Wind,Rain,Winding Roads & Sunshine, The By-Ways of Life: A To Z Blog Challenge

Sporting A To Z Blog Wear

Well, I’m a pretty happy cookie, today. April was the month of the A to Z Blog Challenge, and I was a participant. We had to post a blog article a day, except on Sundays.

My theme was a continuation from one of the books, I’m writing. Being an ExPat American, living in a country, where English is not the native language, I depend on the comments and ideas from my networking writers’ communities to let me know how my manuscript is coming across to them.

Therefore, the A to Z Blog Challenge is the format that I chose three years ago to get feedback on The Child and The Prophet, and I have not been disappointed.

This was my third challenge, and I found that the hosts and co-hosts did an outstanding job this year. Maybe, it is because I became more involved. I really tried to support our team.

In the end, I, not only finished the Challenge but I achieved my goals.

So, here I am showing off my A TO Z BLOG TEE SHIRT. I am a Survivor and like a kid, I’ve rediscovered Christmas in May. It came today, and I couldn’t resist putting it on and going out to eat lunch. I was sporting, Yeah!!! Of course, no one here in Germany understands what it means, but that didn’t matter. Still, I got lots of looks and heard people murmuring, “That’s a cool tee shirt.”

Thank you once again, Alex, Arlee, Stephen and all you wonderful co-hosts at A to Z. You have done an outstanding job, and to all of you bloggers out there who participated, let me say, it was my pleasure to blog with you this year, and I look forward to blogging in the challenge with you in 2016.

Shalom,

Pat Garcia

Posted by Pat Garcia at 06:10 PM in A To Z Blog Challenge, Blog posts, Thank You | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Reflection: Keep Pressing Toward The Mark

As I began the A to Z Blog Challenge, I had three goals.

1. To reach out by reading five new blogs a day and leave comments.

2. To become a part of the team, not as a leader, but a blog supporter and thereby support the efforts of the leaders who gave so much of themselves before the challenge started.

3. To continue with my allegorical story, The Child and The Prophet, which began in 2013 and is a work in progress.

On Friday morning, May 1^st, I had a big smile on my face. I had reached my goals; I was still pressing toward the mark.

I met writers with fiction and non-fictional works, and photographers with the talent to capture the nuances of scenes that make people think. All these blogs strengthened my endurance and perseverance muscles, and each blog challenged me to keep pressing toward the mark.

Stretching my writing ability, I:

Used new writing techniques and wrote my first soliloquy,

Learned the discipline to edit an article by throwing out what I liked and keeping what was needed,

Disciplined myself to stay under 300 words, constantly refining, by using new vocabulary, exploring the use of grammar and punctuation to develop my style,as I pressed toward the mark.

Stress is unavoidable. Reprioritizing is mandatory. I learned to minimize stress by reprioritizing, a necessary tool when pressing toward the mark.

So I leave the challenge with a good taste in my mouth. I wish each of you bloggers, writers, and photographers the very best. We have done well.

Now, keep pressing toward the mark.

Shalom,

Pat Garcia

Posted by Pat Garcia at 11:26 AM in A To Z Blog Challenge, Blog posts, The Child and The Prophet | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

Zenith

From afar The Child saw the sleepy town covered in the dawning light.

The Prophet stood on her right.

“What do you see, Child?”

“On the horizon, I see the sun as it appears,

Moving upward toward the Heaven.

A sleepy town stands afar,

Awaking into a new day.

Strangers with unknown faces

Appear before my eyes.

What I behold is scary,

Yet, the call of what’s beyond,

The call to the Zenith,

Spurs me on.

Beyond the horizon,

Where Heaven meets earth,

Awaits me my three dear friends:

Mr. Whale with his blue hairless skin,

Mr. Eagle with his hunter’s eyes,

And the lily pad with her heart-shaped face.

Your tender voice,

That whispers in my ear,

The memories that make me giggle,

The strand of trust,

That causes me to move one foot after the other,

Is what I hear.

I see the pinnacle.

It’s leading me toward the x-intercept,

And I hear your voice as you cry out,

Very good, Child, you have done well.

Upward, I’m going,

How far I do not know.

The appointment to be there

Pulls me forward.

It’s the zenith I seek.”

The Child turned toward The Prophet.

“Go ahead, dear Prophet,

Leave your charge.

My task lies ahead.

I’ll meet you around the bend.”

And The Prophet disappeared before her eyes.

The Child walked toward the strange town with its people. The wind caressed her face.

A voice hummed in the wind,

“Well done, my Child,

I’ll see you around the bend,”

A triumphant smile appeared on her face,

And she quickened her pace.

“Thank you, dear Prophet,”

She said,

“I’ll see you around the bend.”

Shalom,

Pat Garcia

Posted by Pat Garcia at 12:17 PM in A To Z Blog Challenge, Blog posts, The Child and The Prophet | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)

Yield

“Yield, Prophet, before the next wave.”

“Whatever for, Child?”

“You’re moving much too fast.”

“Let the waves carry you.”

“I don’t want the waves to carry me, so yield.”

“Step on the waves and pick up your momentum.”

Reluctantly, The Child obeyed and stepped on the waves and came up beside The Prophet.

“Prophet?”

“Yes, Child?”

“What’s momentum?”

“That you know, Child.”

“Velocity?”

“You tell me. Why are you stalling?”

“Everything’s coming at me.”

“Not everything, Child.”

“And what if I decide to yield?”

“The compiling exigencies will force you to handle.”

“Prophet, what are exigencies?”

“That too you know, Child.”

“I need to yield for a moment.”

“You don’t have a moment.”

“But you said…”

“Look, see the land ahead. Isn’t the coastline beautiful?”

The Child closed her eyes to the beauty of the coastline.

“Open your eyes, Child.”

“I don’t want too.”

“I thought you told the lily pad, Mr. Whale, and Mr. Eagle that you’d see them around the bend.”

“Then let’s go around the bend,” said The Child.

“The way around the bend leads through this territory.”

“Isn’t there another way? Can I yield and check out my bearings?”

“Your bearings are correct.”

“Going this way, how long will it take me?”

“It depends.”

“On…?”

“How often you yield.”

“You mean it’s possible to yield here?”

“Of course, it is. Many travellers have been persuaded to yield; self-debasement, self-hate, self-pity, self-deception, self-complacency, self-reproach, self-criticism and their friends have prevented many from getting around the bend.”

“Oh. This looks difficult.”

The Prophet chuckled and began skipping from wave to wave, spattering The Child with water.

The Child broke out into laughter and playfully spattered him back.

“If I don’t yield,” she said between chuckles, “What happens, Prophet?”

“I’ll meet you around the bend.”

Shalom,

Pat Garcia

Posted by Pat Garcia at 12:24 PM in A To Z Blog Challenge, Blog posts, The Child and The Prophet | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

X-Intercept

“X-intercept should be here, Prophet.”

“Are you sure?”

“I think so.”

“Look again.”

The Child looked out over the water; gentle waves were hitting her from behind her.

“The horizontal line of the x-axis is moving towards minus.”

“Which way does Mr. Whale want to move, Child?”

“In that direction, Prophet.”

“And Mr. Eagle?”

“He should be enjoying his gliding with the wind.”

“And is he?”

“It doesn’t look like it.”

“So, is your x coordinates correctly ordered, Child?”

“But everything seems right.”

“Is it?”

“You think we’re heading wrongly?”

“What do you think?”

“The sea is calm. I could sleep for ages on the lily pad.”

“Do you want to sleep for ages, Child?”

“You know I don’t.”

“So, what is your x-intercept?”

The Child closed her eyes and mentally checked the x-coordinates. She saw the route she was going would make her miss the x-intercept. Opening her eyes, she looked at The Prophet.

“X-intercept moves against the wind,” She said solemnly.

“Say goodbye to your friends. They need the contrary winds to rise and fly and go out into the deep.”

Suddenly, the lily pad turned against the wind and placed The Child on the water.

“Go, lily pad. Take care. I’ll see you around the bend,” She said, standing up.

“Gaaaak, Mr. Eagle, fly. Don’t forget me. See you around the bend.”

She looked at Mr. Whale and then climbed on his back and her tears flowed. He was her very first friend.

“I love you, Mr. Whale. You’re so special. Don’t forget to meet me around the bend.” And she hugged his body so far as her arms could reach.

***

“What now, Prophet?”

“We’ve got a two days journey ahead of us, Child.”

“And then?”

“I’ll meet you around the bend.”

Shalom,

Pat Garcia

Posted by Pat Garcia at 12:27 PM in A To Z Blog Challenge, Blog posts, The Child and The Prophet | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

Wade

“Woo woo,

Dee bop bop,

Woo woo,

Dee bop da,

Wade,” yowled The Child.

“What are you doing, Child?”

“Wading, Prophet. Just wading my feet through the water.”

“Then, wade, Child.”

“Prophet? Yesterday was the hammer, wasn’t it?”

“Yesterday has passed, Child. Today, you're wading.”

“And what will I do tomorrow?”

“Is the water warm?”

“No,” The Child said, and in her melancholy voice, she yowled like a motherless panther,

“Woo woo,

Dee bop bop,

Woo woo,

Dee bop da,

Wade.”

She looked in the clear blue water; time was moving quicker than she desired. Soon Mr. Whale and Mr. Eagle would be on their way and the lily pad would be in a nice cosy cove for restoration.

"Now that I'm used to everything I have to do something else,” The Child mumbled softly to herself.

“Did you say something?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does matter, Child. You matter. You need to practice what you’ve learned.”

“Why can't we keep going? It's so nice just you and me, and the lily pad, and Mr. Eagle, and Mr. Whale?”

“Do you think you would be contented wading your feet in the water all the time?”

“Will I see them again?”

“They’ll meet you around the bend.”

“When will that be?”

“Whenever you get there, Child.”

The Child sighed.

“Thank you, Mr. Whale.”

“Gaaaak,” she mimicked to Mr. Eagle.

“Love you, Lily Pad.” And her tears fell.

She lifted her head toward Heaven, and in her pain, from the depth of her soul, she yowled,

“Woo woo,

Dee bop bop,

Woo woo,

Dee bop da,

Wade in de water,

Wade in de water, children,

Wade in de water,

God gonna trouble de water.”

“Oh yeah,” shouted The Prophet,

“Keep wading, Child.

God gonna trouble de water.”

Shalom,

Pat Garcia

Posted by Pat Garcia at 01:26 PM in A To Z Blog Challenge, Blog posts, The Child and The Prophet | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

Very

“Very good, Child, hold on to the dorsal fin,” The Prophet shouted. “Lean to the right, Child, Lean to the right!”

“I’m trying to lean,” The Child shouted back. “But I can’t lean and hold on to Mr. Whale too.”

Another wave, larger than before, appeared. Like a cylinder, it twirled on the ocean surface and started moving toward The Child.

“Okay, Mr. Whale, go get it! Let’s ride that wave,” The Child commanded, and Mr. Whale charged the wave’s wall.

“Very good, Child. That’s it! Hold on to the dorsal fin.”

“Oh, Prophet, I’m so tired,” The Child shouted over the noise of the ocean.

“You’re doing very good, Child. Hang in there. Let Mr. Whale carry you over the next wave,” He shouted back.

Suddenly, monster wave appeared from out of nowhere, tall, wide, and spinning as it threw fish caught up in its spin against the hard ocean surface.

The Child leaned forward and stretched herself out on Mr. Whale and closed her eyes.

“Oh, Prophet, why don’t you help me?”

Monster wave roared and prepared itself to attack. It lifted Mr. Whale up from the ocean and flung the both of them high in the air.

“Eeeeek,” The Child screamed.

“Gaaaak,” said Mr. Eagle, lifting her up from Mr. Whale’s back.

“Very good, Child. Mr. Eagle got you. You did very, very well,” The Prophet shouted.

Mr. Eagle flew her to The Prophet and dropped her gently on the Lily Pad.

“Why didn’t you help me?”

“You didn’t need help.”

“That wave could have killed me.”

“No, it couldn’t.”

“Yes, it could.”

“You did very well, Child.”

“You really thought I could do it.”

“Very much so, Child.”

“Why?”

“Very much is within you, Child that you have yet to discover.”

Shalom,

Pat Garcia

Posted by Pat Garcia at 01:10 PM in A To Z Blog Challenge, Blog posts, The Child and The Prophet | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBack (0)

Upward

“Up, Child,” The Prophet said.

“How much farther?”

“You have exactly six days.”

“Then what happens?”

“I thought you wanted to go upward.”

“I do, Prophet, but…”

“But what, Child?”

“Where will you be?”

“Where you will be.”

“I don’t understand, Prophet. How can you be where I will be if you’re going to pause too.”

The Prophet observed The Child; he saw her inner frustrations eating away at the proclamation she’d given the day before, and he knew she would have to force herself to break through her lethargy.

“Get up, Child.”

“But you just said I had six days, Prophet.”

“True.”

“Prophet?”

“Yes, Child?”

“I’ve been thinking about this upward thing?”

“In what way?”

“Well, it’s not bad walking on the water, playing with Mr. Whale, flying with Mr. Eagle and sleeping on Lily Pad.”

“Ah, so.”

“I’ve even gotten used to you, Prophet.”

“I know, Child.”

“So, I thought maybe we could stay on the water instead of pausing. Then I could reach my goal earlier.”

“It’s not that easy, Child.”

“Why not? Why go upward, when I can keep going?”

“It’s necessary.”

“For whom?”

“For you.”

“But what guarantee do I have that Mr. Eagle, Mr. Whale, and Lily Pad will be there when I have to take off again?”

“None.”

“Then, what will I do?”

“Oh, Child, you’re making things hard for yourself. Haven’t you learned that nothing is constant? Everything changes.”

The Child looked at The Prophet. Sadness and happiness mixed with fear had her almost to tears.

“Do I have to go upward, Prophet?”

“Only, if you want to reach your goal.”

Shalom,

Pat Garcia

Posted by Pat Garcia at 01:10 PM in A To Z Blog Challenge, Blog posts, The Child and The Prophet | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

To

“To be or not to be––that is the question,¹” recited The Child as she skipped across the sea, pulling the lily pad. “To stay or not to stay,” to go or not to go,” to sing or not to sing,” to move or not to move,” to write or not to write,” to do or not to do…”

“Halt, Child, and tell me why you’re reciting those phrases in your sing sing voice.”

“Who was Hamlet, Prophet?”

“Is that why you’re chanting infinitive phrases as you skip on the water?”

“What’s an infinitive phrase, Prophet?”

“What you were reciting.”

“Oh…Prophet?”

“Yes, Child.”

“Was Hamlet a real person?”

“His creator was.”

“And who was his creator?”

“Shakespeare.”

“You mean Shakespeare created him?”

“Yes.”

“But how?”

“By examining human character.”

“But how could he examine Hamlet when he hadn’t created him yet, Prophet?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Cause…”

“Child, Choice is given to everyone. You choose to do or not to do, to be or not to be, to go or not to go, to hear or not to hear. The decision is always yours.”

“So Hamlet had a choice?”

“Of course he did. Shakespeare wouldn’t have been a great creator if he had taken away his right to choose.”

“Oh,” she said. Frowns appeared on her forehead, and she stepped on her lily pad to sit and think.

“Prophet?”

“Yes, Child?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“You’ve always had a choice, Child, and you always will as long as you’re on your journey.”

“I like it, Prophet! The decision is mine,” And The Child laughed.

Solemnly, The Prophet bowed his head seeing the trials coming to test her conviction.

“Yes, Child, the decision will be yours.”

“Prophet?”

“Yes, Child?”

“What’s an infinitive phrase?”

Shalom,

Pat Garcia

¹Hamlet’s Soliloquy, Act 3, Scene 1, Hamlet, William Shakespeare, http://www.monologuearchive.com/s/shakespeare_001.html

Posted by Pat Garcia at 01:30 PM in A To Z Blog Challenge, Blog posts, The Child and The Prophet | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

So

“So.”

The Prophet observed the Child, standing before him with balled fists, crinkled forehead, and fire in her eyes, her back stiff with tension.

“So what, Child?”

“So when?”

“So when what, Child?”

“You know what I mean?”

“Tell me.”

“So you can avoid it? No.”

“Okay.”

“So why, Prophet?”

“So why what, Child?”

“So what’s the plan when we pause?”

The Prophet chuckled. Their harbor for the next eleven months wasn’t far away, and The Child sensed it.

“You’re laughing at me again.”

“No, Child, I never laughed at you. I’m just amused at your indomitability that sometimes defeats your own denouement. “

“So does that mean I’m bad.”

“No.”

“So what?”

“So what what?”

“About my indomitability that defeats my own denouement.”

“Sometimes, Child. I said, sometimes.”

“So?”

“Look at Mr. Whale. What’s he doing?”

“Navigating while he swims beside the lily pad.”

“And Mr. Eagle?”

“Scouting while he flies above us.”

“Have they asked what happens when you pause?”

“Of course not, Prophet.” And The Child giggled. “They’re happy with me.”

“So what does that mean, Child?”

“They aren’t thinking about it.”

“And what else?”

“They’re taking a day at a time, maybe.”

“So why are you worried, Child?

“Prophet?”

“Yes, Child?”

“You think I’ll love such a long pause, Prophet?”

“Don’t think about it, Child.”

“Why not?”

“It hasn’t come yet.”

“So what should I do today?”

“Capture the sunrise and see it with your mind; watch the bud bloom on the lily pad; observe the flight of Mr. Eagle as he flies against the wind; ride Mr. Whale as he masters the water waves; collect these golden nuggets, Child, and put them in the treasure trove of your heart as you move into your future.”