Tag Archives: dailyprompt

The Answer Eludes Me

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Daily writing prompt

What’s the first impression you want to give people?

The other day, a woman needed to go around me, which I was unaware of. She politely said, “Excuse me,” which is the right thing to do.

I replied, “I’ll try,” smiled and quickly stepped out of the way.

She obviously got the joke because she smiled and almost laughed. It just isn’t the thing a polite man should say, not really. After all she was polite. She didn’t try to shove by and her plea was pleasant. It was very impolite of me. Yet, I could tell I did just a little to lighten her day. If I had just said sure or nothing at all, what good would that have done?

My wife always gets angry with me when I do things like that. She rarely fails to scold me. She said, “One day someone is going to get mad and hit you.” I must admit that it is risky. Sometimes people do take such things the wrong way. I guess, in that little instant, I am making a first impression. I must say that usually the gamble works. The vast number of people understand and it does bring a smile to their face. Every now and then though, I catch someone who has had a bad day or something and the little bit of humor is just something they don’t want.

Some have simply given me a scowl instead of a smile. Some have even yelled at me. And yet, in spite of the chances involved, I still do it. I like making people smile. I really like to see them laugh, even if it is at my expense.

Now just how that is put into an answer to the prompt, I don’t know. Still, maybe you can figure it out.

Timing is Everything, Well, Almost Everything

Posted in Memphis Drivers by

Daily writing prompt

What part of your routine do you always try to skip if you can?

I say timing because it is something I just fussed about yesterday afternoon. Let me first establish a few things. The wife and I are now the only two in the house. We raised two boys in this little 900 square foot house, as difficult as that might be to believe. However, nowadays, most days, it simply does not seem worth it to fix dinner at home. First it’s work to make it; then there is cleaning up afterward. Worst, a lot of the food gets wasted. We simply don’t eat that much.

Therefore, sometime early afternoon, the two of us get in the car and go somewhere. It gives us a reason to get out of the house for a while. Thankfully, there are dozens of places to go. As explained earlier, I really like Abbay’s. Great food and unbelievably fast. Near Thanksgiving, they start serving turkey and dressing… did I say very good turkey and dressing. We try to go there at least once a week. My wife does not like any dressing, but I do. She just eats the turkey and I deal with the dressing.

Okay, let me return to where I was before I interrupted myself. Yesterday, we were on our way to Abbay’s and, as usual, the traffic was really ridiculous. It wouldn’t nearly be so bad, but there are a bunch of folks who come down here from Memphis. By the way, I have mentioned a time or two those from north of the state line really don’t drive very well.

After the driver in the car next to mine decided to occupy the same space we were in, without warning, mind you, I dodged the car and looked at the expression on my wife’s face. Her expression matched the way I felt.

Then, I calmly said to her, “You know, it’s just no fun driving around here anymore. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they are trying to hit us.”

She didn’t laugh. She just gave me a sideways glance and looked forward. Sure enough, the plate on that car, that had the not so courteous driver, had a plate plainly saying it was from Shelby County. What’s more they actually had markings on it showing how proud they were about it.

Well. That’s about it. When people want to hit you, it’s just no fun going out to eat anymore. It has gotten to be something I just just no longer look forward to. Guess it is just about time to start having it delivered. That would be good. I’d not have to charge the car batteries as much. Who knows? It might ever save me a penny or two.

Then again, we just might have to face cabin fever instead.

John Grisham

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His and my son played ball at the same park. It was before he was a writer. My wife actually got to know him well as my work schedule often kept me from seeing the games, which I hated.

I did almost get to meet Barbara Bush. Again I had to work but my wife talked with her a few minutes. Kind of a bummer when I had to bring home the bacon while the wife rubbed shoulders with the first Lady.

As a side note, I might have met some famous LA Dodgers when I was 11. Long story.

Now, That’s an Odd Question

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Daily writing prompt

What is good about having a pet?

The way I would have worded it is what is bad about having a pet? That is easy to answer. There is the expense, the cleaning up. There is all the training, especially dogs. There is the problem of getting someone to watch after them if you have to leave them for a while. And the worse part, of course, saying good bey when it gets time for them to go. I am 73 and I have seen many pets, both dogs and cats, get sick, old or killed. I really don’t like that part.

As for all the rest, that parts good, very good. Now you see, isn’t that easier than having to list all the good stuff, like the companionship, the humor. Then of course, it is nice to have a dog curl up next to you while you watching a sad movie or something. It’s really nice to take them for walks and to play fetch with them.

When we had a border collie. he entertained the neighbors too. More than once, we went in to a restaurant and someone working there said they recognized us. We were the one with a dog that chased bubbles or RC cars. We also had a dog that loved to swim. She really liked water. We scolded my older son many times for turning on the water in the back yard. Then, one day, my wife caught her red pawed. She was turning on the facet between her paws. I guess she got a drink, played in it a while then, of course, on one had told her to turn it off. My guess is she saw one of us doing it.

We had a calico cat that kept stealing the bread and hiding it. The next door neighbors cat was visiting us one morning and stole the last slice of ham my son was going to put on his sandwich. Wouldn’t have been so bad, but my wife had to scramble to find enough change so he could buy lunch.

I really wish we could get another border collie but that would be irresponsible. We would not be able to take proper care of it. They really need a lot of attention and, at our age, he might outlive us, leaving him stranded.

I have a photo which I posted before, but that was a long time ago. In this case it is our first border collie chasing an RC car. He always had to have a stick in his mouth, though I have no idea why. We could tell when he was tired because he’d keep tipping the car over. Then he looked over at me as if proudly saying, “Did you see what I did?”

Then, it seemed overnight, age got to him. He couldn’t hear, see or even smell. Also he had a heart problem. I really think he was the toughest one to lose.

Tough One

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Daily prompt

Name the most expensive thing you bought. (Not a home or car)

This is a good one. It takes away the obvious, doesn’t it? I have, over the years paid a lot for computers. I guess the one that was most expensive was a 2 thousand dollar laptop. I really liked that thing, a 486sx with 4 meg of memory. Most realize that it is a dinosaur by today’s standards, but in the mid eighties, it was about the latest and greatest.

It was what I started writing my books on, “The Secret of the Ring.” My intention was to change the world with it. Only about 25 people ever read it.

Also, I taught myself how to program in Pascal with it.

I have from time to time toyed with the idea of a small boat, but my wife wanted nothing to do with it. I came within an inch of buying a used motor home. I really, really wanted it, but my better senses took hold of me. Good thing, I’d have likely had to sell it before too long.

Mostly though, we just buy what we need. When we buy something big, it’s usually a house or car…Mostly, cars. And those aren’t allowed by the prompt. And, of course, neither are the “almost” purchases.

My Favorite School Subject

Posted in Education, experience, Reading by

Daily prompt:

What was your favorite school subject

I assume this means beside physical education or lunch.

Actually I really liked science a lot, specifically physics. The concepts behind mechanical advantages, I found fascinating.

Invariably, of couse, I spent hours thinking of how I could build the successful perpetual motion machine. I quickly found out I was not alone. History is full of notable scientists who actually tried to build them. Unfortunately, in every case they failed due losses of energy, usually because of friction.

I guess the closest we will ever get to perpetual motion is when we put something in orbit. Even then, I don’t know as that qualifies. I think most satellites eventually fall from the sky.

I have also had an interest in electric motors and generators. I suppose it was somewhat connected with perpetual machines. I mean, we could use the motor to turn the motor and the generator could provide electricity for the motor. I suspect I was not the first to think of that.

The fact is that I should have worked much harder on English and especially reading. I should have worked very hard on polishing my writing. But then like most kids, I was just too smart for wasting time on that.

Screen Time?

Posted in A Little About me, Computers, Coronavirus by

Daily Prmpt,

how I manage my screen time

Are we talking computer time, phone time, or TV time? I’ll answer all three.

No need to manage phone time. I spend very little time on the phone. Also, I used to spend quite a bit of time writing and editing of my books. Since getting sick, I do very little besides sleep and eat. Well, I do listen to the radio but frequently fall asleep while doing that.

I’m no longer sick but, being old, it is taking a long time to recover my strength. No wonder I got rid of cable. I wouldn’t use it if it were free.

The Easy Salvation

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Daily Prompt:

What’s something you believe everyone should know.

Salvation is easy. All you need to do is accept Jesus as your Savior. It is the most important thing a person can know. It is the most important thing a person can do.

I was thirteen at the time. It was nearing the close of a church service at Western Avenue Baptist Church at Buena Park, California. I remember as if it were yesterday. Okay. That’s a stretch. Let’s just say last week ago.

I decided to step out into the isle during the invitation. I decided to accept Jesus as my Savior and make a public confession of it. I knew it would be easy. All I had to do was step out there and walk to the front of the church.

All of a sudden, it felt like my feet were in concrete. I found them very difficult to move. I mean, this was something everyone was going to see me do. Then there was the question. What was I going to tell the preacher when I got up front. I was sure he would expect me to say something.

Finally, in my mind, I said, “Well, here I go, no matter what anyone thinks or does.” I put one foot out and oddly the other just seemed to follow automatically. It was that first step that I found so hard to take. The rest were easy.

In that moment of time, I knew, the Holy Spirit sealed my soul forever. No matter what happened from that time forward, I belonged to God.

It was so easy, but yet it was so hard. The fact is that Jesus did the hard part. He died for me. He spilled His blood for that moment, so that I would never have to experience the second death.

What I should tell everyone, is that it is their option too. They can accept Jesus as their savior as I did. Don’t try to add anything to it. It is impossible. Only Jesus has the power to save. Only Jesus has the authority to save. If you try to rely on anything or anyone else, it won’t work. It displays a false hope, a false faith in that other person or thing. You must put your faith and hope only on Jesus.

The instant you do, the Holy Spirit will seal you and you will be forever God’s child. No one, no thing will ever be able to take you away.

His promise is eternal life. If it can be taken from you, then it is not eternal. If it can be taken, then it is only until it is taken. Conceivably, it could be just 5 or 10 minutes. That cannot be defined as eternal. His promise is eternal and irreversible.