piece or pieces of clothing I’m wearing are a pair of pants that were part of my duty uniform before I retired, as well as an “East Coast Lifestyle” T-shirt that I got as a present four or five years ago.

Older clothing doesn’t necessarily equate to poor clothing choices. Wear what is comfortable, fits your lifestyle, what you enjoy and is within your price range.

Vintage clothing suggests “older clothing.” Vintage clothing can look great, but it often comes with a “vintage store” price tag as well.

–as always with love–

— get outdoors; find inspiration; discover yourself —

Career Plan

Daily writing prompt

What is your career plan?

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Retired – don’t have one.

Long-range goals and that’s about it.

Trying to live in the moment and enjoy life as it comes.

–as always with love–

— get outdoors; find inspiration; discover yourself —

Last Live Show

Daily writing prompt

What was the last live performance you saw?

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We don’t normally hit a lot of live shows, whether they be plays, concerts or even music in local pubs.

The last live bit of music we attended was back in January when we took in some local talent in Halifax at the “Old Triangle Pub.” We had been celebrating a birthday and went out for dinner and an hour or two of a trio doing both Irish songs and older tunes.

This weekend, however, we’re attending the Gala Night on Saturday for the Halifax Comedy Festival. It is being held at a theatre Halifax, and is the finale of the week-long comedy festival. It is also being filmed by the CBC for broadcast later in the summer.

–as always with love–

— get outdoors; find inspiration; discover yourself —

Job For A Day

Daily writing prompt

What’s a job you would like to do for just one day?

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Hopefully this morning this post will be short at more or less to the point.

For one day, I would like to be transported back to Ontario and specifically Algonquin Provincial Park.

For the day, the perfect job(in this fantasy prompt) would be to work at Algonquin Outfitters, outfitting and instructing “newbies” who are adventuring on their very first wilderness canoe camping trip. I remember the first time Lynn and I went on our first backcountry trip. The preparation, excitement and nervousness all wrapped into pushing off the dock or shore and getting started on your first trip.

Helping people get ready and prepared for what could very well be a life-changing positive experience is something I believe would be special to be a part of and contribute to.

Algonquin Park has always been and held a special place in my heart. It’s sad on many levels that perhaps our canoe-tripping and hiking days there may have come to an end, given the distance we now live from Ontario.

–as always with love–

— get outdoors; find inspiration; discover yourself —

Favourite Brands

Daily writing prompt

What are your favorite brands and why?

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First off, I’m not necessarily a brand favourite-focused person. At least, I don’t think I am.

The reason is that I’m sitting here on a misty, dull and foggy Sunday morning and having a real struggle to think of or remember specific brands that we may be loyal to.

On the other hand, I do know people however who are very brand-specific. My father-in-law for example always bought Mazda cars. In the almost forty years I’ve known him, it has always been some model of Mazda.

Now, Lynn and I for example when it comes to cars, have had Chevrolet models for the past three vehicles. We’ve found them to be exceedingly reliable and never had any major issues with them at all. In fact, the model we currently own, other than regular maintenance has been the best car we’ve had.

When it comes to clothing, brand loyalty means nothing. Whatever the piece of clothing may be, if we like it and it is reasonably priced, we’re likely to buy it. We do in fact, buy a significant amount of pre-loved/vintage clothes. Not from a price perspective, but more from an environmental and social good perspective. Last year, I nailed a $90 summer shirt(the original price tag was still on it) for $5 at a thrift store.

I think more so than specific brand loyalty, Lynn and I are more likely to patronize specific stores or restaurants based on our past experiences when shopping there. Great service, and engaging personnel, along with good quality items or excellent food, will more than likely bring us back again and again.

I have posted in the past regarding my craft beer adventures if we want to call them that. The “adventures” are more if we’re passing through a community and if happen to drive by a craft brewery, and let’s stop and buy a can or bottle to try type level of adventure. All the better if they have glassware that has a logo on it to buy as well. So, not so much loyal to any specific craft beer or brewery brands, but more to supporting local small craft brewers wherever we might be passing through.

I get that some folks are obsessively brand loyal. Starbucks comes to mind all over the world and here in Canada, you can throw Tim Horton’s into the mix as well. I wouldn’t grace either with my presence as Starbucks is overpriced with a “fakeness vibe that is palatable” and Tim Horton’s just plain sucks. I’d take a locally owned and operated coffee bar any day of the week.

Realistically, there is nothing wrong with brand loyalty. Often in smaller communities, a variety of choices and options comes into the mix, where the only coffee/sandwich choice is one spot.

Businesses work hard(or at least most do) to gain and retain loyal customers. That makes perfect sense. A couple of things to remember though is, that reward points are never “free” and businesses are in the business to make a profit.

So, be loyal; stand in line and don’t forget to get an extra caramel shot on your “no-fat half-caf happa dappa lappa cappuccino.”

–as always with love–

— get outdoors; find inspiration; discover yourself —

Prompts – Good, Bad or Indifferent?

This isn’t a prompt or a response to a specific prompt, but more of a question or query that has been rolling around in my head, “Why have I apparently shifted to posting responses to the WordPress prompts?” As compared to creating posts not necessarily based on prompts.

So, in other words, this is just me on this dull, foggy and misty Saturday morning …thinking out loud. Sort of feel a bit sorry for you as you’re reading this.

From where I sit, prompts provide an easy(at least in my mind) don’t need to think of a topic approach. Just charge off and create a post. Prompts that interest me, those are relatively easy to get a handle on.

However, there are many I’ve found that I’m not necessarily overly interested in. And that is to be expected. Now, if I was still teaching and a student came up to me and bravely suggested something I assigned to them to write about wasn’t “interesting”, I would encourage them to work diligently at it(yes it may be challenging) and “create something excellent out of something not so excellent.”

In other words, we get better at writing/blogging by working hard to create a post on a topic we may not have any real interest or desire in. But, I don’t necessarily want to hear and especially hear it from myself.

So, what else is there in the “why tackle prompts convention?”

Well, there is the whole “we don’t really care about likes and views” society. But, come on honestly we do care! I certainly care! We do care about “likes and views” – often we don’t want to admit it. Now, not trying to stir up the proverbial pot here, but scores of us I’m sure spout off on a somewhat “holier than thou” stance of “I write to only please myself – I don’t care about views and likes.”

Now if you’re blogging purely to “get things off your chest” – a sort of “low-cost mental and emotional health” process, and honestly couldn’t give a hoot about “likes and views“- that’s wonderful – keep it up.

But, when we log on to WordPress and we see those stats summaries and realize folks like what I wrote yesterday – we do get that tiny shot of dopamine. It feels good. So, maybe in a tiny way(but don’t tell anyone), we do write to get those views and likes.

Tackling prompts does get us more views and likes. I can attest to it. The last two months(March and April) have been the highest two consecutive months for views and likes since the summer of 2020, which was during the middle of the pandemic. Back then everyone was searching for outdoor things to do and or to go to.

I think that views and likes go up given the fact that there is a sort of a homemade “built-in” group of folks all writing based on the same theme and so, many(including myself) go, “I wonder how others are tackling this prompt?” – result click somewhere and find out.

Where are we at here so far? (1) – prompts are an easy route to take and (2) “likes and views.” Is there anything else?

Well – how about that old “How many days in a row can I post adventure?” An oldie, but a goodie reason that pops up and continually reaches the start of the line, and again it certainly does for yours truly.

I can say with absolute honesty, that seeing the little notification, “Congratulations – you’ve posted XX days in a row” – fires me up and fires me up more than it likely should. And I suspect it does exactly the same for others out there in the blogosphere as well. Even if they don’t want to openly admit it. Okay, it will be our “little secret” then.

I likely need to reiterate at this point again – that what you’ve been reading is just me thinking out loud and putting those thoughts(good and bad) down on the virtual WordPress page here.

Are there those blogging on WordPress, who feel about prompts the way I’m poking away at the subject at the moment? Likely. Statistics would suggest that some would feel exactly the same. I can’t possibly be the only one in the WordPress universe who is feeling this way on a Saturday morning.

However, what I do think is that most bloggers I know who either follow and do prompts or host their own prompt(s) love to do it. It creates writing challenges to overcome and along the way, their writing improves and gets better, exciting, thoughtful and engaging. In fact and I’m not sure why, but many of the folks I follow and their posts that show up daily in my WordPress Reader – are responses to prompts. That does seem strange.

So, this morning I’m not going to crack out a post based on today’s WP prompt of, “List the people you admire and look to for advice…“

If I did post it would be my wife and my daughter and likely in that order.

–as always with love–

— get outdoors; find inspiration; discover yourself —

Voting

Daily writing prompt

Do you vote in political elections?

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The short answer to today’s prompt is yes.

I’m not well-versed in the types of governments or political parties that might be found across the face of the planet. In Canada, our parliamentary system is derived from the British or “Westminster” tradition.

Having given the exceedingly brief overview, I do think one of the few things a person in a parliamentary democracy should absolutely do is vote.

In Canada, we employ a “first past the post” style of voting in elections, which in its most simple terms means voters cast a vote for a single candidate, and the candidate with the most votes wins the election. The problem with this style is that a political party can form a government without the majority of Canadians who voted to support it. In the last election in 2019, the now-governing Liberal Party received 32.6% of the votes cast, yet won 155 seats in the House of Commons. The Conservative Party which formed the Official Opposition actually gained 33.7% of votes(so more people voted for them), but only won 119 seats.

There has been talk and even in the last election of having election reform in terms of proportional representation as the new style to determine representation in parliament. If one political party wins 35% of the votes, they would get 35% of the seats in the House of Commons. If another party won 30% of the votes, they would receive 30% of the seats in the House. And so on.

There are certainly issues with the current “first past the post” model and I’m sure there are with other models as well. But, casting a vote is the one thing we can do. The one thing we have a right to do.

I try to follow politics a bit. I do find the “gaslighting” and “political rhetoric” a bit much at times. I follow the line of thought, that if you don’t vote, then “stop bitching and complaining” about this and that political party or the current government in power.

If you don’t vote then you absolutely get the government you deserve. Just ask the people of Ontario.

–as always with love–

— get outdoors; find inspiration; discover yourself —

Direction

Daily writing prompt

What gives you direction in life?

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Often when I look at these WordPress prompts in the morning, I think to myself, “Why can’t it simply ask – what’s my favourite food?”

That’s where I am early this morning, in that I’m not even sure where or how to respond to the prompt. But nevertheless, here we go.

If I started to pursue many of the posts related to the prompt, I’m sure I’d find a significant number that alludes to the direction in their life that comes from a religious following. I’m okay with that if that is what gives your life direction.

Others may say, I do everything for my family or children. And I get that as well.

But what comes to my mind so early in the morning is that our lives are exceedingly complex, interwoven in a multitude of ways and multi-layered and a whole host of other factors both internal and external that affect us, how can we narrow it down to one thing that gives us direction?

And I’ll be the first to admit, this might just simply be – all me. It just seems far too easy to say – “This is what gives me direction.” But, perhaps it is that easy.

That one thing I know for sure is that I don’t know. Not surprisingly, a fair number of folks will attest to the fact that knowing me confirms the concept that “I don’t know.”

But, what I do know and follow, and perhaps that is “direction” is that we only have the moments that are in front of us. We can have and should have goals and aspirations for the future and plan accordingly, but we need to live in the moment. Be really alive and make the time right this very day the best it can be.

Life has taught me many things, and one thing that it taught me is we are herded onto a path starting our journey let’s say somewhere near the end of high school. The path a significant number start walking on is college/university – resulting career – start a family – work/earn – retire. That’s the direction they take.

How many get so laser-focused on the end goal – say retirement, that often we miss the tiny things that can literally change our life for the better. An analogy that I’ve used and it is also an effective method of hiking steep grades, is not to keep your sole focus to the top of the hill.

If you keep looking at the top of the hill, it seems like you are never getting any closer to it. It is better to cast your eyes about a metre in front of your feet, and simply take one step after another. First, you’ll see any roots or rocks that might cause to to stumble – avoid them. Seconding, you’re living in the moment of the step; then the moment of the next step and so on.

Casting your gaze continually to the end prize is living in the future. Sure the goal is the top of the hill – you know that. But, you need to live in the moment and take one step followed by another and navigate around the rocks and tree roots that might cause you to stumble and fall.

And be ready and open to taking a “fork in the road” should one appear. You miss the forks if you’re not looking and open to seeing them.

Just ask me.

We know where we want to go and end up. We do however need to live in the moment to get there.

–as always with love–

— get outdoors; find inspiration; discover yourself —

Quotes To Live By

Daily writing prompt

Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?

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Quotes to live by. Oh my!

My rush to answer this prompt takes me to “quotes to live by” which are a self-sustaining industry all their own. Not be cynical(but here we go) about the whole “quotes to live by” field is that there tend to be a decent number of folks who make a pretty decent living or in fact a gross wealthy living, peddling their own “quotes to live by” experience.

Sorry, I often find many in the “here is my quote – and you can live by it” for the small paltry sum of $$ for my course or workshop, or my “exclusive inner circle club” for a minuscule $ per month …….. well sickening or snake oil sales folk at best.

But, that’s me. I’m sure there are those in the “quotes to live by” field who are well-intentioned and devoted to helping others. However, most leave me with the feeling that I need to go have a shower. That is after checking to see where my wallet is at. So, it is pretty obvious that I don’t really follow many “quotes to live by” path of life.

Now, having said all of this, I do live by or at least follow as much as I can the quote or concept of “living in the moment.”

In this cycle we call life, I’m much closer to the end than to the beginning. All of which is okay. But, one thing that I have learned throughout all these years(and I was never the best student) is that “now – this moment” is all we have.

Given that “now” is it – we’d better revel in this moment right now and live it to its fullest extent possible.

Putting off “until the time is right” or until I have “all my ducks in a row” – is a fallacy in my opinion. When is the right time? And getting ducks in a row is akin to nailing jello to the wall. I get that people plan for their futures and security for their families and all that great stuff and all of that is good.

But, another truism is “here today and gone tomorrow.” All of that can be gone in a minute; family can be gone in a minute.

If we’re continually living in the past or having this out-of-body fantasy dream of trying to live in the future or what the future will be, we are going to miss “living in the moment – the now.” Seeing as the moment – the right now is all we truly have – “living in the moment” is the only “quote to live by” that makes sense.

Don’t piss away the moment for something in the past you can never recover or for something in the future that doesn’t exist.

–as always with love–

— get outdoors; find inspiration; discover yourself —