Random Thoughts- Do They Have Meaning?: June 2011

This is a piece of fiction for The Red Dress Club based upon the following prompt: This week, Carrie asked you to write flash fiction - 300 words maximum - inspired by the word "Life."

“I try to be the guy I want to be when I am with her,
but it doesn't work.

We ran our course,
sailed the sea and saw the things that we could,

and now two ships sail where one should be”

Several decades ago the sailor thought that he had tired of chasing the siren song of the sea and settled for a life other than he had planned. Wind and waves gave way to a land locked life that appeared to be all that he needed.

Time passed and he began to hear the whispers of his former mistress calling out to him. For a long while he fought the sweet sounds of the sailor’s life and forced himself to focus upon the life that he was living.

And then one day the sounds of the sea slipped their bonds and surged from his subconscious into daylight. The fiction that he had created was swept away and the veil upon his eyes lifted and the sailor knew that a change was coming.

But years of slumber had shorn of him of the keen edge that he had used to sail safely through the stormy waters of his past. For a long while fear of the future and what could happen kept him from doing what needed to be done.

Eventually it became clear that he could only hide for so long and he began to prepare for what must come. So he set out to climb the hill that had become his sanctuary upon land and for a time sought succor there.

And then when he could no longer ignore the cries of life and the sweet siren song the sea sung for him he climbed down. The storm was upon him and the time for action had come.

If you are interested in reading past submissions for The Red Dress Club you can look at the links below. Most are located upon my primary blog TheJackB. Periodically I have a need to post here so...

Jack Speaks About The Burning River

Dog interrupted my train of thought- I was derailed on this one. ;)

Friday Night Music Madness

Love The Way You Lie- Eminem - ft. Rihanna
Goodbye- Emmylou Harris
The Boxer-Emmylou Harris
Angel- Sarah McLachlan and Emmylou Harris
Helter Skelter- The Beatles
Numb/Encore- Linkin Park/Jay Z
Fuck You- Cee Lo Green
Your Time Is Gonna Come- Led Zeppelin
Go Your Own Way- Fleetwood Mac
Rolling In The Deep- Adele
Gimme Shelter- Rolling Stones

Go the F**k to Sleep - read by Samuel L. Jackson

via youtube.com

Posted via email from thejackb's posterous

What Do You Want

What do you want? It sounds like a simple and relatively innocuous question. And in many ways it is. A throwaway question that we pose to our children in the hopes that they will give us an answer that is easy to fulfill.

Something along the lines of, "I am hungry" or "I am thirsty" to which we can say here is an apple and a glass of water. Quick, easy and done.

But there is more to it than that. It is a deeper question as well that we can and should ask of ourselves. It is what we say when we are trying to determine what bring us happiness and fulfillment. Some people are lucky and know the answers to these questions and they don't have to ask it.

Others need to explore and investigate these things so that they can make determinations and create plans to turn their wants/desires into reality.

But there are other situations in which interaction between people raises questions and you ask what do you want out of curiosity and anger. You ask because their actions are incongruent with their words and you wonder if they wish to engage in honesty or continue to play games.

Do you know what you want or are you merely passing the time while life passes you by.

Jack The Therapist

Not many of you are aware that the Mayo Clinic uses me as a reference. Click on the picture below and you'll see that someone tried searching for what do i do if i don't love my husband any more.

The Mayo Clinic Uses Me As a Reference

Lo and behold they ended at a post called I Don't Love My Husband Anymore. Mind you that was a part of Fragments of Fiction which is as it sounds...fiction. If you like that kind of thing I encourage you to check it out over here.

I love these keyword searches- I see them as being kind of quirky. Take a look at this ridiculous list of some of the ones that led people here:

favorite song lyrics
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In a 2007 study by Gordon Gallup Jr., professor of psychology at the University of Albany, a majorit
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what is the meaning The more things change the more they stay the same!
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If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?
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If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I?
unlikely love stories
an example of a rant
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middle aged depression
won't back down meaning
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youtube snl cheeseburger skit
rollin with the punches meaning
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inappropriate 911 calls
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# If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And
how do jews toilet
playing with telemarketers
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the heart has reasons that reason does not understand meaning
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Father's Day Dreams

I am transfixed by this video. Just can't watch it enough. Tried to describe some of it in the audio below but I don't think that I really did it justice. Still, go listen and I'll wait for you to come back:

This video has my attention because it ties into the dreams of the little boy and the man that live inside my head. I watch the grace and the majesty of Michael Jordan and dream a bit of being able to play like him. But though reality dictates that is not going to happen I wonder if perhaps I might be able to be that good in other areas.

Who says that I can't. Who sets limits on what I can or can't do. No one other than myself and that drives me. That motivates me to do more for myself and for my kids because there is no better role model for them than myself..

As a father that is what I want. I want them to live a life where they live their dreams and do more than they thought that they could. I want them to push themselves. I want them to reach a bit farther and a little bit higher because sometimes the difference between dreaming your life and living your dreams is that one extra push. Take one more step, try one more time and you can get there.

Sometimes when they tell me they're frustrated I remind them of what life was like when they were learning how to walk. Every time they fell down they got back up and tried again. That is what I want them to do now and forever. Fall down and get back up.

And now my friends I have something to help your family create some special moments. Join me in the 2011 Father’s Day Grill Giveaway. The details are as follows:

“Brad’s Deals is giving away a brand new Kenmore grill, steak, and accessories. To enter, Click here.

Why Do You Blog?

Listen on Posterous

Why do you blog? Have you ever thought about it? Do you do it for fun? Is it business related? What drives you and how long do you think you will keep on doing it?

Posted via email from thejackb's posterous

It Was Just Coffee

This is a post for the Red Dress Club. Normally it would appear at my primary blog, but today I felt like mixing it up. It is based upon the following prompt:
We'd like you to write about what your character wants most.

Which reminds me of the scene in Good Will Hunting when Robin Williams' character asks Matt Damon's character, Will, what he wants. And Will can't answer. Because he doesn't really know.

Do you know what you want most? Does your character? Write a piece of 600 words or less

Johnny looked out the window and watched his past walk into the present. He had arrived early so that he could choose a seat that would allow him to look out the window and watch the people walking by.

Until a moment ago he had been unsuccessfully doing his best to distract himself with a copy of the local paper. Had you asked him to tell you why he looked up when he did he would have shrugged his shoulders but the truth was far different.

For lack of a better description he had felt a disturbance in the force and looked up just in time to see her park the car. He watched as she adjusted her mirror, applied some fresh lipstick and made whatever adjustments women make before they go see that guy.

A mixture of anger and excitement washed over him and he wondered if this was a smart idea. Time and circumstances had torn them apart. Now they lived in different cities and the only reason that he was there was for a business meeting that couldn’t be conducted by telephone.

She hadn’t wanted to see him and had told him so. She said that she didn’t think it was a good idea but he had pushed her to join him for a cup of coffee and nothing more. He was just about to give up when suddenly she shifted gears and said ok.

They gave each other a hug that was both awkward and familiar and sat down. At least that is how it had started and then things had gotten strange. Maybe strange wasn’t the word for it. Maybe it was more accurate to say that he couldn’t remember the last time he felt so scared and so alive.

He wasn’t the only one who had carried anger and hurt. He wasn’t the only one who felt like they hadn’t gotten what they had deserved. The conversation at the coffee shop had gotten tense and intense very quickly. So he had suggested that they walk, silently dreaming/hoping that she would come to his room.

And she had. But before she came out she had explained that she was coming up so that they could talk openly and nothing more. He said that he didn’t expect nor want anything else. It wasn’t true but he wasn’t about to say different.

It hadn’t taken more than a minute for him to realize that the fire still burned for him and he hoped for her. At the same time he sort of hoped that he was fooling himself. The idea of being with her was intoxicating but so very frightening.

It wouldn’t take much to reopen the wounds of the past. But he had promised himself that if he ever got a chance again to take it.

So when she said nothing was going to happen he lied and said ok. He figured that she was lying too, but didn’t do anything to destroy the fiction she had created to give herself permission to go with him.

The conversation was a both heated and tender. There were harsh words spoken and for a moment it had looked like it would end badly. And then he wrapped his arms around her. For a moment she was stiff, but he whispered softly in her ear and asked her to look at him.

Later on she would say that he had kissed her first and he said it was her. One kiss was all it took and nothing was ever the same again.

And by special request here are links to past Red Dress Club Posts:

Links to Past TRDC posts:

Random Thoughts- Do They Have Meaning?

You Are a Part Of The Social Media Revolution

The Sea Calls