Tag: dailyprompt-2091

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…of a certain type

Daily writing prompt
What could you try for the first time?
View all responses

There are first times that I am uninterested in: shooting documentaries in film rather than video, a shall we say first crack with certain drugs I never experimented with in the Sixties ( heroin was a definite no-go), or flings with the starlets. Other than those, I am open to moderate suggestions. OK, any of you Hollywood agents, I might take a fling at character acting. At seventy-nine, I’ve begun to master the art of being a character, so why not share it with the world?

I can see the opening shot now. The camera pans and then slowly zooms in on my face. I give my best, almost reptilian, gaze at the vulpine character opposite me at the gaming table in a Las Vegas casino, and then…well, the director yells “Cut” and I’m told to put more passion into it.

I can see it all now. My own personal trailer while on location, personal assistant, and extra perks for “Mr. Carreras.” You dare roll your eyes at this? Hey, whose fantasy of a first time is it, anyway!

Get your own first time!

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Being Born

I’m not a fan of Bob Dylan. If you can find any of my associates from the coffeehouse days in Greenwich Village, they might tell you why. But I know a meaningful song when I hear one, and the line “He not busy being born is busy dying “ is one I’ve often quoted to people about the importance of keeping moving in your life, not sitting idle. It’s in line with Ismael heading off to sign Articles for a whaling voyage looking for the Great White Whale.
Sitting idle, doing nothing, will kill your brain before your body. But you’ll be dead nevertheless.

Doing the new does not need to be a threatening exercise. You will not need to swear an oath of poverty, tonsure your hair, and take holy orders. It might be as simple as reading a book on a topic you know nothing about. Or even driving down that street, you pass daily but never go down – find out what lies at the end of that road. Try a change from burgundy to merlot.

Bucket lists are very popular but often feature large-scale events—a trip to Japan, the Sistine Chapel, or Mount Kilimanjaro. Be more modest, and maybe get the list done. Have you spent time peacefully watching sheep graze in a meadow or watching the tide roll in? There can be something thrilling in the certainty of both. They happen at a slow pace but alter the landscape as they progress. Similarly, you can alter your life – no need to run off and join the circus.

How am I avoiding the creeping paralysis? Rediscovery. I am rediscovering the guitar after years of not playing and Rediscovering parenthood as a grandparent. The new includes new topics to read. This means dipping into biography, which is not an area I’ve read extensively in.

Even slight, gradual changes can lead to new growth. Don’t disparage the small. The slow, steady effect of the tide leads to significant changes.

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Age Inappropriate

Daily writing prompt
What could you try for the first time?
View all responses

I’ve been accused of being too reticent in new efforts. I respond that I start slow, build up, and finish big. If you are a beachgoer, you know the approaches; the plunger or the toe in first to get the feel. I am in that third camp – toe in, walk in, and gradually build towards the plunge. If you are in the personality test business, you could make a lot out of this for personality types. 

I maintain that it’s no disgrace to feel things out first. But I have little admiration for those who live vicariously or through escapism alone. The only way you’ll get to tell your grandkids interesting stories is if you do, at some point, go out and try some new things. Not to be garrulous about it, but I’ve tried lots of things. I didn’t say I was successful at all of them, but I tried them. And that’s the thing: it’s OK not to succeed in everything.

So what’s my next act, you ask? Well, the list is long, but I’ve narrowed it down to a Geriatric Elvis impersonator, a door-to-door dietary supplement salesman, or, my favorite, a personal trainer for those indecisive about what they want to do next. I’ll charge a hefty fee, come and help motivate you to do age-inappropriate activities like an attempt to sail to Europe in a giant gerbil cage ( don’t laugh, someone recently tried this). I can video record it so you can show everyone that you are further along the path to dementia than they guessed.

Kind of like doing well while doing good?

Call me!