Category daily prompt

Piano Keys

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In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Lazy Learners.”

In the year 2000, I took up piano lessons. The lessons were on a Saturday morning in a suburb in Johannesburg. I used to park out the front. One Saturday morning I finished my lesson and went outside. My car was gone. Vanished. It was the most awful feeling. I lived by myself and it is difficult nigh impossible to move around in Johannesburg without a car. I cannot remember how I arrived at work on the Monday, but I did, and the company had a fleet car they allowed me to use for a couple of weeks. I had to buy another car in that time, while still waiting for an insurance claim to be settled. Fortunately it was at that time that I was about to start a new job and would have increased funds to pay for a second car. The insurance claim itself took over seven weeks to finalise. After six weeks the police recovered the car and wanted to return it to me. It was totally stripped. A shell of a car, I could hardly recognise it. I refused to accept it back.
I stopped the piano lessons, gave my piano to a newly married couple who really desired one (and they could both play), and have never got past beginner stage since then. I have a keyboard that I have practiced on, but time has flown, perhaps it’s two years since I last practiced on it. I love the feel of the keys underneath my fingers though, and being able to play even the most basic tunes. It is still on my to-do list for when I have more time or inclination.

Back in Time

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In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Life’s a Candy Store.”

I would wish all my family together – both sets of grandparents, parents, sister, aunts, uncles and cousins, and have a family day, with a swimming pool and ice cream on hand. They would all bring a plate of their most famous dishes – my aunt’s cremora tart which is like a lemon cheesecake, my maternal grandmother’s home made pies etc. My dad would be the bearer of gifts as giving gifts is one of his ‘love-languages’. And we would have a feast, celebrating each other and the essence of life. Hold up! The cynic in me has foreseen a problem in this fairytale day, as we have chain-smokers on the one hand and vehement anti-smokers on the other. #blessFamily. Okay, I would wish them all non-smokers for the day (I’m in the non-smokers camp). Problem solved.

And very thankful I am for memories of souls departed, and times spent with grandparents and favorite aunts etc. Experiences my children will never have.

Soulmate?

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In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Yin to My Yang.”


Soul Mate: Someone who is aligned with your soul and is sent to challenge, awaken and stir different parts of you in order for your soul to transcend to a higher level of consciousness and awareness. Once the lesson has been learnt, physical separation usually occurs.

Life Partner: A companion, a friend, a stable and secure individual who you can lean on, trust and depend on to help you through life. There is a mutual feeling of love and respect and you are both in sync with each others needs and wants.

http://foreverconscious.com/the-difference-between-soulmates-and-life-partners

I have a friend who is the total opposite to me. Extrovert, opinionated in the extreme, stubborn, a leader, charming when he wants to be, and an alpha-male. He can be infuriating. We sat next to each other on a training course ten years ago. I was expecting my son, and resisted any form of friendship with him. He joined our company soon thereafter and our families both relocated to Sydney at the same time. A few years back he worked in the same building as myself. After many years of trying he succeeded in getting a conversation out of me. He promised we would be friends forever. They have moved to another city. He said his promise would always stand, we would always be friends. Sweet-talker. He is different to all my other friends, being of such strong personality and with a temper. It caused me to realign my definition of friendship. Is it possible for heterosexual male and females to be friends only? Is it appropriate? Can I be friends with someone who has a temper and whom I fear on a deep level, like being friends with a lion? Do opposites attract? Does that make a soulmate? Another soul my own has attracted in order to grow and evolve. As opposed to the definition of life-partner, of which my husband is the chosen one.

Santa Claus

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In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “When Childhood Ends.”

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I recall an ‘adult’ coversation I had with my mother when I was all of six. I remember receiving a little black radio for Christmas amongst a whole lot of other gifts. I went to my mother in the kitchen and asked her to be honest with me. Does Santa really exist? She turned to look at me, are you wanting to know the truth? Yes, I replied, I’m here to ask. She said to me, your Dad is Santa and the gifts are from him. I felt so grownup to be told the truth, and to be in on the ‘grownup’ secret. It was strange looking at the gifts and knowing that they were not randomly selected by Santa, but by my father himself.

Mondays are Mine

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In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Must Not Fail.”

In the few months before I met my husband I was requested by ex-colleagues to join a startup company. I was between projects so was not busy at work. I decided to go for it, receiving a good increase in the process. From the first day I knew it was not going to be for me. At times I would be left in a small office by myself with no one to talk to, and systems to learn. I’ve always worked in an open-plan office. I am somewhat reserved so it is not that I spend my time chatting to the others or making heaps of friends, but I like having people around me. To put me in an empty space for hours on end is never going to give me warm fuzzy feelings. I learnt the software and persevered. There were defects in the software that made it difficult to work with. Being the only engineer, I ended up working days, nights and weekends. My stress levels rocketed. My nails were torn off, nerves shot.
In the meantime my role at my previous company had been filled. I remember getting a phone call from the new engineer asking me about some code.
One day, after six months of this elevated pressure, I had enough. The system kept on randomly crashing, and I couldn’t deliver to the clients. My nerves gave out and I couldn’t go on. I started crying and could not stop. I was 25 and had no support system. There was no one in the world I could turn to. I had met someone and starting dating him. I was so fond of him, thought the world of him. He eventually couldn’t handle a manic-me, falling apart and turning into a crazy lady. He left. I was devastated. More tears. My mother had passed away a few years back, and my grandmother whom I was very close to had also recently passed away. It was me on my own. I called my previous manager. Do you have work for me please? Yes, come and see me tomorrow, he replied. I did, and after a short break I went back. On the first day of my return I met my replacement. He had a lovely smile. But when I tried to chat to him he just kept busy. Oh well. Leave him be. He’s busy, I get it. And my heart’s just been broken I’m not interested in men anyway. This was in the October. In the January we started working on a project together. The following January we got married. But I haven’t changed companies since then. I continued to work for the same company in Australia. They were partly responsible for my relocation. And I’m still there. I guess I’m too scared to leave. Last year I had enough, seven years in Sydney and it’s time. It was offered that I take an extended break, with my position still held. So I did, I had four months being a stay-at-home Mum and loved it. And I only work four days a week, Mondays are mine, it’s a privilege I don’t want to give up!

Kindness Both Ways

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In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Pay It Forward.”

Tell us about a time when you responded to an act of kindness with one of your own.

Thanks for the prompt suggestion, roses4151!

A few months back I had the most awful migraine. I wanted to die. It was a Friday and my husband was in meetings, he was not taking calls. BFF was out of town and an hour’s drive away. Already having overdosed on painkillers with no effect I was a literal mess. My head felt like it was about to explode. I texted a random message to a friend from my church who lives close by. Can you take me to the dr pls? Her car was being serviced so she had no car at home. She phoned around and organised a car from another friend. She collected me and took me to the doctor, waiting with me until I could be attended to. Having no family in Sydney means we have to sometimes rely on others when it is family we would normally turn to.

A few weeks later we were able to help out when her daughter was desperate for help on a school IT project. Clever IT husband-of-mine was able to be the hero-of-the-day!

Wishful Thoughts

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I would love to see the U.S., Canada and ‘travel the world’. When I was growing up, international travel was out of reach for my family. It was considered an unnecessary extravagance.

After I started work, I was focused on saving for a home, and wishing for a family, so travel was not high on my agenda. (I wanted a husband not a holiday Lol!) Our island honeymoon planned in Mauritius was canceled due to a cyclone hitting the island, and all flights halted. And then kids arrived. Nowadays my international trips seem to be reserved for going back to South Africa every few years.

Unless I make it a priority above all my other priorities, international travel and ‘seeing the world’ may just remain wishful thinking.

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Out of Reach.”

Write about the one X that got away — a person, an experience, a place you wanted to visit. How much would you change about your life to have it within reach again?

Faraway Tree

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Unfortunately I gave my very favorite book of all time to my niece to read when she was a little girl and so I don’t have it anymore. Which would be the Enchanted Wood. But never fear, I still have number 2 and 3 in my grubby paws. I would be Silky for the day and be a fairy, spending my time with moonface and meeting saucepan man and all the folk of the faraway tree. And of course exploring the world at the top of the tree. Hopefully it would be a candy-land, with ice-cream and milkshakes thrown in. Now that would be a dreamy, heavenly day!

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “A Storybook Day.”

You have to spend one day as or with your favorite fictional character. Which one would it be and what would you do?

Thanks for sending this prompt suggestion, nonsmokingladybug!

Creature Comforts

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In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Home Turf.”

Name five things in your house that make it a home

In order of importance!

My very comfortable latex bed
My bath
Bay window in the kitchen
Sunny spot out the front where I can sit and catch the winter sun
Coffee machine that makes the coffee I can enjoy while catching the winter sun

Of course, it is family that makes a home, but that goes without saying. Without my family (or even my husband when my children have left), the house we live in would become a shell.

It’s Tuesday morning here in my world, happy Tuesday!

🙂

Not Falling Far

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In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “I’ve Become My Parents.”

Do you ever find yourself doing something your parents used to do when you were a kid, despite the fact you hated it back then?

My mother was the nurturer and carer in my childhood home. My father was the disciplinarian, and has a short temper. I knew to behave around him and speak with respect. No back-chatting or arguing. He would not tolerate it. I am scared of men even today. I had to choose a life-partner who did not display a temper. Because my mother was soft-natured I could get away with more. And as children are, they learn boundaries and push those boundaries where they know they can. I kept to myself at home, my sister used to help prepare the evening meal and chat about her day with our mother. I would listen in, write in my journal, and focus on my schoolwork. Not really sharing much.
I thought when I grew up I would naturally be a mother like my own. But I realized quickly I am more like my father. I discipline my children. I do not tolerate disrespect. I have a shorter fuse than my husband. My husband is the nurturer. He reads the bed time stories. He tries new recipes. He is constant and calm. My mother was the rock holding our family together, and my husband is the same. I am still wrapped up in my own world, writing on my blog, or being pre-occupied with work, or fantasy-land or whatever is on my mind.
My daughter and I are on the same wavelength. She chats to me all the time. My son seems to be more like me when I was growing up. Just being there, but not sharing much. I can see that part of myself reflected in him. And I know there’s nothing I can do to change it.