I’m trying to do more ‘personal blogging’ though not yet succeeding. Predominantly I want to just write more and focus less on book reviews, which often feel as if they’re a chore rather than something I enjoy.
Denyse Whelan’s weekly link-up had the theme of ‘self-care stories’ this week. I think self-care is very individual and I’ve talked before about what I think it is and what it often means.
I know I’m prone to overthinking and pondering things that really require no deliberation. Perhaps it’s a consequence of living alone my entire adult life. Until social media presented itself I had no outlet for my thoughts or commentaries. In the absence of someone next to me to whom I can make witty observations or share snarky repartee I either post it on Twitter or Facebook, or allow the thought to marinate endlessly in my mind.
So, today I bring you some controversial thoughts that have been bubbling around my head of late. And yes, I know with the current Middle East crisis and bloody Covid there are more important matters needing attention. However…
I signed up for the Australian Writers Centre May Mojo Month. Ironically it’s all about reigniting our creative juices and getting our mojo back and yet I ended the first week with only five of the nine days of activities done. Mojo schmojo apparently.
It’s day ten and I’m now catching up on what I’ve missed. I blame a uni assignment, a few hours of paid work, some book reviews and much procrastination. Anyhoo…
I actually paused on day three first time around* because I really liked a point made about creating habits and I needed to ponder it more. Regular readers may realise I believe stuff will only be absorbed into my psyche if I overthink about it. A lot.
An old post popped up on my Facebook feed this morning. And it surprised me. I’ve been such a misery guts for the past year I’ve forgotten I was sometimes happy and pleasant to be around.
In 2016 I was catching up with someone I’d seen a day or two before I left my old life in Brisbane – one resplendent with money, respect, a sense of purpose and lots of stress – for my seachange. Her visit had me pondering the difference between my old life and new life. And apparently I decided I was a million times happier.
I’ve been extremely slack on the personal blogging front of late. I’ve even struggled to get book reviews done and several have wallowed in my website drafts folder for far longer than usual.
My thoughts are weighty at the moment and it’s been easier to keep them firmly locked inside my mind. It’s probably not healthy but I’ve rehashed the good ol’ life purpose / meaning of life / direction I want my life to take thing again and again here, so will save you from that angst. Instead I’ll do a light check-in post… just to get my out of my blogging slump.
We’ve been really lucky here in Australia as we’ve had very few cases of the Coronavirus and our state governments, in particular, have gotten onto any COVID cases or ‘outbreaks’ (as we call them with some good ol’ Aussie exaggeration) very quickly. The latest in my state of Queensland – four community contracted cases announced yesterday – resulted in a lockdown of our state’s capital and increased distancing requirements throughout the rest of the Queensland while contact tracing goes ahead.
Because our cases have been pretty sporadic, details involving most individual cases are lapped up by the media. I’m conscious that wouldn’t happen if we had hundreds or thousands of cases but just a few means that our health departments and media outlets diligently share the movements of those testing positive.
I got my first reading glasses just over a year ago. I’ve been wearing glasses for over two decades and am very short sighted. My close / near vision is fine but as I’ve gotten older I’m struggling more with the in-between.
Finally after realising I kept peering over my glasses with my face inches from the computer screen I got reading glasses for when I’m working on the computer.
This meme / image* was doing the rounds on Facebook and Twitter over the past week or two. People were commenting with their childhood dreams or aspirations.
Most responses were career-oriented. Some seemed happy they’d pursued their passions. Some had a sense of regret or perhaps resolution. Others realised their childish fantasies were exactly that. Childish. Fantasies.
I was cruising along quite nicely until a couple of weeks ago. And when I say cruising I mean unemployed, overweight, unfit and feeling a tad unfulfilled in general. But… in the overall scheme of things I wasn’t throwing myself onto my bed in fits of depression or moaning TOOOOO much on social media.
I had an assignment due for university that was well in hand. I had accepted a paying editing gig (editing a novel). And I was finally back at my exercise class after multiple injuries.