Fearful Symmetry: W Rules My Day

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction, writing, Writing201

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Fearful Symmetry.”

Wake up.

Wash.

Walk to train station.

Wait for train.

Walk to

Work, Work, Work.

Wait for coffee to kick in.

Worry over stats not matching up –

Wipe sweat from furrowed brow,

Whisper obscenities to myself.

Wanting lunch soon, I’m hungry.

Whistle as I go to grab a sanwich.

Waltz back to my desk at 2pm.

Warp speed occurs as the rest of the day flies by.

Whizz back home and write on WordPress.

Wayne’s off to bed!

The Weather Forecast: Talking And Listening Can Play A Part In Fighting Depression And Mental Illness

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When you go through a load of bad stuff that seems to stretch on indefinitely, it’s hard to see the sunshine. Dark grey clouds linger on through the day and night as the heavy mood refuses to lift. Even the Umbrella of Happiness does little good against the bullets of rain.

If you’ve got somebody to listen to you, it does help.

Times will change, the sun will shine again.

Depression and mental illness are different, but talking and listening can help keep the storms at bay too.

It’s a well documented fact that mental health conditions are a taboo, off-limits subject to a lot of people. Yet, it is something that needs to be addressed and it is something that the public do need to be made continuously aware of. If sufferers of Depression and other mental health conditions feel that they can talk more openly about their issues, maybe it can help lift the burden that they carry – even just a little.

Talking and listening go hand in hand.

The spectrum of mental illness is so broad – like that of Learning Disabilities – but getting to know somebody on their level can help overcome so many barriers. Thankfully, we are part of a generation that is more accepting and, I think, more willing to take the time to understand. However, there are still those who don’t respect others who fit into the “norm”; or maybe people are scared by what they don’t understand.

I’m not trying to gloss over mental illness by saying talking and listening is the ultimate cure. It just helps, especially when people are valued as individuals. There will be days when a person with a mental illness is not able to respond – that’s a sad part of certain conditions – but we can’t give up: just a five minute chat can lift the clouds even for a brief time; it could even be the start of the sun shining more.

The Full Moon: Doppelgänger

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction, writing, Writing201

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “The Full Moon.”

A darkened version of myself: free from constraint, free from ego and with an insatiable appetite for bread.

I’d wear a hat, one with a big brim to block out the sun. I’d masquerade as a kind and modest beggar observing passers-by for the secret life I am conjuring up for each and every one of them. Lives that would involve the mass consumption of bread.

Yes, I will build a bread-er world.

Feel the love, people, feel the love

Getting Back Into The Game

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction, writing, Writing201

Since my unexpected hiatus from WordPress and all things written word in the last month, I’m glad I’m back on board. My efforts have been in short bursts during this last week. My usual ability to push myself for a couple of hours to write after work hasn’t returned yet, but I’m getting there.

There have been times, though, in this last week when I’ve questioned why I can’t write like I was five or six weeks ago. Not only has it been about committing myself to write, it’s also about finding the space and time to create ideas. The stories I could be editing seem like bigger projects that are just beyond me right now. The sleeves-rolled-up mentality that I had is in serious need of rebuilding.

So, at the weekend, I took inspiration from an unlikely source: I was watching a soccer match and there was a lot of talk about one player who was returning to his team after a layout through injury. The commentators mentioned how he had been through an individualised training programme, then played a game or two with the juniors in the lead up to his return. After the game, his manager said that they were slowly building him up to full fitness, and it would be a few weeks before he played a full game of soccer.

This got me thinking about my situation. If small, steady increases work for soccer players returning from injury, then it could work well for me. Part of my “rehabilitation” has been to do the Daily Prompt here on WordPress: I’m starting to feel that creative spark again and I’m enjoying connecting with other writers. It’s also helped me get back into the swing to create my own posts like this. When I look up at the clock I  see that between writing my Daily Prompt post and this one, an hour has gone by without me even thinking about it! This all makes my mind feel less heavy than when I was at work today.

Slow and steady is definitely working. I’m going to stick with my current regime for another week or so, then look at getting back into editing stories and returning this website to it’s original format….bit by bit.

I’m excited by the fact that I’ll be putting up another story soon. The flow is returning; I just can’t rush it.

Cheers soccer, my old friend

Daily Prompt: Menagerie

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction, writing, Writing201

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Menagerie.”

Currently, I have no pets. My cat, Paddy Purr, was the last in line of a dynasty that produced some interesting characters:

Charlie was a rogue cat, who didn’t stick around long, but was very affectionate.

Kizzie was a cantankerous loner, who surprised us with those little moments of love.

Roland was a mellow silver tabby. The size of his tummy was only exceeded by the size of his heart.

Nala was a wild little thing with a crooked nose. She also had a penchant for orange juice.

And Paddy: another remorseless eating machine. His purr was like an aeroplane taking off.

Miss them all, love them all. I know there still here diving in and out of cupboards, mewing for food and purring their heads off.

I’ll write about Herbie, my dough-eyed canine another time. Suffice to say, I know he’s driving round Heaven right now in his little van, mending any leaks as he goes. For he is the doggy plumber of heaven!

Daily Post: Ring of Fire – Verbal and Mental Diarrhoea

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In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Ring of Fire.”

Where do I get started with this?

My mouth could be considered a Ring of Fire: with the amount of nonsense I talk, people have told me on occasion that I suffer with verbal diarrhoea! The things is, with the volume of  jibber-jabber swirling around my brain, I need to vocalise it; otherwise, my grey matter would probably have exploded a long time ago.

So, when people tell me I speak an awful amount of crap, I tend to tell them that what I say out loud is only the tip of the iceberg – and that they should try coping with a mind that is basically an endless conveyor belt of nonsensical thought. Twenty-four-seven.

My brain is a Ring of Fire too, then.

Take night times, for instance. I don’t sleep well most nights, but in my waking hours I’m not plagued by anxieties about real life (most of the time). Oh no, I’m weighed down by thoughts like what it would be like to live next door to Harry Connick Jr or what the world would be like without cheese.

Anybody else may welcome a brain like this – and I know I’m lucky in lots of ways – but the fact is it all leaves me completely knackered. You see, my mind is as inquiring as it is random. So, if I’m thinking about what it is like to live next to Harry Connick Jr, then I’m going to play this one out: I hope Harry doesn’t have objections to the gazebo I’m thinking of putting up in the back garden; Harry’s invited me and my family over for a barbecue; I’m looking after Harry’s pet budgie, Daphne, whilst he goes on a tour of Australasia.

Maybe I try to do this to tire myself out to go back to sleep. It has the opposite effect, though, as I actually enjoy all the scenarios that play out. The problem is that I’m still thinking about it all as the dawn light begins to creep thru my curtains.

And so begins another day at work where my mind is overrun by a lack of sleep, a heavy workload and Harry Connick Jr.

Top 5 things I’ve not thought about in a long time

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction, writing, Writing201

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “The Satisfaction of a List.”

1) Puncture Repair Kits

2) Charcoal

3) Buying Melody Maker music magazine

4) My brief fascination with Dr Zoidberg from Futurama circa 2008

5) The pet brick I had when I was about 12 or 13. It’s name was Plock.

Good to be back

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blogging101, Blogging201, creative writing, fiction, writing, Writing201

Hi All,

I’ve been absent from WordPress for about a month.

I had to take some time out for a few reasons, but things are back on course now.

I just had to put a lot of things on hold, including the things I enjoy.

I’ve missed WordPress a lot. I’ll be posting and commenting on other’s posts as normal now.

So, I’m really sorry if it seems that I disappeared or wasn’t commenting on other’s works – I wasn’t being rude. I’ve really missed this as part of my daily routine.

Hope you’re all keeping well and I look forward to catching up with you all.

Peace and love,

Wayne xx