Daily Prompt; Far

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? How close or far are you from that vision?

 

It makes me laugh even now; airline stewardess. I don’t know how I got the idea because I didn’t fly in a plane until I was older so it must have been from airline commercials on TV that showed the attractive, white-gloved airline stewardesses. Men loved them for some reason and they got paid to travel around the world!

When the book “Coffee, Tea or Me” came out  (my mom hid it in her sewing stuff)  it exposed the sexual lives of airline stewardesses: that made me want to be one even more!

But not for long; the next year I discovered drugs. I wore striped bell bottoms that were so long they frayed at the bottom. I had to wear a skirt to school because girls were not allowed to wear pants and I’m pretty sure that pant suits were not yet in style for stewardesses, either. Even if they were, pant suits were too ‘straight’ for me. Airline stewardesses were too ‘straight’ for me. Just about everything was too ‘straight’ for me. (In those days that referred to drugs, not homosexuality)

A few years later I witnessed the reality of being a stewardess. It was on a Grey Cup flight from Toronto to Winnipeg. (For all you non-Canadians, The Grey Cup is our Superbowl).  The plane was full of drunks harassing the stewardesses; this would no longer be tolerated but in those days it was just ‘guys being guys’. It was unbelievable. I clearly remember the harried look on one stewardess’ face with wisps of hair coming out her skewed cap.

I knew that day, for sure, I would never apply for a job as an airline stewardess.

 

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/futures-past/

Daily Prompt; memory pop-ups

As you get older some memories can turn from bad to good.

I recently had a memory moment with my sister. She is four years older than me and did things that most older siblings do to their juniors.  I used to cry and she would get in trouble but ‘kids are kids’ and she had a great imagination. She just couldn’t resist my gullibility in matters such as my being adopted, her clairvoyance or her ability to speak ‘Indian’.

Recently we took “the girls”, (my grandnieces, her grand daughters) to see Rio. There is a scene where some kids are playing (except they are Macaws, birds). An older one has a smaller ones wings and is making him slap himself over and over while saying, “Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself!”

My sister and I looked at each other and laughed!……. She did and said that! I clearly remembered her holding my wrists and making me slap my face over and over, ‘don’t hit yourself!’ or ‘why are you hitting yourself?’

Fortunately, I wasn’t that weak and put up a good fight. It was a real struggle for her to get in a hit after the first one but we would wrestle until I started to cry and she got in trouble.

As we got older she became ashamed of the ‘abuse’ she felt she’d given me, although I realized it was just kid’s stuff.

But now that memory along with the memory of that moment in the theatre, of us remembering, makes me laugh! I’ve been using it at work to cheer myself up.

Thanks for the memories, Jen, Cowabunga!

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/memory-menu/

Game of Groans; Kim’s Bum

Think about an object, an activity, or a cultural phenomenon you really don’t like. Now write a post (tongue in cheek or not — your call!) about why it’s the best thing ever.

 

When I’m on my job in the bakery of a grocery store, being treated like a bad slave that can’t work hard enough, I can’t wait to get up to the lunch room for my 15 minute break so I can look at US magazine and see what the celebrities are doing on their days off. (Some generous person buys these gossip rags and leaves them in the lunchroom; I can’t afford magazines.) In every issue is a photo of Kim Kardashian’s butt.

She is so talented. That video of her and Kanye really showed the depth of her soul. And her voice, so soothing, like music to the ears.

 

And I just love to see her selfies that she tweets. I don’t have Twitter so I wouldn’t want to miss them. She’s just lovely, and so humble!

Take that, Nicki Menaj! Your bum is so yesterday.

 

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/game-of-groans/

Daily Prompt; pick your gadget

Your local electronics store has just started selling time machines, anywhere doors, and invisibility helmets. You can only afford one. Which of these do you buy, and why?

Easy, I’ve daydreamed of it many times; being invisible would be fun and informative.  I’m halfway there; being a sixty year old woman makes one fairly invisible in stores and around strangers but my co-workers can still see me. I’d like to drop in there and hear what they have to say about me.

When I employed someone at the farmers’ market: ‘What where they like when I wasn’t there?’, I wondered.

Or walk around my neighbours parties. Again, I’m halfway there but painfully aware that they can still see me.

Time machine; not so much. I’m up with progress and gadgets and equality. There’s no past that would be any better and certainly not easier.

Anywhere doors?  I’ve travelled; I like it here. I wouldn’t use it often enough.

I would like a cloak, though. Much more mysterious than a helmet.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/pick-your-gadget/

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Prompt; unapologetic; I love TV!

Oh yeah, I’m ready for this one; I watch a lot of TV!  I love TV and I am totally unapologetic about it!  So there, all you book snobs that think my brain is turning to mush; I watch smart stuff, too!

For one thing; I live alone. My TV habits grew tenfold when I started to live alone.  Living with my husband, TV was a luxury only for night time. We got 5 stations, 3 came in somewhat clearly. The mention of satellite dish would drive him to anger. When I ended up being forced from my home and into my sister’s guest room, I discovered Oprah and Ellen. TV in the daytime! I felt decadent and lazy at first, but I watched it just because I could.

I have always been an old movie buff so having Turner Classic Movies is awesome! https://monicleblog.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/sorry-books-i-love-tcm/

And yes, I pay for HBO.  Game of Thrones, Flight of the Concords, True Detective;  you have to pay for good stuff and I’m willing to work for it. And I want to get my money’s worth so I watch it a lot!

For my sixtieth birthday my family chipped in a bought me a 42″ HD TV. My ex-husband really surprised me with a new receiver and our big, old speakers from the 80’s.  So I have movie quality TV! I’m even ready for and X-box which I want and covet so much but can’t afford.

https://monicleblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/daily-prompt-d…-love-an-x-box/

The other night while eating my dinner I came across Mountain Monsters; a show about a group of men who track down mythical creatures around America. They were a bunch of overweight hunters tracking down the ‘Grassman Of Ohio’; a creature similar to Bigfoot but grassy, wet and smelling of sulphur who lives in the backwoods of Ohio. They were out at night chasing him down when the biggest (fattest, sorry to even say it, but I want you to get the picture) slipped in a creek and got soaking wet. He tried to pull himself together with, “I’m gonna git that sombitch Grassman!”  Now that’s entertainment!

People like to say “oh I don’t watch very much TV”. It’s like when they find out I’m vegetarian and say “oh I only eat a little bit of meat”. Well, I’m not ashamed, I watch a lot of TV and I love it!

 

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/no-apologies/

Finding Purpose in your Life

Today there is an article in the Huffington Post50 section on aging. It says that one of things that can make you live longer is having a purpose in life. It lists reasons why having a purpose in life can increase the length of, and the satisfaction with, your life.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/13/key-to-long-life_n_5315974.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063

I’m sure that’s true. But what if that purpose is not so  obvious? For instance, anyone with children has a built-in purpose of life (although not everyone with children feel that way). Empty nesters find a gap to be filled when they are no longer needed in that capacity. They need to start looking after themselves and find another way of ‘being there’ for their kids. They have to re-direct their purpose but it still revolves around their children.

People who are deeply religious are a little more clear about having a purpose although than varies from religion to religion and into the firmly anti-religion. We are supposed to be very good and try to get into heaven forever. Or we re-incarnate and try to make our next life better.  There are dogmatic atheists who find purpose in airing their beliefs, trying to free others from their dogmatic beliefs.

Isn’t “What is the Purpose of Life?” the Big Question?  One could argue there is no purpose of life! It’s just a crazy chaotic thing the universe came up with and we are trying to put meaning into it. Like saying hurricanes and floods are punishments. The universe just came up with this creature that can try to question how he/she got here and then try to put some meaning in it. (I don’t agree but one could say that if one wanted to and lots do)

So make sure you have a purpose for your life and you can live longer. Well, obviously. Those without a purpose don’t really want to live longer. But, as I’ve said before, maybe your purpose just isn’t obvious. Maybe your purpose is just to be here and be YOU. Maybe it’s just being aware of the others around us we come in contact with everyday. Maybe it’s just witnessing the terrible beauty of life on this planet; feeling wonder and compassion. Valuing ourselves and the chance at Life itself; just living the day to day crap and being grateful that we can.

I can’t say I have a great purpose in life. In my darkest moments I wonder why the hell I’m here. But not for long. I do feel I have a purpose here and that is just to be me and be here. To do my best with what I’ve been given.

We don’t have to state a purpose like it was our mission statement for life. We just have to know that our purpose and reason to be here is just as valid as anyone else’s, no matter how humble it may seem. Just to live in the moment the best we can and value what we do have is purpose enough.

 

 

Worst Case Scenario

Of all the awful possibilities, what’s the worst possible thing that could happen to you today?

The first thing I thought of was that I would be fired. At this age, I couldn’t get a better job than cake decorating.

But then I quickly thought; that’s not even close to the worst thing that could happen today.

What if a giant Godzilla crashed through the woods and crushed me and my home with one giant step? No worse; if I wasn’t in my home. If I’d just walked home from my car breaking down, after being fired, and found my house in splinters. Meanwhile, Godzilla is crushing my car.

What if my ex-husband was murdered and I was the considered the best suspect? My only alibi was that I was home alone watching TV for 12 hours. Plenty of time to drive there, kill him, and drive back for more TV. I’m tried and convicted and spend the rest of my life in jail.

What if a gang breaks into my house, rapes and savagely beats me and leaves me for dead? I crawl to my phone but they’ve cut the lines. I crawl to my cell phone and the battery is dead. I crawl out to my neighbours and nobodies home. I crawl to the road and get run over.

What if I had a stoke and couldn’t move? What if I couldn’t look after myself anymore?…… yep, I think that’s the worst.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/worst-case-scenario/