A ship of dreams…

Third class passengers were several notches down the social scale as far as the staff was concerned. After all, they were the ships peasants and it did not matter that they were seeking a better life in the United States. In a world that worshipped wealth, they were poor, but their numbers were the bread and butter of the Cunard line. Given that, they were treated with an abject amount of tolerance by the cabin staff.

Precious objects were crammed into what little luggage they were able to bring aboard the ship; the traditions they left behind were deeply ingrained in their minds, along with their dreams, never to be forgotten as so much else was. Instead, they focused on new beginnings in a distant world that promised so many opportunities.

They looked forward to what awaited them at horizon’s end with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. The challenges of the unknown would soon unfold as the ship sailed closer to the new world with the setting of the sun.

In a matter of days, they would be sitting under a shady grape arbor, surrounded by family they were just introduced to as they prepared to live wholly in another country. A huge table with cold salads, Risotto with Red Chard, fruit, and wine swirling in glasses all raised in a welcoming toast. They were home.

From the Writer’s Workshop: Write a post in exactly 11 lines. Take two books. Open each one to a random page and point at a random sentence. Use one sentence to start your story and the other to end your story. Write the story in the middle. This was a fun challenge which I combined with another, writing my post in eleven lines as well. I reached for two nearby books from the library in my home office, Exploring the Lusitania and Under the Tuscan Sun, chose a sentence (or a bit more) from each and enjoyed my results.

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After the storm…

Long ago, and far away, in the small town of Kent Cliffs, a cryptic prophecy, passed down through generations, foretold of a cataclysmic event, a storm of such intensity and unprecedented power, which would reshape the landscape and test the resilience of town residents. It was a somewhat vague prediction, labeled the “Great Divide”, which many people chose to ignore. For others, it was initially regarded with doom, bringing a mixture of both fear and fascination.

As people waited, a sense of foreboding unfolded. The prophecy came closer with howling winds, battering rain and frightening erratic weather, all which brought widespread damage everywhere. Skeptical residents quickly confronted the reality of the prediction as they took shelter from the devastation that roared through the countryside.

Eventually, the storm subsided but the town was forever changed. The prophecy of the “Great Divide” came as predicted. The resilience of the combined human spirit, along with the power of belief and faith, would contribute to the rebuilding of the town. Important traditions and history would be restored as the result of the ability of the townspeople to adapt and move forward after the devastating crisis.

From The Writer’s Workshop: Write a post based on the word predictions. Write a post in exactly 10 lines (sentences).

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The irony of life…

I’ve arrived at the place in my life where a great deal of self-examination seems to be a constant. By that, I mean playing and re-playing current and past events which have taken place in past years. At times, it is quite a challenge to reach some level of understanding and acceptance of so many things I either would like to forget or have the opportunity to do much differently.

It is a struggle.

Seriously, how can anyone honestly respond to what makes life tick? What are the coping skills involved with trying to make so many missing emotional puzzle pieces fit in order to either find peace with a given situation or hide it behind some locked door in ones mind? Any possible answers? We’ve all had the desire to change the world, if possible, but learned that the only true power we have is to change ourselves. And, sometimes, things happen to you, horrible, painful and unfair things but, in reflection we end up learning that by overcoming those obstacles, we would have never realized our potential, strength, willpower or heart.

Yes, life can definitely be tough at times creating periods of hardship which leave us asking the question “Why is this happening to me?”, “Why am I suffering with this obstacle?” and “How can I get out of this negative situation?”

The struggle is real.

Life’s difficulties are not always pretty but, many times, they can help us to develop our strength of character, of mind and lifestyle. Without struggles, we will never grow and get stronger. It is important for us to look at the undesirable situations that come our way and learn how to meet those challenges on our own, not relying on help from others.

The only honest answer might be difficult to accept given the problems we sometimes face happen for our own good. Fire strengthens a crucible, bad situations and experiences can strengthen a person’s will to become the best individual they can be. Possibly the best way to comprehend what life is about is to never judge it by one difficult season. Don’t allow the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest that life brings.

From the Writer’s Workshop: What is the question that best defines your internal struggle to understand life? Do you think you’ll ever be able to answer that question? Why or why not?

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