Greetings, poets and storytellers. How is life treating you? I hope you’ve been enjoying some gentleness, since everyone I know can use a bit (or a lot) of that these days.
I’ve
almost recovered from the last procedure that kept me slightly MIA the last couple of weeks—stitches are gone, my flesh isn’t hurting
too much, my gut is behaving herself (yes,
my gut is female and eternally irritated), and I have been writing (maybe plotting and outlining is more accurate) something
new. The process is going slow, but it’s going; and I’m grateful for that. Still,
if anyone would’ve told me a decade ago that my health would ever take so much
of my time, I would’ve probably laughed and told them to stop telling tales.
The last
bit is what inspired today’s optional prompt. You see, I’ve been decluttering. And
while I was going through some old papers, I found a letter I wrote to myself
in 2013. In the letter, I asked myself not to be too hard on me about finishing
a half marathon a few minutes over the average time for my age group. I was upset because my
time increased nearly 8 minutes from my last run. Well, I read that old letter
and burst into laughter. These days, I’m thrilled when I can run for 45 minutes
on my trampoline without my legs trying to turn into balloons and my joints screaming bloody murder.
I’ve lost a breast, my hair, some teeth, my joints are a mess, my digestive system is nuts, and I’m so freaking grateful to be alive to fight another day. When I shared the last bit with someone who hasn’t known me for long, the person told me that no one would ever believe it… which brings me to today’s optional prompt. I invite us to write poetry or prose inspired by the following Neil Gaiman quote: “Life is always going to be stranger than fiction, because fiction has to be convincing, and life doesn’t.”
next week, our dearest Rommy will invite us to write what comes to mind when we see the phrase, “it’s been a long time coming.”
photo by Bruce Warrington, on Unsplash
A great quote from Gaiman — and I'm sorry you are illustrating it in such very trying ways! I don't think I'll have time to address the prompt this week; too busy helping a friend in need of some practical assistance right now. But I was thinking of writing something about how whenI told my parents about stuff I experienced when I was little, which I would now categorise as psychic and/or other-worldly, they praised my 'vivid imagination' (so I worked very hard at shutting it all down as long as I could, as it obviously wasn't real and I'd have to be mad to think so); and how when I was a teenager trying to confide in a new friend at a new school about abuse from my new stepmother, she said, 'You don't expect me to believe THAT do you?' (so I said, 'Oh of course not,' and shut up about it). Yes, actuality fails to convince people!
ReplyDeleteThe thought of an abused person being dismissed is both terrifying and infuriating.
DeleteGrateful to be alive ... that IS a key to fighting and enjoying another day!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree!
DeleteI hurt for you, Magaly. Thank you for the nice prompt that you derived from it all. I went to Neil's link; I can hardly imagine living under the hardships that she endured for so long. Finally though, she gave up. I used to feel like that some days when I was a teen. Now I'd rather live, come H or High W.
ReplyDeleteAlso have read your Journal entries posted, the 2/6 stuff would have the bejesus scared out of me.
Not scared, but I have had a pain in my abdomen since 2001, I remember the first day, a story there, that the docs haven't been able to figure out. But just this year an internal medicine doc who does surgery figured it out with help of the MRI. I have TWO abdominal hernias, one on each side. We knew of the left side, it didn't hurt and we decided to leave it, sticking out belly button and all. Now though it appears the 2001 pained right side that hurts worse and worse is all messed up inside. But the doc said he'd rather not attempt surgery at my age. Guess I might ask for pain management if I can't tolerate it anymore.
Again thanks, for the painful now knowing, prompt. Mine doesn't exactly fit her quote but it is a true dream. The prompt has many sides to explore and/or bring things to mind (muse??).
..
I am so glad someone was able to figure out what's wrong, Jim. Knowing is always better, at least for me. And I think that your entry was perfect for the prompt. I enjoyed immensely. One of my latest favorites by you.
DeleteGood day, folks!
ReplyDeleteLoved that Neil Gaiman quote. Real life can throw up some stuff that writers cannot imagine.
I will be back later to read. It's way past midnight here, and i have planned a bike ride tomorrow.
I hope you had a fantastic ride!
DeleteSo sorry yo hear of your struggles Margaly. Keep to your fight, it is in tge battle that we find the way to victory, and health can certainly bd a battle. My wufe found out three weeks ago that she has cancer. She has been througho a barrage of appointments with an oncologist, an ENT surgeon, tests, blood draws, biopsies, CT scans, and PET scans. She finds out Monday what the Fred Hutch Cancer Center diagnostic panel has devised for her procedure and surgery regimen. Stay strong Margaly. I am doing my best to be my wife’s soldier in her battle.
ReplyDeleteMagaly, you are truly a brave warrior. I hope your health improves.
DeleteMr. Linky was a no-show, so you can read mine at:
https://purplepeninportland.com/2023/02/19/the-great-poppyseed-experiment/
Rob, I hope your wife's cancer treatment isn't a terrible one. The fact that she's a fighter (and that she has your support) will help so much.
DeleteSara, Thank you so much.
Delete