Cans of blueberry preserves, boutique, small-batch handmade bon-bons, organic wildflower honey with comb and Icelandic yogurt --- what do all these items have in common? I found all these items and more in the trash. It's no secret that I love trash. No, I don't mean the smelly, stinky and meant-to-be-actually-dumped kind of trash. The trash that comes from the pursuit of perfect capitalism (which, as it turns out, is anything but). My love of everything dumpster started a month before COVID19 did, just in time too. What's a better way to spend time than rescuing food, outside; a totally harmless and productive activity during a worldwide pandemic? The word "rescue" doesn't really sum up the breadth of what I would find and donate to one of many "community fridges" in my neighborhood. Still, it gives you an idea: I plunge my (usually) gloved hands into the womb of a typical black polyethylene 10 gallon bag, sometimes immaculately and serendipitously free of actual trash and full of boxes, cans or containers of various types of bougie foods, other times, not-so-immaculate. Here's an exhaustive list of items I can remember finding: -Jacques Torres 40-piece bonbon boxes -free-range, organic eggs by the dozen, in bulk boxes of around 10 cases per box -Siggi's, Chobani, Skyr, Fage yogurts (all types and flavors) -egg white omelets, ready-to-eat -all kinds of canned food (including organic beans, coconut milk, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie filling, even dog food) -olive, coconut, macadamia, canola, sunflower oils -multivitamins, elderberry supplements, manuka honey cough syrup -vegan cheeses, tofu, tempeh, beyond meat, hot dogs, yogurt, tofurky (I remember this specifically since I eat all these as a vegan!) -pantry items: cases of all purpose King Arthur flour, Bob's Red Mill flours (teff, coconut, rice, risotto, oatmeal), crackers, snacks, chips, baking mixes, yeast) -prepared foods like pizzas, breads, sandwiches, wraps, Mediterranean meals (grape leaves, falafel, tabbouleh etc) The list goes on, but I won't since I think you kind of get an idea already. Everyone always asks me why I started dumpstering (sic) and I can pinpoint it to one moment: my craving for overpriced (read: bougie) French bread. I had to have it, I didn't want to pay for it. That's when I remembered: as a high schooler working at a bagel shop, I used to have to dump out all the end-of-the-day bagels and pizzas into the trash. Back then, I would cringe whenever I had to do this and actually enlisted my mother to come by for the bagels and pizzas to give out to our friends and family. When that became too much, I would sell them for $1 each in band class. I turned a pretty good profit, too: students are always hungry, which was great for business! So, I applied the same reasoning to the French bread. They must dump their breads out at the end of the day, right? Lo and behold, I visited their dumpster and found a bevy of boulangerie by the bag: baguettes, pastries, cookies, even cake, which I sadly couldn't eat as a vegan, but which I posted to my local Buy Nothing group to the delight of ecstatic carb lovers in my group! After that, I became galvanized to rescue not just bread, but anything and everything edible I could salvage. The waste was not only depressing, it angered me since the media was broadcasting about how there were food and supply shortages, specifically on flour, sanitizer and toilet paper. I was able to find all three in the trash on separate occasions (especially flour, which I found bags and bags of several times). When I was younger, my mother espoused the virtue of never wasting food, no matter the amount. The fact that companies were indiscriminately disposing of perfectly edible and overpriced (funnily enough, the more expensive something was, the more likely it was to be dumped since it was less likely to be purchased, gotta love capitalism) food spurred me to spring into action, on an obsessive-level of passion. After a while, I began to crave assistance and felt that there must be others who would have the same objective as I did. I created an encrypted chat group, which grew to over 50 members. Only a few people show sometimes, but it's still a salve to know I am not alone. Many times, while diving, unhoused or needy persons would come up to me and I always offered them anything I had found and directed them to the nearest community fridge. Time for a round of statistics: in the USA, a whopping 30-40% of the food readily produced is wasted. This doesn't account for food that hasn't yet entered the supply stream (think culled produce and animals deemed unfit for consumption due to appearance or perceived quality), rather, it's food that was already collected, packaged and manufactured. That's about $161 billion dollars of food waste in monetary value (from the year 2010). I hope I've made a dent in that number. I will keep dumpstering, long past COVID19, as long as I can.
Besides our biannual Biopage Storytelling Writing Contest, there are many other writing contests with zero entry fee. We are listing them here with the closest deadlines on the top. This list will be updated regularly. Hosts of the writing contests wishing to be added to this list may put your info in the comment area below, or write to us at admin (at) biopage (dot) com. Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free Deadline: April 1, 2023 Purorrelato Micro-Story Contest https://www.casafrica.es/en/event/purorrelato-2021-micro-story-contest-0 Deadline: April 21, 2023 Author of Tomorrow Award https://www.wilbur-niso-smithfoundation.org/awards/author-of-tomorrow-2019 Deadline: April 30, 2023 L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest https://www.writersofthefuture.com/enter-writer-contest/ Deadline: June 30, 2023 Biopage Storytelling Writing Contest https://www.biopage.com/contest Deadline: July 31, 2023 New Voices Award https://www.leeandlow.com/writers-illustrators/new-voices-award Deadline: July 31, 2023 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence https://ernestjgainesaward.org/literary-award-criteria-registration Deadline: August 15, 2023 Hektoen Grand Prix Essay Contest https://hekint.org/submission-instructions/ Deadline: September 15, 2023 Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest https://aynrand.org/students/essay-contests/atlas-shrugged/ Deadline: November 6, 2023 ServiceScape Short Story Award https://www.servicescape.com/short-story-award Deadline: November 29, 2023 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers https://pen.org/pen-dau-short-story-prize/ Deadline: November 30, 2023 W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction https://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/wy-boyd-literary-award-excellence-military-fiction Deadline: December 1, 2023 ******************************************************* PAST FREE CONTESTS The European Writing Prize https://www.litsoceu.com/writing-prize Deadline: January 1, 2023 The Immerse Education Essay Competition https://www.immerse.education/essay-competition/ Deadline: January 4, 2023 PenFluenza 3 Short Story Contest https://writefluence.in/2022/12/13/write-for-penfluenza-3-our-short-story-contest-for-2023/ Deadline: January 15, 2023 Write the World Poetry Competition 2023 https://writetheworld.org/competitions/181 Deadline: January 17, 2023 The Prose Weekly Challenge Contests https://theprose.com/challenges/newest Deadlines: Weekly January 2023 The Ireland Farmgate Café National Poetry Award https://munsterlit.ie/farmgate/? Deadline: January 30, 2023 Voice Talent Scholarship Competition https://www.voicetalentonline.com/scholarship/about-the-scholarship/ Deadline: January 31, 2023 The Cheshire Prize for Literature https://www1.chester.ac.uk/press-office/cheshire-prize-literature Deadline: January 31, 2023
Thinking about your childhood days, how many dream jobs have you had? When I was in grade school, I wanted to be a scientist simply because I love science. In high school, I had several options: I wanted to be a businessman only because I wanted to see myself in a suit and tie. I wanted to be a chef because I thought cooking with a pan in flames was cool. I wanted to be a doctor because I watched medical-themed K-drama, which inspired me. When I entered college, my passion shifted again. I took a BS in Psychology course because I thought I could read people like a book. Consequently, I wanted to become a psychologist when I graduate. As an enthusiastic student full of hopes and dreams, I saw myself finishing my Master's and Ph.D. Back then, I was sure that I would become successful in the field of Psychology. But as fate seems to like to interfere with my life that bad, I suddenly wanted to become a doctor again. A medical doctor, to be exact. I then took the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT). I put all my effort into my review, and I was glad to get a percentile rank of 93. I was all set to enroll in my dream school, but I couldn't take all the required course units due to the pandemic. I was also short on my budget, and even getting a scholarship wouldn't save me from my bills on due. I knew I had to give up this opportunity to have a more stable source of income for myself and my family. I had to rethink all the skills I can use to find a job that suits me. I knew that I needed money, but I never wanted to settle for less just because I think I'm on a dead end. I know how to draw, but I don't see myself as an artist. I love photography, but I couldn't go out and take pictures because of the pandemic. I can sing, but only with a choir. So what's left in there for me? After days of thinking, I found an answer. Finally, a 'eureka' moment! Since high school, I've always had this passion for writing. But never did I imagine that writing would eventually become my source of income. I never thought that I had a future in writing. But since I was caught in a dead-end, I had to make a new path. There's no way that I would accept defeat unless I tried everything. Here's when I decided to pursue copywriting. Copywriting is one of the highest-paying writing jobs out there. Perfect for my empty wallet and my late-bloomed passion. Guess what? I was hired by a Digital Marketing Agency even I have barely any experience! I don't know what words to describe how I felt, but I know that I was glad that they saw potential through my writing skills, and now I'm working with them for their company's success. Looking back, it's crazy how I shifted my focus from health to the marketing industry. Never would I have imagined that taking a step back and starting again will bring me to a better place where I am today. Although I still consider becoming a health professional, I'd like to take this opportunity to explore my talent and grab every opportunity that comes along the way. Can you relate to this roller coaster journey? Going back to my question: which one controls your life - free will or fate? At this point, I feel like fate has been pushing me to this path. But I do believe that my success still lies within my hands. Whether you believe that free will or fate controls your life, don't be afraid to make new paths whenever you reach a dead end. Life never stops until you stop trying. Good luck! :)
The story I, Hermann Anders, intend unthreading consists in a spiritual walk, in which figures of similar but opposing forms came into struggle one with the other. Symbols manifested through the blood and bones unveiling the iridescent nature of human beings. Don't misinterpret. There was a concrete path, but this doesn't undermine the reality of the invisible one. What I want to bring into relief is exactly that which is latent and hidden. Those secret and enigmatic movements that can be perceived only by reading directly into the essence rather than by a mere recollection of facts. “Path of the Gods,” that's the name of the walk we've done. Quite ironic since its name is pagan when in facts, it was full of catholic mysteries, sanctuaries and mother mary icons. No circles, rather crosses on top of mountains. Perfect for crucifying those pieces of flesh of my two companions: Günther, the coward and Benjamin, the hen. Laying eggs surrounded by cowards who would exchange them for gold – the perfect image which denotes the two. Arrived at Madonna dei Fornelli, the two pieces of flesh went to rest in cages as two chickens that like to fuck with each other. They simply went to a B&B and wasted their money for some chicken prison. I, without expecting it, found this little green garden – Eden – full of blonde, tall and blue eyed angelic nymphs. One approached me and asked if I was starving. I was supposed to catch up with the two others and eat like an old sac of shrivelled skin. Instead, I stayed with the nymphs, ate their improvised spaghetti with tomatoes and vegetables and listened their melodic harmonies. Then at a certain point they started praying for the Lord of the slaves. I was surrounded by a group of eleven hot blonde Belgian catholic scouts alternating between a hallelujah and a “I love you mother mary, protect me from evil. Amen.” How would it be to have my dove in the middle of those hands joined together instead of their erotic fantasies on their Almighty Lord of the Love – even on their knees they would go! And I had to be careful in concealing my nature otherwise they would have kicked my ass out of their circle. Meanwhile, as the fire was increasing and the sky fading, I noticed the demonic eyes of a nymph gazing at me. She would talk and laugh sweetly with her friends as she'd wave quick glimpses towards me. Then, with a sensual circular movement she started passing chopstick delicately on her lips, a tilt of her head leaning towards me as waiting to pick up her call. I made her understand that I was in love with her intentions. But guess what? What could she do? Go against the spirit of all her group of catholic devoted nuns? No! That would dissociate and isolate her. She had to maintain her customs and repress her desires. As the fire was at its last sparks, and most went inside their own tents, me and my prey stayed. I learned that she studies ancient Greek, philosophy and literature, unlike her friends which were all into medicine or engineering. As her words were moving, I was focused on her tall thick legs, wide hips and pastel pink lips. Her green eyes looked like a lake with inside the reflection of the flames of fire. It's not casual I spoke about this anecdote of symbolic forces that supersede over the instinctual underlying ones. These as well are invisible. Forcing someone under clear light or with chains is no fun, I believe. I prefer people to make their own choices, free from the vertical threads of God. And what did my two companions do during our walk? They instituted an erotic form of love of master and slave. The kind of Hegelian dialectic, but where the outcome of the dialectic flip was quite ambiguous. If it did occur, then I'd be surprized of Günther's intelligence. The Hen, wouldn't stop professing and boasting of his premature knowledge on general facts, that once gently enquired to go deeper his trivial constructions would collapse along with him. It's funny how the slave, when in search for a master, attempts entering in the way of thinking of his prospected master. Just for the sake of a custom. Even when the master is full of bullshit, which the slave isn't able to discern for his base intellect. I asked Günther what he'd prefer: a complex truth, that involves some thinking or a simple persuasive lie that explains everything. I'll let you, reader, guess his answer. Then, because of the slave's greatest virtue, he can empathize the most with the master's sentiments and desires. Whatever the master desires, turns into the desire of the slave. Whatever judgment the master would make, coincides with that of the slave. The apparent difference is that the one is legislator of himself, the other is a mere slave. When in truth both are miserable slaves of each other. The legislation of the master wouldn't hold without the existence of his slave, because the master craves the attentions of his dog. God, what a miserable thing you are.
I walked hurriedly to meet my friend at a local Cafe' to go over a presentation that I had put together for an event that had my nerves worked up. It was freezing outside as snow fell silently across the city. I held onto my backpack tightly with my gloved hands, my teeth chattering as I fantasized about the hot coffee I would soon be indulging in. Jones was standing outside waiting for me as I approached. "Oh, hey! So, I heard you're the new age immigration writer in town, its nice to meet you ma'am!” He said to me snidely with a slight eyebrow raise as he held the door to the cafe' open for me. I smiled kindly and tucked a strand of hair behind my ears to make a better connection, "Oh, is that what they're labeling me as now?" I side stepped him in a playful manner. He followed me inside the doorway to continue the conversation, "Well, what would you label yourself as?" He shrugged as if it were a simple question with an obvious answer. My smile never wavered as I held my head high and met his eyes, "Nothing. I am not a label, therefor, I don't have one." He chuckled lightly, "Sure you do. Everyone has a label. I mean, I'm the guy who likes to play rugby in freezing temps, which earned me the title of a fighter." Pausing to reflect on the statement made, I lowered my eyes only to find a resilience sleeping in me that I never knew was there. Slowly, I raised my eyes back to his, "See, that's what is wrong in our times today. Society has made us believe that we are all labeled in some way. That we fall into a certain category, and that leads us to be judged based on what category we happen to fall into. Don't you understand? We are not categories or labels. We are people with feelings, emotions, aspirations, and dreams. We don't deserve to fall into a specific category which creates a sense of mental instability for ourselves to believe. No, we deserve to believe in ourselves whole heartedly and know who we are without the world telling us who we are. Labels are outdated and categories are overrated. It's time for us to be true to ourselves and just be who we are. What is wrong with that? And quite frankly, I've never fallen into the “EVERYONE” category. Im not everyone. I am me.” Jones couldn't find the words to combat my thoughts, he only nodded with a smile as he slid his arm around me in a welcoming embrace that made his understanding clear.
The rave at the Pub was intoxicating and freaky mixed with the sweet fragrance of booze and whiffs of smoke high in the air. The room was dimly lit with only a swirling club light filling the room with multicolored spots as it rotated back and forth on the ceiling. I saw lots of bodies tangled together in closed spaces as the music blasted from the speakers placed right behind me at the back end of the booth. There was a twinkle of bright light as a young waitress lifted a bottle of an expensive drink, wearing the skimpiest shorts I had ever seen, heading towards my direction. The bottle was carefully placed on our table in front of a very thick man whose eyes were fixed on the full ample breast of the waitress that was nearly popping out of her skin tight top. The lights were removed from the bottle and I saw the fine Jack Daniels scotch sitting proudly on the table alongside Ice cubes and shot glasses. She turned to leave but was stalled by the man who stuck his hands out to stop her. He placed folded naira notes into her back pocket while he gently squeezed her backside. She giggled and left the booth while I turned away to avoid appearing like a newbie. My head snaps up when the sharp smell of cigarettes hits my nose with a force that made me nearly gag. I do not like cigarettes, so I was totally turned off when I saw a full pack of Benson on the table. I signed up for it by being here, so I will endure. Going out was never my strong suit, so when I finally shook off the girlish shyness for such places and brazenly decided to visit the nearest one closest to me, I knew it would be a hell of an experience because I saw firsthand what went down in such places and most importantly I had fun and let loose. Obviously, I did because I am writing about it. The sitting arrangement at the club was kind of weird because there were only large cushion chairs placed side by side around the room, so the center looked like an open dance floor while the spectators sat and watched. This made me uncomfortable because I sat close to a lot of people I did not know and frankly, no one cared, so I relaxed a bit. My bottle of Smirnoff Ice was opened and halfway empty when some group of girls suddenly got up and started dancing. The lady with the shimmering black halter neck, bare back short gown caught my attention. She was the definition of a seductress. The lights bounced off her dress adding to her allure and I couldn't help but stare at her. She was gently moving to the rhythm of the song blasting from the speakers, twirling and shaking her body and waist to the beat. The other guys were focused on her as well because she was simply captivating and she worked her magic on the whole room while we watched. The song changed and just like that she switched up her tempo and started twerking. As much I loved to watch people dance, I knew I could not dance to save my life if there was ever a situation like that. I was born with two left feet that couldn't interpret any moves I had lined up expertly in my head. So I watched others dance and subtly moved my body from left to right with my head bubbling up and down to the beat of the music. . . Full Read https://www.dropbox.com/s/i3o1rmf7jlwsqy8/A%20VISIT%20TO%20THE%20PUB.docx?dl=0
Would you like to know how I can stretch 317 words on a grocery list of words on two stone tablets that God wrote Himself? I tell you that I can stretch 317 words into a 450 page book. Would you like to read the first half of that book for free? Specifics mean a lot to me. hello. Nice to meet and talk to you here at Bio Page. My email address is douglasmarmion@hotmail.com. I am the amateur, self-published, first-time author of an expository Bible commentary called, The Floating Day: Revisiting Why Christians Must Master All Ten Of The Ten Commandments Before Christ's Soon Return, Vol. 1. Christians of adult working age, ethnic origin, socioeconomic status, gender, and denominational affiliation constitute my target audience. I wish to reach working class Christians. I emphasize that you are my target audience. I start with the fourth commandment, which is the basis for seven, Sabbath versions revealed throughout the Bible, how, and why the Sabbath versions fit into the Christian world view today and forever. I have chosen as my general topic the Ten Commandments. I remain focused on the Sabbath of the Ten Commandments throughout the book. I cannot emphasize enough how the Sabbath is God's training plan for an eternity of government service for His future, immortal children. I would not expect anyone with a poor work ethic and poor study-skills to show interest in my writings. My work out-competes Kevin DeYoung and J.I. Packer. My work should reach those with a high school education and above. The genre of the book is non-fiction, religious, academic, reflective. My motive is to exhort readers to holiness, to repentance, before Christ's soon return. My work is unique with the fresh perspective that I bring to the table from the working-class. I have an author webpage at Facebook.com/ douglas. marmion with currently over 500 followers. That is more than most small churches. With your help, I intend to market through television, radio, magazines, conferences, book tours, personal networks, all electronic social media, t-shirts, banners, posters, yard signs, and billboards. My work will change lives. Christians cannot present themselves before the Lord in eternity while harboring iniquity and unforgiveness in their hearts, forgetting the most important grocery list of words in the universe. Believers cannot serve the Lord with sin and unforgiveness in their lives. There is a minimum standard for holiness in God's kingdom. The Ten Commandments acknowledge that, if God were not the God of fulfilled promises, the Sabbath, grace, the come-back victory, and law/order, then there would not be a written medium to commemorate anything that God has said and done, although the memorized medium of God's words traveled and updated for 2644 years after God created Adam and Eve until Mt. Sinai (Exo. 20:1). If you use my email address with the subject heading of "My New Bio Page friend", I will attach a free copy of the first half of my book when I return your message. There are no strings attached, no pressure to buy anything. This book will change your life, guaranteed, or I will refund your money 100% if you decide to purchase the remainder of my book online at amazon.com.
Why is the first thing that someone says is, “What do you do?” In a profession alot of times this is a great conversation starter, but I have felt awkward when I have been asked this. Immediately my mind is trying to find the best answer. This bothers me. I feel like what I do for a living does not define who I am as a person or measure my success. The world that we live in has created an image to others that success is hugely career based. I strongly disagree with this. Success is not measured by what we do for a living and it looks different for everyone. My definition of success is loving myself, having a good heart, and loving others. It's my willingness to learn and positive attitude. It's the way I treat others and my family. It's surviving another day as a mom and loving every second-even the ugly ones. It's not about my career at all. Your success will look much different than mine but we should all be happy in knowing that we all have what it takes to be successful. It's funny because when I do make a new acquaintance, I want to hear about them and their story, not what they do. It takes that assesment of others and how we compare ourselves to them out of the picture completely and allows me to enjoy our conversation more. Be mindful of how you measure success, especially your own.
All over the world, the journey of a woman's life is predetermined by the patriarchal society we live in – it's not an opinion, but a fact. This restricted and claustrophobic journey is sadly amplified for those girls who are born in regular, unassuming and conventional families in developing countries like India. Although I was not born to conservative parents, their parents were very traditional. So, when I was born, a second daughter, my mother was subjected to a lot of emotional abuse from both of my grandparents. Not a great thing to learn when growing up, however, it does explain why I was never as close to my grandparents as my older sister and younger brother were. I don't know how this affected my subconscious?! Perhaps, me being fiercely independent from a very young age and a bit of a rebel would be a measured behavioural outcome of the knowledge that I had of how (un)loved and (un)wanted I was by my grandparents! Anyhow, getting to the crux of the story, I have always lived my life on my terms “unapologetically”, but never used this term till it was made trendy by millennials. I worked from the age of 16, got my Bachelor's degree, left my country to pursue my Masters (1000s miles away from my home) in pursuit of freedom and independence when a lot of my peers were getting married. I got a job, lived on my own, fell in love and married to a “gora / gringo” (it wasn't a done thing at the time in my home country). All of these things were challenges in their own right, but I was never phased by them. Also, I love a good challenge, a classic trait of a rebel! I must add here, my parents and siblings always supported me at the end and stood by my decisions and even, celebrated them with me. As a child, I always dreamt of travelling the world, and I got to do that a lot with my loving partner-in-crime, my husband. However, as expected from a woman, once you're married with a job and a house, the prospect of producing an offspring was lingering over my head. Now, this expectation, isn't just limited to females from certain conventional families, it's an expectation from females, full stop. Apparently, a desire to procreate should come naturally to women…only I didn't feel that way. It took me weeks to gather courage to tell my husband that I didn't feel the need to leave a legacy behind – a child. I wasn't worried about telling him that I didn't want to use my female reproduction super powers (we share an open and transparent relationship), but what worried me was, what if he felt differently – could I bear to lose my best friend? We went to our favourite Italian restaurant and after a few glasses of wine (of course) I told him that I didn't want to be a parent, but, instead, I wanted to see the world with him! He listened to me patiently and, he replied, to my surprise, that he shared the same feelings, but didn't know how to say it. Well, needless to say I was greatly relieved! However, soon after I felt relieved, the thought of telling our parents about our decision took over and that, seemed like a huge mountain to climb. Remember, I said expectations! It's not “normal” for people to decide not to procreate – human instinct and all that. It was easy for me to tell my mother, as I tell her pretty much everything, but to tell my in-laws of our decision was very daunting. My mother took the news beautifully, as always, she supported my decision and said “as long as you both are happy, that's all it matters”. Eventually, we told our in-laws and although, it was far from easy, and it took them some time to come around our decision, they accepted it. The declaration of our decision to not procreate and overburden the planet which is already brimming with children, didn't limit to our family and friends, it's something we have to do on a regular basis by answering questions, “so, do you have children / when are you planning to have a little one / when are you going to start a family?”, to extended relatives, friends' families, neighbours, my hairdresser, my local café owner, strangers…the list is endless. I have been tempted at times to say “we've tried but to no avail” – you see, you get sympathy to that response, but not when you say you've chosen not to have a child – you get judged for it and are even called “selfish”. So, here are the questions I contemplate – why is it “normal” to want to have kids and not acceptable to choose not to? Also, why do we have to conform to the society and live our lives dictated by it? My husband and I chose, NOT to conform – we couldn't be happier and are living fulfilled lives. Years ago, I came across a very powerful saying that I always go back to when I am feeling lost and unsure - “If Not Now, When? If Not Me, Who?” I keep reminding myself not to worry about what others think and I continue to make life choices that I feel are right for me and I do that unapologetically.
My lips--parched Longing to be quenched By the scattered drops Of your presence I gave you All of me Only to Receive Mere morsels, Bits of breadcrumbs Left along the way Leading me back to myself Devotion devoured Detoured by deviance Until one day I took back my power
Today, I read a small introduction to a webinar I am taking through Friesen Press and it told me that I am an Authorpreneur. The term is very unique to me and it made me feel like my life long writing career has become just that, a legitimized career. I have been an Entrepreneur since the age of four with my first lemonade stand out side my parents house. I've always known I was a business minded person and today my writing career has really solidified it's position in my life. I am so overjoyed because the job part finally feels real and to be so open to the world is such an amazing and overwhelming feeling. I am humbled by this new experience. This is truly an amazing moment. In the next post, I'll have some examples of my work for You. My exciting novel "Viktor, Into the Light" will be coming out in the summer of 2020 and my Thanks goes to Friesen Press for making this lifelong dream come true. Viktor, called an "epic" good versus evil story by Friesen Press excites me to tell you about it. He's sexy and moral. He discovers a few things about his family and longs for one of his own. Look for it in the Friesen Press bookstore or eBooks and give a copy to your staff, friends, mother, sister, or your aunties. Viktor is a satisfying read for anyone 14+. Well, I'll post some examples of my work for you now. See you in the next post. Julie Ann
A True Warriors oath With our fists we love to fight With our energy we like not to spite But nothing is ever better than a great fight wether it is dark against light Or just one guy vs another guy No matter the conditions a fight is a fight Strength verses might Without weapons, without armor The greatest fight we will ever fight may go on internally as our dark vs our light But nothing can beat a good ole fist fight(or whatever the Alien is gonna call it) We gain Energy from each and every defeat,once we heal, that much stronger will we be. still standing we will be no matter how many times we fall in defeat We shall never l flee, if evil is stronger, we WILL NOT FLEE. Scared are not we, We who fight without a need For Glory, the love of it, and for the protection of Free
Get your free copy of Seasons Of A Poet on Amazon today - https://www.amazon.com/Seasons-Poet-Stephanie-Lynn-Comello-ebook/dp/B07R5HVSLG/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=stephanie+lynn+comello&qid=1566165545&s=gateway&sr=8-2 From today through August 21st!
Oh my heart. Why did you take such a huge piece of it?! I offered you some, but you were like a ravenous wolf and tore at the whole thing. You left me with shreds. Shreds and a feeling that somehow, some way, that fact was MY fault. Well fuck you. I took those shreds and stitched them together with the sinews of my tears, with a needle made of my OWN love, and I made a new heart. This heart knows better than to trust, and there isn't enough left of it to offer to anyone, but it is MINE. AND YOU HAVE NEVER TOUCHED IT.
We all want it. Our forefathers envisioned it and wrote about it in the annals of history and our military still uphold it. Freedom. An online dictionary defines freedom as, "the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint." It can be a bit of a catch-22. How desirable is it? There are many quips and quotes that sound good such as, "Just do it", or "Be the change you want to see" or better yet, "Don't wait. The time will never be just right". Right? I decided, for the millionth time, that I was completely dissatisfied with a job I'd held for over 5 years. It was a good job and I liked my coworkers. But the old saying, "life is short' kept running through my head. So I quit my job. I didn't have another one lined up but knew I'd find something. And I did! I found a great job with a new company and loved it there! Then the bottom fell out. My boss called me into her office and closed the door. Never a good sign. After 7 glorious months with this company she said that due to restructuring I was being laid off. I sat there in mind-numbing disbelief. I told myself that I would be okay. One can hope. Maybe half of the people in the world have had a somewhat traditional goal to meet someone, fall in love and get married. Or to be in a committed relationship. And they love it. However, they might not notice the almost imperceptible little strings hiding behind the scenes. Until their independence is questioned. And then it can create a little hole in their freedom bucket. Today's newspaper highlighted an article on some foodie entrepreneurs opening a new restaurant promising an exciting and wonderful cuisine. They will be following their dream of becoming self-employed owners free to follow their dreams. What if they decide to change it up and want to add live music or cute little tables and chairs outside of the restaurant? They're self-employed owners. They are free to do what they want. As long as they follow the rules and ordinances. Right? There might be some strings... I've always believed I was a free-spirited leader. Definitely not a follower. However, I do like to set goals and I feel great when I accomplish them. Even if that's getting out of bed, showering and making coffee. It's the little things. As an unemployed free human I've been enjoying the freedom to sleep in as long as I've wanted. I can read, watch t.v. or go for long walks. No one to check in with or a clock to keep track of. Meh. I miss chatting with coworkers at the old water cooler (are those still around?). I miss setting the alarm clock, hitting snooze a couple of times, and then picking out my clothes for work. I mostly miss getting a paycheck. Regularly. Like in the bank. Work commitments and relationships can hold the promise of a future but is there freedom offered as well? I think so. But there are the ever present little strings attached. And I kinda like it.