Five for Friday: Year End Celebration

 

It's the end of the year.  I feel it in every tired sigh; every pound I've put on; every muscle that yearns to be stretched; every urge to begin anew with fresh plans, re-prioritized goals, and (dare I say it aloud?) New Year's resolutions.

As a writer, a mother, a homemaker, and a participant in the human "race," frustration is part of the job description.  While I am able to do many things adequately to keep myself and my family afloat, I crave those extra, non-existent hours to focus on one thing at a time until I am satisfied that I have met my own lofty expectations.

I am reminded of Becky Shillington's tree, which she described in her recent visit to the Haiku Garden.  I stretch upward, brushing the surface of the life that I envision for myself.  But while I'm proud of my accomplishments so far, I know that I'm not there yet-- it's still out of reach, just beyond my squinty gaze. 

New Year's resolutions, or for me, goals, are a way of seeing my way toward that life I envision for myself.  Do you make New Year's resolutions?

For those of you who stop by today, I hope you will join my celebration of moving forward.  To participate, string five words together (plus title if you wish) about the year's end, the start of the new year, a resolution that you have adopted, or perhaps a reason for not making resolutions at all.  Leave them in the comments and then I will move them up to the party room.

I also hope you will join Mary Lee at A Year of Reading, who is celebrating the 52nd Friday of the year with today's Poetry Friday roundup.

YEAR END CELEBRATION

Resolution

This time I mean it.

-Michelle, Today's Little Ditty

* * *

Smooth White Page

Working toward possibilities presently unimagined.

-Tabatha Yeatts, The Opposite of Indifference

* * *

outward, onward, write, smile, love

-M. M. Socks, The Drawer of M. M. Socks

* * *

On the Eve of the New Year

Ready, willing
to begin anew.

-Mary Lee, A Year of Reading

* * *

In a Nutshell

It's not problem, it's yours.

-Diane Mayr, Random Noodling

* * *

Twenty fourteen already? Oh my.

-No Stinkin Ultracrepidarian

* * *

 Motivation

simply wired
to be inspired

-Liana Mahoney

Cyber Seduction

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of hosting Linda Baie in Limerick Alley.  With grace and gentleness, she bid a final farewell to autumn.  If you missed it, please take a moment to read and enjoy.

Winter is now upon us... though some of us more than others.  In Florida, we rely on indicators other than fallen leaves and plunging temperatures.  Things like the 24-hour Christmas radio stations; the store displays of holiday merchandise; the jam-packed schedule of parties, field trips, and activities; and my personal favorite (ahem), my ever-expanding email inbox.  My box runneth over with junk advertisements for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all manner of fabricated pre-holiday cheer.  My index finger is weak from clicking unsubscribe, and still the onslaught continues.  Who needs snow when you have an avalanche of spam to shovel?

Which brings me to today's little ditty: my response to that bottomless pit of paparazzi advertising.

 

Seduction

It all began

with cookies. Now

and then, you popped up

unexpectedly.   It was cute,

you were sweet, and before long

you fell into step with my digital footprint.

Just a fling, I told myself, but you wanted more:

my time, attention, undying devotion, a credit card number

and personal security code.  And then it happened.  Black Friday.

It was late. There on my lap in the bedroom, aura glowing, you

told me I was glamorous, well-to-do, elite, and that XL or XS

didn’t matter. “2-for-1,” you said, “a limited-time offer.”

So I gave you my IP address, my credit card, the

works.  Who could resist those promises,

now as empty as my bank account? 

For a time I thought we clicked,

but now I realize I did all

the clicking. And what

once was 2-for-1,

is now just me,

50% off.

May your month be merry, your shopping simple, and may the beauty of the season surround you.  You can start now.  Please join hostess Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge, as she celebrates the gifts of Poetry Friday.

Facing off with the Social Media Borg

I know I'm not the only one out there on a quest to find more balance in my life.  Unfortunately, it's rarely a question of will I drop a ball today, it's how many balls will be dropped and who will be affected by my lack of perfection.  My husband says that my self-expectations are too high.  While that's probably true (my fatal flaw is that I am prone to taking on too much), I do pride myself in picking many of those balls back up eventually. 

My lack of juggling stamina has never been more evident than now, as I've been pressing forward, determined to find my way as a children's writer.  It is said that in order for a writer to be successful these days, you must maintain a social platform as well as find time for your craft.  And to be fair, I do enjoy maintaining a public image on this blog, on Twitter, and on Facebook.  But facing the social media monster day after day can be treacherous to my time, my family, and my sanity.  I feel like a struggling addict-- there are the good days when I keep my exposure to a minimum, and then there are the bad days when resistance is futile, and I've lost myself to the Social Media Borg.

Which brings me to today's little ditty...

     S ucking me in and swallowing whole,

     O ne after another, we all pay the toll.

     C aught up 

     I  n the whirlwind, 

     A nonymous cloud,

     L eave our bags at the door and prepare to be wowed.

     M indless machine,

     E ntertain and

     D evour!

     I    give myself freely—

     A bduct my last hour.

                                    © 2013  Michelle Heidenrich Barnes.  All rights reserved.

Have you found a way to preserve balance and sanity in your life?  If so, do tell!  And if not, well, perhaps Betsy at Teaching Young Writers can teach us a thing or two about how to control the chaos that comes with today's Poetry Friday roundup.