The Truth About Paying Attention

“Truth is a jewel which should not be painted over; but it may be set to advantage and shown in a good light.” — George Santayana

With fast-spreading misinformation and deceitful agendas stirring mistrust, sorting facts from fiction is more challenging than ever. Also, some prefer being deluded. Life in a fantasy can be satisfying and feel real but humanity reaches dark and not-so-magical destinations by not staying alert or watching the road. A slip into a murky puddle can result in a bottomless fall. The Poets and Storytellers United prompt "the act of paying attention" has me thinking the word "act" implies action and that it takes focus and considerable effort to research topics and find balanced and honest analysis. As Earth Day comes and goes, it is clear, climate and all the extremes need attention amid a pile of deceptions. Filtered through perspective, truth still is the jewel easily obscured as if by mist ... how my world appeared one tranquil fog-soaked morning.

   

Explore more at Poets and Storytellers United and SKYWATCH. 

Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

HOLD ONTO THE LIGHT

Time Affects All Things

What was my inner world before I had words? Did I intuit the portal from which I came or like most creatures was my immediate focus solely on hunger. Was I sensing the hot and cold of nearby movements, scanning close faces for kindness, indifference, cruelty ... all words I did not yet know but would come to feel. Was I waiting without knowing for friendly arms to pick me up and toss me into the air. Would I hear laughter at the sheer joy of my arrival, have innate faith in happiness, sense safety but not know much of anything really until, amid all the gifts, I was deprived of some small, then big, thing. That is when step-by-baby-steps life became real. I realized personal powers, saw crushing defeats and found time was not always kind. The Poets and Storytellers United prompt "time affects all things" has me reflecting that as years go by, time stamps its wounds on all life but it also revives. So even when I enter that last gate, I trust in the timeless wonder of a child to survive.

The top photo was the first ever taken of me. The others are recent shots at Crescent Beach in B.C. where one household in particular shows support for Ukraine. 

Explore more at Poets and Storytellers United and SKYWATCH. 

Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

HOLD ONTO THE LIGHT

Between Heaven & Earth

Kwomais Point Park can seem ethereal and is just one place where I escape into wonder. As a child I escaped into fictional stories and wanted to write my own. All I needed was my imagination and, indeed, years later with some training I became a working writer but of the non-fiction sort. Interviewing many people, I found most folks have a poignant story but few would be told. I learned that to be dull in print irks almost as much as misstated facts and that mundane tales well-written move people to action while critical stories lacking luster sadly can fail. Nowadays, my writings are self-indulgent and how I make sense of my inner ramblings. The Poets and Storytellers United prompt to "write about writing" reminds me that the pen now more-than-ever is mightier than the sword, swaying the good and malicious. Choosing words with intent can be a battle. Ideas struggle to grow and compete to show up as meaningful prose.

Explore more at Poets and Storytellers United and SKYWATCH. 

Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

HOLD ONTO THE LIGHT

Small Victories

Challenges are relative, aren't they? What can seem like small success to one can be a huge achievement to another. After being set free from my cast, I found a weak wrist that reacted painfully even to the touch of water. Bed sheets were a monumental lift. The Poets and Storytellers prompt "small victories" is my chance (perhaps in a silly way) to express what success meant to me. My wrist isn't normal yet but better with time and exercise, as is my ankle, so I'm glad to type, untangle bedding more easily, walk and discover the wonders that lie at my feet along Crescent Beach Park shores.

    

Explore more at Poets and Storytellers United and SKYWATCH. 

Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

HOLD ONTO THE LIGHT