Whiplash! – “M” mm. How is it he is never lacking for ideas?

Posted on April 15, 2019 by hdh

Whiplash: An injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward; And in the case of writing or speaking, can be caused by a rapid change of topic without prior notice.

Whiplash! – “M” mm. How is it he is never lacking for ideas?

 

I love mysteries. When someone is looking for something and asks me for help, I love to be on the chase. I like reading mysteries also. Mysteries are probably one of my top favorite genres after, science fiction and fantasy. Give me a good mystery to read or watch and you will lose me for a while.

Math problem solving was always fun for me too. I loved logic problems. Those were all mysteries for me to solve. My favorite technique for solving mysteries was to look for patterns. There are times when I see patterns that no one else sees. That means I get the correct answer a unique way or I get an incorrect answer with some creative logic to back it up. Either way, I love to solve mysteries.

When was young I made up these pretend IDs with my friends as members of a detective agency based on the TV program, “77 Sunset Strip”. When my son was young we would pretend to be famous detectives of an imaginary agency. He was Inspector Shaunk and I was his assistant Hinches. You can never be too old to love a good mystery.

Whiplash!

You should strive hard to never make a mistake! Whoever thought or said that made a big mistake. Albert Einstein is attributed to saying, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”  For that matter, anyone who has never made a mistake hasn’t learned anything new. Making mistakes is a fact of life. What we do with those mistakes determines what we learn or don’t learn (if we make the same mistakes over and over again.)

Most of the knowledge that I have about technology and computers comes from me being willing to make mistakes. By being willing, I am taking risks and accepting the fact that even if I lose all my data, I have learned what not to do in the future. Note that I also back everything up multiple times and to multiple places as a sort of insurance against me making a mistake. How did I learn that? During my first year of computer use, I was doing report cards on an Apple //e using the program Apple Writer. The program was on an unprotected 5-¼ inch floppy disk. You put the program in the drive, loaded the program then switched out the Apple disk and put in a blank 5-¼ inch floppy data disk which needed to be formatted (erased) so you could store the report cards that you were working on. That doesn’t work very well if you forget to swap the disks and end up erasing the Apple Writer program disk, which is still in the drive.

Whiplash!

Memory…What a wonderful thing to have. If I could only remember what I was going to write about it.

Whiplash!

So what mysteries have you had to solve lately? If you could be any famous detective either real or fictional, who would you choose? What is the most important thing you ever learned from a mistake? If you happen to remember what I was going to write about for memory, feel free to let me know in the comments, as old age keeps creeping up on me!

We’ll meet, don’t know where, oh yes “N”

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Whiplash! – “L” if I know what he’s going to write about next!

Posted on April 13, 2019 by hdh

 

Whiplash: An injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward; And in the case of writing or speaking, can be caused by a rapid change of topic without prior notice.Whiplash! – “L” if I know what he’s going to write about next!

Ha. Ha. Very funny. Go ahead laugh. You don’t need a reason, just laugh. Science says it is good for you. Forget the adage that it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown. That has never been proven. However, I can attest to the fact that when I laugh no matter howI’m feeling, beforehand, I usually feel better afterward.

I do need to be clear on this. When you laugh, you may feel better, but depending on the conditions that have brought on that laughter, the other people around may not feel the same joy. If you see someone trip and fall into a vat of jello or hear a person fart in your class, your urge to laugh will be strong, but think about how the other person might feel. Over time in relating that story, it may be more acceptable to share and laugh, but you really need to think about it before doing so. Laughter may be a given impulse that provides you with some health benefits, but so does self-control and empathy.

Whiplash!

Learning languages other than your own, may be a good thing for stimulating your brain and help you communicate with many different speaking people, but don’t let it fool you; unless you’re learning a new language at a very young age, it ain’t a piece of cake. Take it from me.

My parents were both born and raised in Germany. When they came over to America they had to become proficient in English. My father also had a background in French, having lived there 5 years before he came to America. By the time I was born, both my parents were fluent in English. To my detriment, they never taught me how to speak German or French. Even when I took French in Junior High School and High School, my father rarely helped me at all. French was the only class that I ever had a failing grade in. I decided to learn a different language on my own when I was in my 30s. The first language I tried was American Sign Language (ASL). I took 2 years of undergraduate college courses. I learned a bit but was never proficient in it. I even used some of what I learned in my teaching, but very basic stuff. When I was 63 years old and discovered that I had a brother in France, I decided to re-learn French, which I have been doing using online training for the past 5+ years. Recently I’ve added German as a language I’m working on, using the same online courses. Those foreign languages have too many gender-specific words to learn and their grammar rules are definitely “foreign” to me. Needless to say, I continue not to be proficient and yet I plod on.

Whiplash!

 

Listening is a very important skill to have. Too many of the people in this world learn how to hear, but are never taught how to listen. To hear something involves taking in sounds that are produced, whether from person to person, or nature, or some noise producing device and realizing that they are sounds. In some cases, those sounds need to be interpreted. I hear water splatter on my roof and know it’s raining. I’m in a group and hear voices and know there is communication going on. I am watching TV and hear someone talking near me and realize that they might be talking to me. But in a lot of cases, it just involves taking in the sound.

Listening, however, means much more. If I hear talking that is directed at me, I can do more than just spout back the words that have been spoken (that’s an advanced form of hearing) but I can interpret what the words mean and can react and respond to those words, acknowledging their content. Generally, listening involves eye contact with the person that is communicating, whether it be in person or via electronic media. Listening leads to conversation, a deeper understanding, and learning. Good listening skills can encourage compassion, empathy, and love. If the people in our government would only learn to listen as opposed to only hear, we might be better off as a civilization.

 

Whiplash!

 

What makes you laugh? Have you ever had to control your laughter because it wasn’t appropriate? What languages do you know? When did you learn them? Are you listening to any of this?

 

À bientôt/Bis bald…“M” mm. How is it he is never lacking for ideas?

Posted in A to Z Blog Challenge 2019, Personal Stories, Writing | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Whiplash! – “K” I’m finally getting used to this…not another change!

Posted on April 12, 2019 by hdh

Whiplash: An injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward; And in the case of writing or speaking, can be caused by a rapid change of topic without prior notice.

Whiplash! – “K” I’m getting used to this…not another change!

There was a book of Swedish folktales that I wanted to purchase that was translated by a fellow storyteller, Richard Martin, who lived in Germany. I followed the link on his website which directed me to the Swedish website that was selling the book. I clicked on purchase the book and it said as soon as I paid the invoice (400 Swedish Krona) that I would have the book sent to me. I entered my name and address in the U.S. and awaited a place where I could click on to pay for the book. I assumed that there would be some link which would allow me to put in a credit card or use PayPal. Neither happened. I did get a confirmation email that I had ordered the book.  A little over a week later the book was delivered by mail to my house. Included in the package was the invoice for 400 Swedish Krona. I was confused, so I emailed the publisher and was told that I had to pay in Swedish Krona, as the Swedish banks no longer take checks and there was no credit card or PayPal possibility.

I could have sent 400 SK through the mail to the publisher, which is what he suggested, but I was a little skeptical of sending cash through the mail and finding a way to get Swedish Krona was not a simple task. I finally asked help from the storyteller in Germany. He agreed to pay my bill through an interbank transfer, which could be done from Germany and I reimbursed him through PayPal.

 

Whiplash!

 

Most of my entire life was spent teaching children that were in 4th – 6th grade (9-11 year olds). When I retired from teaching and began substitute teaching, I was careful to only sub for classes within that grade span. Then my district reconfigured their schools so that the school I was most likely to sub in was 3rd grade – 5th grade. With some trepidation, I added 3rd graders to my list of acceptable assignments. Occasionally I would accept assignments at the other school (Kindergarten – 2nd grade) knowing that I would be put in a 2nd grade class. Then came the day when I was working half-day at one school and was told that they needed me for the afternoon at the other school. When I got there, they

told me I had been assigned to a kindergarten class! I had never in my 40 + years of teaching worked with kindergartners. Luckily my first period with these students was lunch, so I immediately went home, which was a 3-minute drive away, and retrieved my guitar. Being a storyteller/musician made the rest of the day somewhat bearable. I loved the kindergarteners that said I was the first boy teacher they had ever had. I did what the teacher had planned, tied some shoelaces, helped some kids with their jackets, sang and told stories and when it was all over I went home exhausted. I give a lot of credit to kindergarten teachers, it takes a lot of energy to keep up with them on a daily basis.

For me, I’ll stick to the older kids.

 

Whiplash!

The dishes pile up in the sink in our kitchen

My wife starts to wash them and I ask to pitch in.

There’s more than enough of the water and soap

As we wash and wash, the end’s near so we hope.

But the water is dirty and they’re not quite as clean

There are smudges and marks that still can be seen

So we have to start over and wash once again

And there’s water all over the floor, what a pain

When we think that we’re done; kitchen’s floor nice and dry

What appears is a new pile, once again there’s a sigh

Maybe next time we’ll eat less, then again if we’re able

We’ll just scrap all the dishes and eat right off the table.

 

Whiplash!

 

Did you ever have to pay for something in a currency not your own? How did that work out? If you’re a teacher, what grade are you most fearful of ever teaching? How high do the dishes pile in your kitchen?

See you next time…“L” if I know what to write about next!

Posted in A to Z Blog Challenge 2019, Personal Stories, Writing | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Whiplash! – “J”walking is a ticketable offense while reading this blog

Posted on April 11, 2019 by hdh

Whiplash: An injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward; And in the case of writing or speaking, can be caused by a rapid change of topic without prior notice.

 

Whiplash! – “J”walking is a ticketable offense while reading this blog

Did you ever think about the criminal law amendment that guarantees you the right to be judged by a jury of your peers? That is a general statement when it comes to how you pick a jury. You get summoned every 5 or 6 years and you as an ordinary citizen get to go to court and wait until you are summoned for a case. Then the judge tells you about the case and the lawyers question you and if they feel you would be unbiased (meaning that you’ll favor their client) you get selected. Sitting in on a case can be interesting. But picture now if the law was taken literally.

If there was a woman on trial, shouldn’t a jury of her peers be all women? How about if you were a thief or a murderer? Shouldn’t a jury of your peers be 12 thieves or murderers? Get where I’m going? Suppose you are a 90-year-old crotchety old man or woman, who’s hard of hearing. I’d love to see the trial in which the jury of their peers were all old, crotchety and hard of hearing.  It would certainly make the jury selection and subsequent trial much more interesting to follow and see it played out.

Whiplash!

I started keeping journals when I was a student teacher. My supervisory professor asked that I do it. When I graduated and began teaching (after 6 months of being a stock boy at J. C. Penneys) I decided that I would keep up the practice of keeping a journal about teaching. The first year it included not only information about how I dealt with kids but also gripes about my working conditions and the people I worked with. My second year, in a new school district, I vowed only to focus on my teaching and the kids. I would start each year’s journal the night before school started with goals, fears, and expectations. I would write when I could and then at the end of the year, I would re-read my entire journal and write final thoughts of the year and thoughts about the upcoming year. This continued for the 33 years that I taught. I wrote about my journals in my first A to Z Blog Challenge in 2016: http://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=511

I encourage all teachers to keep journals. For me, it’s fascinating to return to those journals at times and read how idealistic I was as a young teacher; or how inventive I was, and for whatever reason, stopped doing things that worked.

It’s also interesting to hear from ex-students when I see them or friend them on Facebook to hear their perceptions of me. When I go back to my journals, their opinion doesn’t always match.

Whiplash!

Junk Food…Got a problem with it? I’m all for healthy stuff, but I’m not willing to give up all those things that are considered junk food. Remember: One person’s junk food is just another person’s snack! ‘Nuff said.

 Whiplash!

So if you had to go on trial and got to pick a jury of your peers, who would be in that group? Do you keep a journal? If so, what do you use it for? Would you be willing to give up all junk food so you can live longer, or would you rather die happy?

 

See you in a bit –  O“K” I’m finally getting used to this…not another change!

 

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Whiplash! – “I” can’t keep up with all these changes.

Posted on April 10, 2019 by hdh

Whiplash: An injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward; And in the case of writing or speaking, can be caused by a rapid change of topic without prior notice.

Whiplash! – “I” can’t keep up with all these changes.

I get my ideas for writing from a number of sources.  While I was teaching my writing was focused on my teaching. Those journals covered the 33 years that I taught. I wrote when I felt like it based on what was going on in my class and district. After I retired, I wrote on all different topics, depending on the mood I was in and what popped into my head. Pretty much all of those writings can be found on this blog. I go to a writer’s group once a month; in those meetings, our leader gives us a prompt with a number of choices to pick from. For those writing pieces I have 15 – 20 minutes to write; they’re also found on this blog. For the A to Z Challenge the past four years, I’ve been brainstorming with others (family, friends, colleagues, and students) to both come up with ideas for the theme and what to write about for each letter.

My goal continues to be to try and write every day. I continue to collect prompts and ideas from various writers’ groups and from a daily calendar that my son gifted me. I started out strong on my goal to write daily, but have not been as consistent as I want to be. April is always a good time to get me writing a lot again. There’s this A to Z thing.

Whiplash!

A person in my writing group once wrote about the Klondike diet that she was on. For those of you that don’t know what a Klondike bar is, it is a chocolate covered, rectangular bar of ice cream. My favorites are Mint Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, and Double Chocolate. The focus of this diet is that you keep eating ice cream, specifically Klondike bars each night and you lose weight. Surprisingly as it seems, having ice cream before 9:00 at night, mostly Klondike bars, seems to work for me. My wife’s theory is that when you have a fatty snack before bedtime your body uses up a lot of metabolism in trying to digest it while you sleep, increasing the possibility of weight loss. Whatever the reason, when I weigh myself in the morning after having an evening bar, I am usually at the same weight as the day before, or I’ve lost weight. I guess I would need some control subjects to see if this is scientifically accurate. But as long as I can eat my Klondike bars and maintain weight, I don’t care.

Whiplash!

Where does your imagination come from? Are you born with it? Do you have any control over it? I’ve heard it said about some people, that they have no imagination. Is it possible to not have any? What triggers your imagination? Do your dreams come from your imagination? Are there particular parts of your brain that control imagination? If so, are there ways to stimulate your imagination or mute it?  I imagine some of you have some thoughts on this subject. Care to share?

Whiplash!

So where do you get your ideas to write from? Do you write at all? Are you willing to join the Klondike bar diet? And, Is imagination real or just a figment of our imagination?

Till we meet again…Whiplash! – “J”walking is a ticketable offense while reading this blog

 

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Whiplash! – “H”choo! Are you getting allergic to my writing?

Posted on April 9, 2019 by hdh

Whiplash: An injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward; And in the case of writing or speaking, can be caused by a rapid change of topic without prior notice.

Whiplash! – “H”choo! Are you getting allergic to my writing?

 

A robber concerned he’d be sick up

Partook with a friend in a stickup

In that, he did fail

And was sent off to jail

All because he could not stop a hiccup.

 

Whiplash!

 

There once was a poor boy named Sonny

Who talked with his mouth full of honey.

He tried telling a joke

Spit it out on his cloak.

Now honey on Sonny is funny.

 

Whiplash!

 

The writer was losing his hair

As he tried to create with a flair

He slowly went bald

As his writing had stalled

Since the thoughts that he had weren’t there.

 

Whiplash!

 

There are times when ideas just don’t happen, and you have to resort to limericks. What do you do when you are out of ideas to write about?

 

Till next time… “I” hope he does better next time!

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Whiplash! – “G” whiz, stick to the topic!

Posted on April 8, 2019 by hdh

Whiplash: An injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward; And in the case of writing or speaking, can be caused by a rapid change of topic without prior notice.

Whiplash! – “G” whiz, stick to the topic!

I’m a storyteller and I always look for stories that I can tell. One of the best sources of tales to tell, come from the Brothers Grimm. They collected a number of stories in Germany in the early to mid-1800s. When I ask kids today about the Brothers Grimm, a lot say that they have never heard of them. Yet when I mention stories such as Rapunzel, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, and Sleeping Beauty, they all know the stories. What most people don’t know is not only did the Brothers Grimm collect stories, but they also collected German legends. I own a two-volume set of The German Legends of the Brothers Grimm. I’ve even used one of those legends to craft a story that I’ve performed, “The Castle of the Faithful Women”. Surprisingly, my copy of Volume II is missing 33 pages. The book is fully bound and doesn’t have any gaps in the binding, however, when I just checked on the book to see how many legends are listed in it for this blog entry, it was missing pages 216-249; so not all of the legends are in the book. I’d love to know what’s in them. Anyone with any information on Legends 580-595 please let me know. Those legends could be the basis of a story that changes the world as we know it.

Whiplash!

Have you heard the saying that one person’s garbage is another person’s treasure? What about one person’s garbage is another person’s garbage also? How many people reading this have gone to a flea market or yard/garage sale and purchased some old used item, and discover, one year later that it appears on your table to be sold at your own yard sale? Sometimes, said item was never even used by you. I’d love to be able to put a tracer on some things that are sold at rummage sales and follow the travel history of that item. Sort of like a junk version of Flat Stanley (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Stanley) Oh, the Places you’ll go!

Whiplash!

I used to do great on English Grammar tests. I used to call them sterilized English. All I had to do was figure out the corrections on a series of sentences that fit the concept that I was taught in class. As to using those same thought processes in correcting my own writing, it was not going to happen. I either never made the connection or I didn’t have the suggested corrections to make that I always had on those sterilized sheets.
I haven’t changed much now as I am studying other languages like German and French. Especially since these languages have so many more grammar pieces to it. What are the accusative, dative and nominative cases anyway? I don’t remember learning any of that in my sterilized English classes in high school. But give me a sentence to translate and a list of words to choose from, I’ve been pretty good at figuring the correct way to write them.

Whiplash!

And you? Read any good Brother Grimms tales lately? What’s your favorite? What do you buy at yard sales? Have ever resold the things you bought? Did you make a profit? And can anyone explain to me in English when you use the accusative, dative or nominative case?

Till next time … “H” choo. I hope you’re not allergic to any of this writing.

 

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Whiplash! – “F” it’s not one thing, it’s another.

Posted on April 6, 2019 by hdh

Whiplash: An injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward; And in the case of writing or speaking, can be caused by a rapid change of topic without prior notice.

Whiplash! – “F” it’s not one thing, it’s another.

As we age we tend to forget things once in a while. Well, maybe not just once in a while; maybe a little more often…Now, what was about to talk about? Oh right, “forgetting”. It’s a common phenomenon; you’re walking into a room to get something and you get there and ask yourself, “Why was I coming into this room?” Or, you are about to tell someone something and they talk first, either asking you a question or they just tell you something, like your shoelaces are untied, and there goes whatever you wanted to tell them, ”I was just going to tell you something, but now I can’t remember what it is.” It’s that easy. I would be surprised if there was anyone reading this blog right now, that has not experienced it. You just have to remember when it happened.

What amazes me is that there are an incredible number of trivial things that can remember at any given time. I can hear 3 notes of a tune and remember the words, who sang it and when and where I heard it. I actually can remember most of the students’ names in classes that I’ve taught when I was a full-time teacher. Just show me a class picture and I’ll name 90% of the students’ names. Yet ask me what I wrote about this week for letters A-E and I will have to think really hard to come close to getting them right. I actually have to picture myself writing the pieces or better yet remember the cartoons that I picked that went along with them to get any answers correct.

Of course, there are lots of other things I have no problem remembering, some of which I would like to forget, but unfortunately, though aged forgetfulness is selective, I don’t get to do the selecting.

Whiplash!

In my next life, I think I would have a better chance of learning French if I were born in France. I’ve been trying to learn French since I found my French brother in 2013. Duolingo says that I’m now over 60% fluent in French. If that is so, why can’t I understand anything that is said in French? I certainly read and understand French better than I can listen and understand it, but I don’t feel close to 60%, more like 35% and make sure you speak very slowly and use basic vocabulary, with a lot of hand gestures to help me get what you’re saying. I’m also trying to learn German, but that was only started about 6 months ago, which just adds to the confusion. What I need is conversation skills combined with increased vocabulary knowledge and not have to deal with gender-based nouns. Both German and French both have gender-based nouns, and German even adds a third category, “neutral”, into the mix.

But I’ll keep trying. Someday I’ll get it. By then they’ll probably change the language to be more modern and I’ll have to start all over again.

Whiplash!

And for my third effen idea to discuss…I forget what it was. (I bet you knew that was coming!)

Whiplash!

 

So do you suffer from the age of forgetfulness? Or is it not an age issue at all and we all suffer from it, from the day we’re born? As an adult, have you tried to learn a foreign language? How’d that go for you? Any tips for me?

Till next time…”G” whiz, will I ever stick to one topic!

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Whiplash! “E” needs to focus.

Posted on April 5, 2019 by hdh

Whiplash: An injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward; And in the case of writing or speaking, can be caused by a rapid change of topic without prior notice.

Whiplash! – “E” needs to focus.

It had been a long day for Evan. The energy that he needed to complete building that weapon was waning. At the beginning of the day he was filled with enthusiasm and drive. Successful completion of this task and a positive test run would demonstrate that there were better ways to subdue criminals that didn’t risk harming innocent bystanders. It was a simple device. Using a laser targeting sight, quantum traces of DNA could be transferred to the weapon, selecting one person and that person alone. Firing the weapon at that point would send out a pinpoint charge of electricity that would incapacitate its target instantly. It couldn’t fail.

But the day was getting late and Evan’s energy drain made him careless. In his haste to be done he accidentally triggered both the laser and the firing mechanism at the same time. And what does a weapon do, when there is no specific DNA trace? It generates its own and continues to generate new ones at an astronomical rate, finding as many targets as it can. His workspace being across the street from a Mega-Mall wasn’t going to help.

Whiplash!

If you want to maintain your healthy disposition and physical well being you should exercise. Exercise has the benefits of toning up your muscles and revitalizing your spirits so that you can continue to work and play for longer periods of time. Or at least that is what everyone says.

Me personally, I just like sitting and writing. My old FitBit used to have me take at least 250 steps every hour for 9 straight hours. That was always frustrating when I was sitting in a car for a 2-hour drive or at a movie. You might see me driving while moving my arm up and down 250 times, so I wouldn’t lose that consecutive streak. My new watch only wants me to stand up for a minute at least 12 hours during the day, and they don’t have to be consecutive hours. I like that much better and I can do that.

I set my devices to let me know if I’ve made my goal of 6,000 steps in a day. It does feel good if I accomplish that. But whether I do or not, as long as I’m not gaining weight and still feel good about myself, that’s enough exercise for me. Well, it’s really not, but I’d like to convince myself that it is.

Whiplash!

Evan knew that he was in big trouble as screams were heard across the street. He could hear the sirens wailing and the bustle of the crowd below his open window; and then there was silence.

Whiplash!

Sometimes when I am writing a piece the part that is the most difficult to write is the ending. You want the ending to resolve all of the content that you have created within the body of your text. If it is a story, you want it to be a somewhat thought-provoking yet satisfying end. “He woke up and it was all a dream,” just doesn’t make it.

If it is a non-fiction piece you want the readers to leave with a sense of understanding.

Sometimes, however, having the ending thought out first helps guide you in writing the whole piece. One story I’m working on, I started it with a problem, began developing that problem and then got stuck as to where to go so I wrote the ending next. I’m still working on the story, but at least I know where it is headed.

As a reader, I never look at the ending of a story until I get to it. I know there are those of you out there that need to know how mysteries are going to end up before you finish reading, but I like to be surprised. And then there those writers that start a story and leave you with a cliffhanger at the end, leaving things unresolved. That can be really frustrating.

Whiplash!

So what’s going to happen to Evan? Do you use exercise to keep up your energy? Maybe Evan should have. And are you a person that likes to know the ending of a book before you get there? Make sure you let me know.

Till we meet again… “F” it’s not one thing, it’s another.

Posted in A to Z Blog Challenge 2019, Original Stories, Personal Stories, Writing | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Whiplash! – “D”s topics keep coming

Posted on April 4, 2019 by hdh

Whiplash: An injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward; And in the case of writing or speaking, can be caused by a rapid change of topic without prior notice.

Whiplash! – “D”s topics keep coming.

The Darwin Awards: Named in honor of Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, the Darwin Awards commemorate those who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it.

It is amazing how stupid some people can be. Hence the creation and collection of Darwin award recipients each year. Here are 2 winners and 1 honorary mention (meaning they’re still stupid but they didn’t die) from last year’s crop:

MARCH 2018, BIRMINGHAM ENGLAND || Man suffers a fatal heart attack after getting his head stuck beneath an electric footrest at the cinema while retrieving his cellphone from the floor. DISCLAIMER: The perp died six days later, in the hospital.

APRIL 2018, GERMANY || A 71-year-old woman smoking outside a hospital died from third-degree burns after her oxygen ventilator ignited, setting fire to the plastic upholstery of her wheelchair.

MARCH 2018, ROMANIA || A 50-year-old man was hospitalized Saturday after taking home a projectile he found on the field outside his village, and pounding it with a hammer, causing an explosion.

When I’m out driving in my car, I see countless people on the road that potentially are setting themselves up for the award. I just hope I’m not nearby when they actually create the event that enshrines them in the Darwin Award Hall of Fame.

Whiplash!

I try not to think about how much data about me is out there in the world nowadays. Moreso, how readily available that data is for other people to find out about me. When I was growing up nothing about me was available, at least that’s what I believe. If you were trying to find anything about my family you would have to know my father’s name and then look it up in the telephone book. Everyone’s phone number and address were in there. But it wouldn’t tell you whether my father was married or not; when he was born; if he had a family; where he worked…

Now if you look me up in a telephone book (the real White pages, not the digital ones) I’m not there since I don’t have a landline. My house phone is a VOIP one through my cable TV company and cellphones are not listed. However, if you do go on the web to find me, you pretty much can find out everything about me. Some things I found out are even a bit perturbing. I even located some information about me when I was a kid.

Then again, without being able to find me, I never would have found and connected to my older half-brother from France 6 years ago (http://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=320) or my 3rd cousin, who also happens to live in France. They both found me through my storytelling videos, but that’s another story.

Whiplash!

It is amazing how many useful ideas I get from my dreams. I might wake up in the middle of the night from a dream with a tune going through my head. I will get up and use a digital recorder to hum the tune, for I know in the morning when I wake up, I will forget what the tune was. Those tunes, sometimes, are the basis for songs that I write. That usually happens when I dream of some of the lyrics that go with them.

When I write stories, some are based on events that happen in my dreams. I might be working on a particular story and then the dream I have fills in some of the plot. Unfortunately for these types of writing dreams, I don’t write down what happened, so if I don’t act upon them right away they tend to get lost.

This is not to say that all of my dreams lead to creative thought. A lot of them are just bizarre scenarios that have no connection to my real life, and lead my wife and son to think that I am rather weird. But they should already know that.

Whiplash!

What about you? Do you have any nominations for Darwin Awards? How much data about yourself, have you been able to find, that you didn’t know was out there? And do any of your dreams lead you to creative actions?

 

See you next time…Reading these should get “E”sier to take.

Posted in A to Z Blog Challenge 2019, Personal Stories, Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment