Welcome to Mindful Writing

How easy is it to take out your phone or tablet, pull up your social media of choice, word vomit 250 characters (if there's a limit), hit enter, and then promptly regret whatever it was you wrote?

Thank goodness I'm not famous or a few thousand people would have screen shot me misspelling the word six.

Though I find that the ability to type on a keyboard is a skill unto itself, I don't find myself worrying all that much when writing on my phone or tablet. Heck I rely so much on autocorrect when I fat-finger a word that I don't always notice when it corrects to something ridiculous. 

If there wasn't a standardization for submitting fiction and poetry to different journals, I probably wouldn't even notice that there were font options. (Granted I use comic sans for my webcomic - but that's a joke unto itself.) 

I don't notice the individual letters on the screen I'm reading from, just the words. And the words are important, but someone had to create the template that the program pulls together the letter images to form those words.

Last Christmas, my sister and brother-in-law gave me a beautiful glass pen which requires ink from an inkwell to use and a calligraphy book. I've only recently started trying them out.

And I love it!

An example of my work... it's not perfect, but I'm getting there.

There is something so satisfying gracefully crafting each letter into existence. I have to think before and during each stroke I make. The calligraphy book I'm working in describes the act as drawing instead of writing. I'm inclined to agree.

This isn't my first time trying out calligraphy. I grew up seeing the beautiful work from Japanese and Chinese writers and artists in my relatives homes and in museums. In middle school, we had a calligraphy section in my art classes where I epically failed at trying to draw Japanese kanji (my Japanese cousins had fun pointing out how I kept poorly writing the days of the week).

Eventually my interests drifted elsewhere, but I held on to some of my art work from that period in my life (until I left home and then it was lost - most likely - to the trash bin). However, that didn't lessen my appreciation of the artform when I came across it.

I have a few friends who have absolutely beautiful handwriting. It's almost enviable. One of my friends sends me letters and I almost want to frame them because her penmanship is unbelievable. Another of my friends actively wrote with a pen and inkwell during writing critique sessions. Though his critiques could be a blow to my ego, they always looked amazing.

As someone who struggled with writing for a long time, I never thought of my handwriting as "pretty". I remember my aunt once saw my penmanship while I was working on my travel journal to Japan. She was appalled and had me practice each letter every day at the kitchen table. My 11 year old self spent 6 weeks in Japan and for 6 weeks my aunt made certain I'd be able to read that journal nearly twenty years later. 

(I still have that journal. That handwriting is still awful. I was obsessed with food. I can see the improvement over the weeks.)

I would argue that my current journey into calligraphy is more meditative than anything. Unlike when I write a letter to a friend or type up my latest blog post, I'm completely focused on each movement I make with the pen. Each stroke must be carefully made or the ink might stain or the letter might look deformed. I relax and block out the outside world.

I do something similar when doing yoga, shooting a gun (at a designated target range), or actually meditating (there I'm usually focused on breathing). My problems melt away and I am in the moment - enjoying the moment.

If you're struggling to find something new to do or want to develop mindfulness, why not try calligraphy. It will be tough at first, but don't worry about what your work looks like at the beginning. The beauty will come with time. What you might find (or at least I hope you do) is the peaceful feeling that comes when focused on one task while the rest of the world doesn't matter.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week...maybe.

Welcome to the Holiday Season with COVID

 Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away. Despite my stubborn vow to never travel during Thanksgiving after a disastrous incident with my flights in 2014, I often find myself scrambling to make travel arrangements for the winter holidays. 

I hate am not very fond of it.

Maybe I'll find some flying reindeer to help me out.

Don't get me wrong. I love traveling and have no problem getting on a plane, train, or bus any other time of year. It's just the period between mid-November and the first weekend in January that sets my teeth on edge. 

And if I am going to travel, I'm going to do my best to make sure its by car. I have a lot more freedom that way.

This year has really thrown a wrench in my usual holiday plans. COVID is no joke and there has been a serious uptick in cases in recent weeks. Though I understand that my risk of having complications - if I catch the disease - are minimal, that doesn't mean I don't worry. Especially because I do check in on people who could be devastated by COVID.

Though I have really wanted to, I haven't gotten on a plane since February (for a work trip) and I don't plan on getting on a plane any time soon (unless there's an unavoidable work trip). There are so many places (mainly Maine and Arizona to visit my cousins) that I have wanted to go to. I'm going crazy being stuck in Northern Virginia, even if there are a lot of things to do. I'm a wanderer. I need to wander.

Already airlines are starting to see an uptick in travel plans, though not nearly to the point they would be any other year. People have been away from home and their families for a long time. The time between Thanksgiving and New Years is a major family gathering time in the United States. There's even a Christmas Song dedicated to this annual migration ("Oh There's No Place Like Home For the Holidays").

If you can, stay home this year. Plan a small(er) celebration. Create some new traditions. Maybe have a celebration on Zoom or Skype. 

If you can't...please stay as safe as you can. Most hotels are doing a fantastic job social distancing and cleaning. Restaurants in my area are fanatical about cleanliness and mask wearing. 

And I'm not saying that you shouldn't visit or welcome family who want to see you. Two of my aunts just came down from Michigan to visit me and we had a lovely time. Before they came, they made sure they didn't have COVID and took a lot of precautions while driving down. They didn't fly.

Telling you guys not to travel would be hypocritical of me (especially since I've already mentioned that I was in a wedding about a month ago).

COVID is serious. The unrest in some major cities over the results of the election are serious. Your mental health and wellbeing are serious.

Any travel you plan, plan it carefully and safely. Wear masks, carry hand sanitizer, travel by car instead of plane or train, and pack lots of snacks. Your family will want to see you next year and the year after that too.

Happy Start of the Holidays everyone!

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to a Dancing in the Streets

 When I hear the phrase "dancing in the streets" my mind typically jumps to the David Bowie and Mick Jagger version of the song from 1993. However, the song is much older. Originally sung in 1965 by Martha & The Vandellas. 

The top comment right now on the video I linked is about dancing in the streets once the pandemic is declared over. I kind of hope it happens - especially after the past few days. 

I'm not gonna lie. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the US election was called. Things have been tense since 2016 and the past 10 months have only exacerbated the cracks that had formed in our country's foundation. There's a part of me that still can't relax despite the election being called because there are still three months before there's a transition of power. 

I wasn't dancing in the street, but I saw a lot of people out there. 

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about the epic saga that was the battle between the "Trump House" and the rest of the wealthy residents of Lewinsville Road. Well yesterday, I can report that the saga somewhat ended when the residents of the Pride House took to the streets to dance and let everyone passing by know who won.

I didn't see many others in my area taking to the streets - at least not in person. 

Part of me did want to drive into DC to see the celebrations at Black Lives Matter Plaza. The sane part of me also remembered that there is pandemic and parking is a pain in the butt (especially with the new wall around the White House). 

But I haven't wanted to dance. 

Or maybe I don't want to dance yet. 

There's so much going on in the world right now and I've been feeling exhausted - even when I don't feel like I've been doing anything. The stress of the pandemic, making sure my family stays safe, and the monotony of spending everyday at home has started to get to me. I'd like to go out and meet new people (I did just move back to NoVa in March), maybe try dating again, take a trip overseas, or at least spend time with my old friends I haven't seen in years. 

So much has happened to me in a year. So much has changed. I like to believe that I'm doing alright, but there's always a slight worry that everything's going to fall apart if I let my guard drop too much.

The videos out of Philly, Detroit, DC, and LA have been amazing to see. So many people - particularly young people - outside celebrating. It's inspiring.

I'm not ready to dance yet, but I hope to someday soon.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Welcome to the Tragedy in Horror

 This past week, I watched the Netflix original The Haunting of Bly Manor. Based on the classic gothic horror novel, The Turn of the Screw, and a spiritual successor to the fabulous The Haunting of Hill House, I was excited to see how this mini series was going to do. 

I wasn't disappointed. 

Though I don't think The Haunting of Bly Manor is nearly as good as The Haunting of Hill House, I did enjoy watching it. And like the first miniseries, it left me crying my eyes out by the end.

Ghost Stories are Never Just About the Ghosts

At least good ghost stories are never just about the ghosts. 

At their heart ghost stories are about people. Their actions, their emotions, and what they leave behind. My favorite ghost stories not only scare me, but also leave me in tears. The tragedy is part of the horror. 

One of the first ghost stories I remember watching as a kid was The Others (2001). I'd seen other horror movies as a kid (Arachnophobia might have hindered my interest in spiders for a few years), but not many serious ghost stories.

And boy did I have an interest in ghosts and haunted houses as a kid.

One of my favorite shows as a kid was the History Channel's Haunted History series. They'd go to cities, visit some haunted locations and explain the history with some ghost stories thrown in. It wasn't like the ghost hunting shows that are on now. You can find a lot of them on Amazon Prime (though it takes some digging to find them) and a few channels on YouTube.

So, when I watched The Others, my kid self was expecting a haunted house story. I was not ready for the twist ending or how much I was going to cry (and I was one of those kids that cried at the drop of a hat). 

I freaking loved it.

The Others is a ghost story about ghosts not knowing they're dead and their need to come to terms with that. Their feelings of isolation, hopelessness, and guilt permeate the film. The horror isn't that there are ghosts haunting a house, but how they handle the stressful situations they are in. 

Going back to The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, much of the horror is realizing who was fated to die, how they were unable to prevent it, and the response to those deaths. Nell's death in particular ticks all of these boxes. 

We learn that Nell is dead in the first episode of The Haunting of Hill House. Her spirit is waiting in her brother Steve's apartment when he gets home. He grumbles to her for a bit, then he gets a phone call from his dad stating she's dead, and finally we get that awesome jump scare. Much of the rest of the series that takes place in the present focuses on how her death brought her family back together.

However, we do get a full episode dedicated to Nell's life. We see her falling in love, getting married, and then losing her husband to an unforeseeable health problem. We see her pain and deepening depression as she struggles with her husband's death. I wanted to see her get better. I wanted her to be happy.

Throughout the episode, we also see the bent neck lady haunting Nell. She shows up at some of the worst moments of Nell's life - including the death of her husband. Right before going back to Hill House, Nell sees her again. I don't know if this vision was the final straw for Nell to go to the house or if she would have gone regardless of seeing her, but she goes back to the house. And she relives some of her happiest moments with her family. She even dances with her husband again like she did on her wedding day.

She seems so happy, even though we, the audience, know it's not real. We want Nell to be happy. But she's destined to die. We've known this from episode one. When she does die (and we find out who the bent neck woman is) we're horrified. I was so upset that I burst into tears. 

Same thing happened at the end of the series, when Steven is learning the whole truth of his mother's death. The ending of Bly Manor also left me in tears between the lady of the lake (though I honestly didn't need an entire episode dedicated to her), Hannah, Rebecca, and the inevitable death of Dannie.

I was horrified and full of sorrow.

I seem to like these types of horror stories a lot.

A couple of nights ago, despite knowing that I was going to cry again anyway, I decided to put on the movie Paranorman (2012) after finishing Bly Manor. Paranorman is one of Laika studio's best all around animated films. It's got horror, humor, and one of the biggest tear-jerk moments in a movie about witches and zombies. 

If you haven't seen the movie, I recommend going and watching (because I might spoil a couple of key plot points) it. Norman is a little different - mainly because he can talk to dead people like the kid in the Sixth Sense. He's given the responsibility of reading the spirit of a witch a bed time story to keep her asleep for another year. He fails, zombies rise from their graves, and the town descends into chaos.

The resolution and ending is so sad.

(Spoilers - next paragraph)

Nothing bad happens to Norman. It's the witch's story that's depressing. Because of course the witch wasn't actually a witch. She was a little girl like Norman - a little different. She was killed because they were afraid of her.

(Spoilers - ended)

No matter how much I'm enjoying the movie, I know that I'm going to be in tears by the end. That doesn't stop me from watching, but I do have to prepare myself for it.

Go watch Paranorman, it's great. Plus there is this hilarious scene where you find out one of the characters is gay and it's one of the best reveals I've ever watched. 

But this is my opinion on horror stories. I can't just be terrified or in a state of anxiety the whole time. Tragedy rounds out the story and adds depth to characters' back stories...especially if they're ghosts. 

Why are some of my favorite horror movies also ones that make me cry?

Probably because I like ghost stories, where the ghosts aren't what's really doing the haunting.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.