SHARE YOUR WORLD – 2016 WEEK 20

SHARE YOUR WORLD – 2016 WEEK 20

share-your-world

When do you feel most connected with others?

reading-girlI feel most connected with others when reading a good novel. This sounds counterintuitive, I know, since reading is a solitary activity. However, since childhood fiction has introduced me to new ideas, new people, and new possibilities for life. Reading about loving families and people who achieved great things despite life’s adversities gave me hope for who I could become and what I might accomplish. Fictional characters have helped me better understand both myself and other people throughout my life.

What daily habit would you like to introduce to your life?

There’s one habit that I definitely need to re-introduce into my life: daily journal writing. I got out of this habit when I (not a morning person) had to get up early for jury duty for an entire month. During that month I didn’t have the time to write in the mornings, and I was too emotionally drained to do it when I got home in the late afternoon. I have now spent an additional two months without pulling my current journal out of the desk drawer, and it’s time for me to get back into the habit of daily writing once again.

Thanks for the reminder.

What one mini-little-adventure would you like to have in the coming week?

Although we live within walking distance of a great zoo and have annual passes, it’s been a long time since I went to the zoo. There aren’t many activities on the calendar for next week, so I should pick one day and make a trip to the zoo. In addition to all the animals, our zoo has marvelous and exotic flowers and bushes that should be lovely to see now that spring is firmly entrenched.

List at least of things or events that changed your Life: It could be as simple as a book or meeting a certain person?

  1. Childhood reading. Although I don’t remember specific titles, the books I read introduced me to ways of life beyond my own experience.
  2. My maternal grandmother, who loved me unconditionally. She was a bright spot in my otherwise bleak childhood.
  3. My in-laws. My husband and I began dating in high school. I came from a dysfunctional household, but his parents obviously loved each other and cherished their children. They were welcoming and nurturing, and they showed me what life could be like. And my husband and I will be celebrating anniversary #45 early next month.
  4. My friends Anne and Frayne, who both loved and liked me. I’ve never had a large group of friends, but because of them I know that true friendship is possible.
  5. I can’t tie this one to a particular event, but at some point in my young adulthood I came to realize that everyone is dealing with something in their lives. I should never assume that another person’s life is necessarily better than mine. Conversely, I should not be quick to criticize someone else because I don’t know what-all that person is dealing with at that particular time.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

Our weather continues to be pretty awesome here in the Pacific Northwest. Since this is one of the reasons why we moved here, I’m hoping for more of the same in the upcoming week. I also hope that the Seattle Mariners can continue their hold atop the American League West.

© 2016 by Mary Daniels Brown