Do you see who you wish to see when you look in the mirror?
The answer to Rory’s question would have been different 10years ago.
10 years ago I was still trying to be a different person from who I really was.
The last decade was a time of change and it also taught me a lot of valuable lessons.
I won’t go into the details of the upheaval that we faced as a family, but it did put things into proper perspective for me.
• Appearances are not important, health is.
• Circumstances can change in a short while turning your world upside down.
• Don’t take anything for granted.
• Appreciate each and every blessing.
• Family comes first.
• When you face difficult situations, God also gives you strength to face them.
So now when I look in the mirror, I see a woman almost 60, not looking too bad for her age, (perhaps could do with some weight loss), in reasonable health, active, and at ease with herself and the world around her. I like this woman that I see in the mirror because she has learned to accept life as it is and lives in the now. She is now a realist with her faith firmly grounding her existence.
So yes, to answer Rory’s question, I am satisfied with the person I see in the mirror. She is who I wish to be.
What would be your Top 5 Things that Award You Joy/Enjoyment?
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Enjoyment is different from joy.
In order of priority;
My grandchildren;
My grandkids are the joy of my life. They are young yet so that I can enjoy their cuteness. Their laughter, hugs, and kisses are what make me happy.
My children and husband;
I love my family very much. Their joys and achievements bring me joy. When we all get together as a family for a simple meal or to celebrate an occasion, there is nothing like it.
Blogging;
This passion of mine, which I discovered accidentally, gives me great joy. The process of writing for my blog and interacting with my friends here on the blogosphere makes my days brighter.
Meeting friends;
Before Covid, meeting friendsregularly was a monthlyfeature.Now we meet whenever things are under control, Covid wise. We take due care and never take risks. So I’m waiting for the return of carefree days so that we can meet without the risk of falling sick.
Eating out;
Eating gives me joy. Eating out means that I don’t have to cook complicated meals to enjoy them. And going out to eat also means that I don’t have to wash up and tidy things afterwards.
These are just the top of the list of things that give me joy!
Another interesting series of questions from Rory;
Do you remember your early days?
Like for instance, when you first got an internet connection? Dial up as opposed to broadband?
When was your first time with a blog, or a forum or even a game online?
Do you remember YOUR first times?
What mistakes did you make the first time ever that you … you can fill in the rest yourself. But this is about your early days as a writer online, or a gamer online – when was your first ever blog or forum?
What mistakes did you make back in the early days?
Do you remember YOUR first times?
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When I read these questions, I couldn’t recall the when and how’s!
I think these dates are more or less accurate by my reckoning!
We got our first dial-up connection some 25 years ago. It was a strange and exhilarating time. It took some time to realize what a big change it was going to be. The first thing we got was the email. Then we progressed to online browsing, games, and of course, Google.
As for my first blog post, it was written on September 6, 2018. It was not bad. I guess for something that was unplanned, it went quite well. I started on an impulse and posted sporadically those days. I made many errors with my grammar and spelling. A few kind souls pointed out my mistakes in a friendly manner and I realized how important it was to check both the spelling and grammar before posting. I also gradually acquired the know-how of formatting my posts and installed Grammarly to check on the mistakes before they are posted.
In regards to online gaming, my mistake was that I got too engrossed in it. I’d lose track of time when I played on my computer. It resulted in generating a lot of resentment in my three kids, who were school-going at the time. I realized that I have a tendency towards addictive behavior and have cut down on my games drastically.
As for mistakes in general, I’ve made too many mistakes. So many that I don’t remember even one tenth of them. I can say that I’ve learned from my mistakes, but that won’t be true.
The truth is that I still make many mistakes but that’s how we all grow, by doing things the wrong was first and then eventually doing them the right way.
Thank you Rory! These were interesting questions that made me look back on my relationship with technology.
Rory asked a profound question a couple of days back;
He said; When does it all start to really matter? Now l ask you the same question and allow you to interpret as you so wish – am l referring to happiness, wasting time, family, relationships, buying a house, having kids, fulfilling dreams, having the dream job, taking the right holiday or vacation, allowing life to pass by, not achieving anything or simply what really matters in life and how do you prioritise your focus?
So, l ask you all …
When does it all start to really matter?
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I think it really starts to matter when we understand the meaning and purpose of our life. For me, this came early. I was a thinker even in my childhood and my circumstances made me ponder on the meaning of life more than the average teenager.
I wanted to know why certain things happen to some people and not others? Why people are not kind and considerate to those who are innocent and defenseless? Why fate maneuvered my life in ways that were incomprehensible for me?
The answers gave me an inkling into the purpose of my life. From that point I started to make decisions that gave meaning to my actions. I don’t mean to tell you that I was very good or wise since those early days but it helped my straighten up my thoughts and guided my actions.
With time and age I have found that this gave me a foundation upon which I’ve built my life. I think my every action matters and nothing is without purpose in life. And yes, I believe everything happens for a reason. Whatever has happened in the past, it has shaped my character and have laid a foundation for my present and future.
So coming back to my original answer, I would say that it starts to matter when we start to understand the meaning of our lives.
They’ll touch base with anything and everything and sometimes none of the above but something else!!
6 Quickie Questions
Have you ever kept or still do keep a diary that you write in daily, weekly or randomly?
I think in my school days, I briefly wrote a diary. Nowadays, I blog but it’s not an account of my daily activities. Very rarely I write about something happening currently.
When was the last time you had a weekend quickie of any sort and what did your quickie consist of? [Your interpretation]
Yesterday, I went on a spur of the moment to the hair salon for hair treatment. It wasn’t quick though, took almost 3 hours. It was a good thing that I went though because the salons are not going to be open on Sunday.
Is life really worth it – as in all it’s cracked up to be?
Definitely! What’s the other option?
Life is a gift and we have to make something out of it. It can be a difficult journey but there is a reward when we achieve our goals. A gift of contentment! If we weren’t alive, we would be nowhere.
What is one thing that annoys you the most – aside from interpret as you wish questions?
Injustice really annoys me, but ignorance and arrogance annoy me more.
What is the strangest thing you have ever worn on your bottom …. half!!”
It as wasn’t strange as it was uncomfortable. The traditional bridal dress in my culture is a “Gharara”, which is a very wide pleated pants-like garment made out of yards of clothes. It’s very difficult to walk in it.
Something like this lady is wearing!
If you could paint a part of your body any colour other than flesh coloured what colour would you paint it/them and why it/them?
Ioften paint my nails pink or fuchsia. I like rust and browns too. Before the pandemic, I used eyeshadows and colored mascara as well. It looks good!
How do you like your sausages – straight, curved, short, long, fat or thin or do you not even like sausages? Interpret as you wish ….
I don’t like sausages!
How often [under normal circumstances] would you visit a hairdressers/barbers in one year?
I have graying hair so before covid, I would go after every 4-5 weeks to get my roots colored. After a couple of months for a haircut. And while I am getting my hair done, I’d use the time to get a manicure and a pedicure.
What is it specifically do you think about humour that makes you laugh – as in ‘what’s so funny to you?’ Why do you laugh at some things and not others – what is the magical ingredient for you?
Now I don’t think I can pinpoint one specific thing that makes me laugh. It can be humor of the situation, or the lines themselves. It could also be the character or how they act or deliver the lines. But I really don’t like when people laugh at the misfortune of others.
If you were convinced you had seen an alien or a UFO [from another planet] how would you make people believe you or would you not tell anyone?
I would do what’s done these days. Make a video of it and upload it on social media or send it to a local tv station. They will be better suited to convincing people that it’s real.
Do you know what your place is in the world – where you fit in – and is that important to you?
It is important to know your place in the world. A place where we belong. I think my place is right here, in my home, in my city and country. I’m happy visiting other countries and places but I am happiest when I am home. It’s where I fit in best.
Is it important to you to get ‘noticed’ or are you happy enough to just be seen and is there really a difference do you think?
When I am with people I know, I want to be noticed and given some attention. If I am with strangers, I’m happy to stay in the background, and just be seen.
And yes there’s a difference and people we love should always be noticed and not just seen.
Thank you Rory for these wonderful and “thinking” questions!
When was the last time you were totally lost? [Be this physically, mentally, emotionally or so on, interpretation is yours]
When I moved to Seattle in 2015, I often got lost both physically and mentally. A new city, a new country and a new culture. It took me many months to find my way around.
Do you think that we as viewers to the entertainment industry have much higher and perhaps unrealistic expectations to the content that we read, watch or listen to today in comparison to previous years and or generations?
Literature/Film/Television/Music
I don’t think that Looking for something original is an unrealistic expectation. If you look at the movies Disney is making these days, most are remakes of their original cartoon movies. Where is the originality?
In books, many great authors are writing original content. Though we still have those who are churning out the formula stories.
And as for television, I find most of the stuff so boring that I seldom watch any of the shows. Though the Netflix originals are usually good watch.
Does Money ‘Really’ make us happy or is that just a myth and more importantly it is ‘what you do with it’ that makes you happier?
Having enough money does makes life easy. Having too much money makes life even harder!
How important to you is it to be right?
It’s usually our ego that wants us to always be right and to always have the last word. I have learned humility with age and am open to discussion and opposing views.
How often do you find yourself completely confused with life and the way it is changing and has changed over the last ten or twenty years?
Never totally confused! I mostly have a handle on how things are moving and I adapt to it pretty well. Even the very big change the covid imposed on our lives didn’t confuse me much. I go with the flow.
When out shopping and carrying your goods or groceries which do you prefer to use more often – paper or plastic bags [reusable] or cotton totes or something else?
Reusable cloth bag that I’ve bought from different stores and that I carry in my car. If I’m buying a lot of groceries, I carry the cart out to bag it in the parking lot.
How many emails do you get a day [roughly] and from who do you get the most?
I get an email for every post that I post and for any new followers. Then there are the emails that are spam and even after marking them as spam, I still get them. I’d say around 20-30 emails a day most of them ending in recycle bin.
Have you ever made for yourself ‘homemade wine/spirits’ and if so what was it made from and how was it?
Nopes, I don’t drink alcohol
In your opinion and from no ‘fixed time period’, what have been in your eyes the top 5 most memorable television series you have ever watched and what made them special to you?
I liked the Crown and 13 reasons why on Netflix in recent years. I remember waiting very excitedly for the Little house on the prairie as a kid. Then there was the original Avengers and the Man from UNCLE, which I loved to watch when we got our first TV.
What’s wrong with today’s music as opposed to the music of your yesterday’s – do you consider the music now to be far worse or greatly improved and why?
I like today’s music, any song that has good lyrics and a good melody. I’m not fixated on music from any era and just go with what I like when I hear it. Too much noise doesn’t make for good music to my mind.
Does world history really matter to our daily lives – is it that important – l mean it’s not like we can change anything right – what do you think?
It is important to know history. It’s how we can stop making the same mistakes again and again. It’s not usually possible to know the history of all the nations of the world, but we should try to know as much as we can about our own. And that of the countries we are interacting with.
Besides, knowledge is power.
Do you believe that a good night’s sleep and waking up refreshed the following day helps you make better decisions or worthier improvements to your life – or it makes no difference at all?
Oh yes, that’s a definite. The day I’ve had my 7 -8 hours of sleep, I am in a better mood the whole day and relaxed too. I feel more energetic and able to face life’s challenges better!
Thank you Rory for these thought provoking questions.
What are your top 5 favourited Blog Genres – the ones you enjoy reading the most?
I don’t follow bloggers based on what they write but more for how they write and how they think. So the genres I follow are a mixed bunch. There is poetry, fiction, and blogging advice. Some writers write about a lot of things so it would be hard to classify their blogs. As Fandango says, they write about this that and the other.
My preference always is easy to understand writing, story, or poetry. Complicated words and plots are not my thing at all.
Have you ever experienced Writer’s Block and if so, what did you do to get yourself through it and if not, what do you do to avoid it?
I agree with you Rory that mostly what is called writer’s block is just plain disinclination to write. It could be exhaustion of mind or ennui that could be stopping the creativity. I usually don’t have trouble writing and if I do, I just take a break and come back to it later when my ideas start flowing again.
Bonus Question – Do you believe ‘writer’s block’ is an actual thing?
See above!
Do you think colour psychology is an important part to the blogging journey and does it play a big part in how your readers view a blog?
So I am one of that lazy blogger who exclusively uses the WP app and the reader. I seldom see the actual site of the blogger and the colorful display some people have. For myself, I like things in black and white. Though I really admire colorful images which compliment the writing. I always look for an appropriate image to match my writing.
I haven’t changed the layout of my site in ages. And to me it only matters in so far as it is easy to navigate and read. Some blogs have such colorful writing that it’s hard to read. I hope that any of my readers who access my blog through the browser are able to read and enjoy my posts easily.
How do you feel about Interview series and or Guest Writing opportunities on other blogs?
I would love to do an interview or a guest post but I would have to learn how to do a guest post. Interviews are easy as I think I’ve done one for your blog a long time back.
As for doing interviews on my blog with other bloggers, or asking them to do guest posts, that idea has crossed my mind! Under consideration, you may say!
How many social networking platforms are you committed to for ‘social coverage’ for your written and published blog content? [Whatever your genre]
When I started my blog, I linked it to a Facebook page that I had specifically created for it and to a Twitter account. But with the new Twitter policy regarding child pornography, I disabled my Twitter account. The Facebook account still is linked to my blog and every post I publish is automatically displayed there. But I seldom find time to promote my account or even visit it. So on paper, I have a social media account linked to my blog but practically, none.
How far ahead do you have planned or scheduled content to be published on your blog or are you more of a ‘in the moment’ type of writer?
I schedule my prompt post, WDYS at least a couple of weeks ahead, and my daily posts, at least one day ahead. On a good day, I can write 4-5 posts and pre-schedule them and then I relax. Some days I am running behind and those are “in the moment “ type of writing days.
How long are you ‘in/on’ your blog for daily?
I read and answer comments on my blog throughout the day. It would be hard to say how much time I am “on” it but it feels like at least half my waking time. Usually, I write my posts for the next day before going to bed.
Are the social niceties of being LIKED important to you?
Yes, I like when people like my posts. I am not too nice in my requirements and am easily pleased. A like to my mind shows that someone visited my post, maybe read it and liked it. Sometimes they like it to show that they were here. It’s a morale booster to see how many people have liked my posts.
Similarly, if I am rushed for time, I’ll leave a like on a post that perhaps is too long for me to read at the time to show support. A post which has no likes, is a sad post. 😜
As a blogger how important to you is creativity in your blog?
As I follow a lot of prompts, creativity plays a major role in creating posts for them. So I guess being creative is one of the important requirements for me. However, the question and answer post doesn’t require and creativity, just honestly.
If you could describe your blog in one sentence only – what would you write?’
My space where I share my poems, stories, and views.
With the content you produce for your blog are there topics, genres, or styles that are favored more by your readership audience than others, and if so, with everything you do produce what are your top 3?
I don’t know what will appeal to my readers in respect to my posts written in response to various prompts. Sometimes a post written in few minutes evokes a great response and sometimes a post where I’ve worked long and hard at, receives a lukewarm response.
The two weekly prompts, What do you see and Sunday Poser are the ones that are usually very well received.
Which is your preferred reading in the main – books, blogs, or other and what genre?
This last question was inspired by Lauren of ISS Attitude of Gratitude
Mostly blogs, nowadays. But if one of my favorite authors brings a new book into the market, I’ll read that in a jiffy. These days my time is divided among my family and grandchildren so reading time is a bit limited. I’m hoping when the in-person schooling starts again, I’ll have more time to pursue my reading.
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