Stop the insanity!

March 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment

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STOP!  A forceful word which embodies our every thought at this moment in time. 

How can anyone hold back from wanting to scream this out as we witness the absolute devastation in Ukraine?  With each newscast, we’re witness to a cold-blooded murderous rampage, instrumented by a madman intent only on his objective to eradicate all vestiges of Ukrainian identity while condemning the country to a grim future as a military dictatorship locked firmly inside a new Russian Empire. 

As armchair witnesses to this horror, we express our prayers for the countless innocents lost in the assault on this sovereign democracy.  We donate to support groups who are in the forefront of rescuing children and families.  Prayers seem not enough, just a futile attempt to garner help for a situation now totally out of control.  It hits us the hardest when we see lives that once were, unceremoniously dumped into mass grave sites; when a maternity hospital is reduced to rubble, along with new lives that will never have a chance to blossom and make any difference in this troubled world.  The Russian barbarism is tearfully overwhelming.

We want it to stop.  Not just for the citizens of Ukraine but also because we are facing the likelihood of a significant war.  The challenges presented by this threat are far beyond the capabilities of the current administration of our country.  Somehow, it reminds me of that scene from “The Godfather” where Tom Hagen is belittled by Sonny who states that “he’s not a wartime consigliere”, being focused more on some peaceful mediation after the assassination attempt on Vito Corleone.

Personally, I’m not supporting any idea of war, but we stand at the crossroad of either being assertive, in some fashion, as a world power…or continuing with a pacifist demeanor as Russia implements its plans for subjugation of Ukraine.  

 

workshop-button-1From Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop…. Write a blog post inspired by the word: stop.   Зупиніть безумство!….Stop the insanity!

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Create, connect and share…

February 25, 2022 by 6 Comments

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Why does anyone start something new like a job, recipe, or project? Obviously, there is always some guiding influence which directs an individual to make changes, or choices, in life. Sometimes, we all have the need for a little adventure, both to move away from the boredom of a situation or…some need to leave more of a significant imprint in our lives. 

I feel that when a person spends a good deal of time reading the literary works of others, down deep inside is the urge to express themselves through writing. This applies to many other artful means of self-expression. Hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained, correct? One never knows how well their efforts will be acknowledged, even appreciated, unless they try. 

And so, I did just that several years ago. The trials and tribulations of dealing with a mother suffering with Alzheimer’s paved the way to document so much of what was slipping away, day after day. During her many sleepless nights, I sat up, ready to thwart her wandering and started drafting a book and building a website, something to leave behind for my children and grandchildren. A collection of all my mother forgot and even more that I was determined to remember. 

In many ways, I credit my late mother’s dementia for encouraging one of the very things she sought to destroy when I was a teenager…writing in a daily journal and documenting much of the pain that children endure as they struggle through their growing years. 

Ironic, and I often wonder how many others venture into new and positive challenges based on how they have lived, and the people involved. Is it a mission, of sorts, to redefine ourselves, or…rewrite the history of what has made us who we are?

In some ways, I’ve tried to do both.  

 

workshop-button-1From Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop…Tell us about why you started blogging to begin with. 

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Learning to challenge…

February 2, 2022 by 2 Comments

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The more things change, the more they stay the same. 

It’s been this way now for over two years. One step forward and a multitude of steps in reverse. Sure, I could throw out one tired adage after another as one day continues to roll over into the next one, but I’ll stop here. 

The numbness of this ongoing pandemic has altered my personality, in many ways. So much so that each time I embark on a specific bit of writing, it keeps navigating to how challenging life has been for so many since the beginning of 2020. 

I’ve come to realize that a great deal of complacency has set in, both in my life, and elsewhere. We’ve learned to live with a constant threat looking over our shoulders in the form of this ever-mutating virus. We have acquiesced to mandates, safe social behaviors, travel restrictions, empty store shelves, both a struggling economy and the sad, fragmented, individual who currently resides in the White House, tripping and falling through his presidential tenure. 

In my own circle of friends, we often look at each other and say, “when will this end?” Each of us longs for that evasive glimmer of hope, for the right answers and solutions that might help life return to some element of normalcy. In some ways, it’s almost humorous when we look back on our previous COVID fears, hysteria almost, that drove us into near hibernation. Now, we share how thankful we are because being vaccinated made getting one or more of the virus mutations…”so much easier!”.  

Will this be life going forward? Dutifully lining-up to get more and more boosters and our government will continue to orchestrate our survival; are we good with this?  Will we continue to remain nothing more than “test cases” in an ongoing quest to bring an end to COVID?

If I’ve learned anything, anything at all, at this point, it’s to question, to challenge, every damn element of authority with whatever time I have left in my life.

 

workshop-button-1From Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop...Tell us about something you learned this month.

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