It was probably a warm and sunny morning in late May 1995,when Christopher Reeves set off to participate in an equestrian event.
The American actor is well known for his role as Superman. He may even have felt pretty confident the day would go his way.
Little did he know his life was about to change forever. He fell from his horse, landing on his head and leaving him paralysed from the neck down for the rest of his life.
I think we should think about and remember this true story, from time to time.
I would like to change the word ‘ Where’ in today’s Prompt, to ‘ How’.
In 10 years time I would like to be breathing. Healthy and mobile. Secure and content.
What are 5 everyday things that bring you happiness?
It makes me happy to stand at the open door with a cup of coffee listening to and watching the birds go about their day. I love that.
To be out in nature with my dog. Especially now that Spring is kicking in and the world is coming to life, and there is warmth in the sun.
After a busy times, it makes me so happy not to have to be anywhere…or should that be somewhere? Lol. Freedom is a wonderful thing!
Between my home and next door, out front, is a raised bed. A few months ago my neighbour gave me permission to do with it as I will.I planted bulbs and various young plants. It makes me happy to tend to that and generally pottering around
And…gratitude. Being grateful. Counting my blessings. How can that not make you happy?
Whilst I am on the subject of gratitude, I would like to thank you my subscribers. For those of you who read and acknowledge my posts. That ‘ like’ tells me you were here and where you are from. I love it when you comment, so please do say hello. ‘ til next time..
I just made the big mistake of deciding to have a ‘quick game’ on my tablet before I came to WordPress. Of course, it wasn’t a quick game, was it? At least 40 minutes passed before I got here and read coincidentally our DP today is about having fun. It’s true, I was having fun. Or was I? Maybe just consumed by the black hole which has become our devices. Not much exercise to be had here, other than our fingers and hopefully some grey matter.
Picture this…..It’s a warm, bright sunny day. In a garden somewhere the grass is as green as it could possibly be. The flower beds full of colour. In the middle is a paddling pool. A hose runs with fresh and probably chilly water. A dog runs in and out of the small children as they shriek with glee. The one with the hose being IT for the moment. They are in a safe space and free to scream and shout, to their little hearts content. This is kids having fun. Their cognitive creativity peaks around 6 years old. Motor skills, imagination, problem solving and balance ease up at this age and they begin to mimic the ‘grown ups’ around them. If they are not lucky this can have quite a detrimental effect, I think to myself.
Research suggests that adults lose their sense of fun in their early 40’s. Saying that around 42 years of age, things change somewhat. I wonder if that goes for 40 somethings who have a passion? Surfing, hand gliding or skiing, for example. Surely it would still be fun to do those things at any age, as long as you are fit enough to do so?
These days having fun for me is maybe having lunch out and/or window shopping with a friend, simple things in life. Again not too much exercise going on there, though.
I get to have some fun the three times a day I go out with my boy. I’m not a fair weather dog walker. We’ll go out in whatever. I’m happy to see him having a good time, running like the wind-ish, eating sun-dried sheep’s poo or swimming in the streams. He’s a bit of a bruiser and he has trained me well. He’s taught me how he likes things done and when. I’d say that the walking is exercise and we have fun. So, there it is WP, I’ve answered today’s question.
As we are given a Daily Prompt and not a ‘ Brief’, I want to tell you about a book I was given over twenty years ago. Take into consideration I have lived quite the transient life and for this to still be in my possession says a lot.
When you move around you cannot ‘ hang onto things’, to be a hoarder would be a luxury. Well, perhaps not. But you get my drift. When a person gifts me with something I’m grateful for their thoughtfulness and generosity. The item becomes precious, as is this, for several,reasons. (I thank you PN)
For clarity, transparency, call it what you will, I will state here that I am not a religious person, but I do respect the path some folk take. You would be more likely find me in a book shop eyeing books about Paganism or Buddhism. Each to our own.
Mister God, This Is Anna, is an extraordinary little book of less than 200 pages. Published in 1974 and written by Sydney Hopkins with the psudonym Fynn.
In the book Fynn then aged 16 finds an abandoned and neglected four year old girl wandering the streets of docklands, on a cold and foggy night in 1930’s London. He takes her home to his parents where for a few years she amazes everyone around her with her intelligent, lively and curious precociousness. She has a luminous innocence and wisdom which dazzles Fynn. They bond quickly and become the firmest of friends.
It is a religious book, yes. However it is defiant of unscientific dogma. Physics, biology, maths are all of interest to Anna. Herself an instinctive theologian.
Her luminous innocence, wisdom and infinite relationship with Mr God and her friendship with Fynn are woven together in this story, which totally undercuts adult pretensions.
This is a fine book, which I am now ready to read again.
If you could be a character from a book or film, who would you be? Why?
I would choose to be Mowser, the companion cat to Tom, a Cornish fisherman. The book being The Mousehole ( mau-sel) Cat. A children’s book, written in 1991 ( but first written about in 1927).
In Cornwall on the south west coast of England is a fishing village called Mousehole. It got it’s name as it has a small single point of entry for the boats. Thus a mousehole.
Tom and Mowser lived a content and tranquil life, in a little cottage overlooking the sea. Daily they would go out fishing and at tea time Tom would cook them an array of delicious meals, which they enjoyed together, before they relaxed into the evenings.
One winter the weather was particularly stormy and the villagers were all bordering on starvation. Tom bravely chose to venture, out to save the town and of course Mowser went with him.
Everyone was aware they had gone out but when they did not return they lit lanterns and put candles in their windows, to guide them home to safety.
Meanwhile during their trip the storm intensified and manifested itself as a giant Storm Cat. This is where Mowser came into her own. From her steady purring came a voice as sweet as an angel and she managed to soothe the tempest. An operatic song which lulled the Storm Cat to sleep.
They had a particularly successful catch that night and they returned to with enough of seven kinds of fish to feed the entire village, making Stargazy Pies.
*This story is from Cornish folklore and each Bawcock (Tom) Eve is celebrated in Mousehole, where the villagers raise their glasses in his honour. There are lantern lit possions, carol singing and of course Stargazy Pie for all.
** It would have been a happy life for Mowser. Who wouldn’t want to be her? **
Dogs,dogs,dogs……and more dogs! Having said that if granted enough time on this planet and the opportunity to do so I’d would love to give a good home to a cat and some chickens.
The following was written by Billy Collins in 1998. Twice US Poet Laureate….
Good morning WordPress/Daily Prompt. You ask us about doing a job for free. From the off let’s be clear one would have to be pretty much financially secure to take on such a commitment. Sadly most of us aren’t, so what we do instead is volunteer, when and where we can. I’ve had a few such jobs/activities/the right word being? over the years. For now I’m having a breather between lives, chapters, if you will. Most likely when I find my final resting place (no not that one!) ( still in transient mode?) I shall pick up the threads of ‘ helping out’, once again.
With that question answered I shall go off piste a little.
Whilst I was considering this morning’s prompt my mind wandered to a dear friend of mine. We live in different parts of England but message each other often. Sometimes we chat about screen time. What we have seen and enjoyed, or not, if that is the case.
To said friend I recommend a programme and she responded that her eldest son had also mentioned it and she was going to decline. To be fair it wasn’t easy watching, but not a horror story either. Not in the Stephen King sense of creepy. She was right, in some aspects it wasn’t that pleasant to watch, the story I mean, not the performances. ‘ I’m too scared, to see it ‘ she said. A certain kind of ‘ hell on Earth’ exists in varying forms all over the world, sadly, and having devoted her whole life to children, her own and as a professional in Child Services, she had witnessed sad and difficult times in the families she monitored and assisted. So I didn’t push her further.
That hell on Earth, is now so widespread, it’s breath taking. Whether it be pollution on the most massive scale imaginable in our oceans/waterways, skies, land ( think pesticides ) and beyond. Destruction, cruelty, intolerance, greed, inequality.. ambivalence. There is no end to the ways Man finds to destroy the world which he depends on. Crudely digging up all the preciousness and literally filling those holes with rubbish.
What exactly is being put back, to enrich and enhance our existence on the beautiful planet we are intent on destroying, inside out?
If only all the power and energy and resources to do so where ploughed back in, it could surely be a place to be proud of. And wouldn’t the gods be happy? It’s what they intended, surely?
Shouldnt we all be paying some form of rent to reside here?
To all the beautiful souls who do volunteer ( especially you SB), I thank you.
What Olympic sports do you enjoy watching the most?
I certainly respect all the sports people aiming high. The hours of dedication they must have put in. Maybe a talent they were born with? Their dedication is admirable. But for me this is the best race ever…..
IN THE BOOMER PIGEON HOLE? 
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