Prompt and Circumstance

Promptless in Sebastopol

**Author's Note: This weekend (4-6 November 2016), the prompt from Write On by Kindle came so late that I wrote this facetious piece whilst waiting. When it was finally offered, I was too committed to other writing to come back and do another story. Kind of lost my impetus for some reason...

Well-ll... here I sit, broken-hearted
the prompt I've awaited
seemingly departed.

At first it was lost, then it was found
My particular creativity,
It's still hanging around.

A favour you've done me, invisible WO,
Forced a deep search inside me,
don't you know?

If you insist I don't need you,
then that's just fine,
I wrote words before you,
and still, they're all mine.

I have grown, there's no doubt,
And your place has helped,
No need to shout.

I didn't get here by leaning too hard
It's the blood, sweat and tears
that formed this old bard.

Aarrgh... this rhyming gig is not my style (shh... don't tell anyone you already noticed that!)

I find at this point in my lengthy life, I am in total accord with the late Nadine Stair of Louisville, Kentucky, at 85 years old telling what she would do differently if she had her time over again.

She said -

If I had my life to live over, I'd try to make more mistakes next time. I would relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I know of very few things I would take seriously. I would be less hygienic. I would take more chances. I would make more trips. I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers and watch more sunsets. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones. You see, I am one of those people who live prophylactically and sanely and sensibly, hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I have had my moments and, if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead each day. I have been one of these people who never go anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a gargle, a raincoat and a parachute. If I had to do it over again, I would go places and do things and travel lighter than I have.
If I had to live my life over, I would start barefooted earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would play hooky more. I wouldn't make such good grades, except by accident. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I'd pick more daisies.

Now, beginning at the end (which seems to have become quite habitual these days) I DID pick more daisies than almost anyone I know because they grew profusely around our house on our dairy farm. And I did ride plenty of merry-go-rounds and heaps of other play equipment deemed far too dangerous these squeaky clean days... fell out of a few trees, too. Skinned my knees - a lot. Cut fingers, bloodied my nose and bruised my ego many, many times.

Unlike Nadine, I would still make good grades and not play hooky (except for taking my dog back home many times when just like Mary quite Contrary and her lamb, he followed me to school... each day until my teacher was fed up!)

I surely don't want to have more actual troubles (been there, done that) but most certainly would prefer less imaginary ones. I don't think I'd be less hygienic - this sweet old-fashioned girl still believes cleanliness is next to the Big Wordsmith in the Sky.

Yep to the few things I would take seriously - that's surely a learning curve that comes with mature experience. Sillier? Not sure I could be. Now relax and limber up bother me some as this point... I mean, huh? Perhaps she meant relaxing into some exceptionally gentle limbering up?

And if I had my life to live over, would I TRY to make more mistakes? Well no, actually. My vast experience has taught me Life will hand you a heap of those - on a silver platter, and on a constant basis. No trying required.

So there you go, WO! This is the lengths we stoop to when you leave us alone to romp with our words.

There's a solid lesson for all of us in this thought -

Don't put your Happiness in someone else's pocket...
For better or worse, they're highly unlikely to use it as you would.