WRITING IS THERAPEUTIC CONTEST, OCTOBER 1-25

Writing is therapeutic, but it can also be a challenge. To encourage your writing, I'm hoping you'll join me in writing a comparison/analolgy. Feel free to try your hand just for fun or to submit it to our contest. If you want your writing posted, I'll clean up the grammar, so don't worry about writing perfect English. If you become a finalist, you qualify to win a prize (to be determined). If you want to go public, we can talk about it or you can let me know.

Try your hand and become a finalist in the first “WRITING IS THERAPEUTIC CONTEST” sponsored by www.survivingaday.blogspot.com. Post your comparison of 150 words or less and you might qualify to win. Remember, the purpose of the contest is to encourage any kind of writing, but I just chose comparison. Next time will be something else.
NOTE: Writing will be based on what you say, not your grammar. If you would like it published as a guest blog post, just let me know. Otherwise, it will not be posted, even if you win. Submit your comparison October 1-25. One winner will be announced October 31st. You will be contacted regarding your prize.

 Introduction:

Writing Comparison and Analogy is fun! It takes you out of what’s familiar into something that’s quirky, kinky or obscure, and causes you to think “outside the box” (to use a cliché). In my lifetime, I’ve written a lot of things, but nothing as creative as comparing two things that seem to be totally different. When the comparison is extended from a paragraph to 1-2 pages, it can be challenging because you’ve got to stay organized. For comparison, it helps to start with an outline or list of points.

Comparison is the process of showing how two things are alike or similar, despite differences.
The key to writing a comparison is to focus only on similarities. Let’s say I was asked to compare life to something else. I’ve heard this and so have you: “Life is like a box of chocolates.” But that’s Forrest Gump, not me.

If I had to compare life with something, I’d say: “Life is one-way street.” I don’t know how just yet, so I list two or three ways that life reminds me of a one-way street:

1. Once you get on it you can’t turn back.
2. It has twists and turns.
3. You need to follow the rules.

 After I look at the ways life is similar to a one-way street, I start with the comparison which becomes my main point and then I provide details to prove my point. Here’s how I start my writing:
                     
Life is like a one way street. The trick is to keep going, despite traffic, breakdowns, or obstacles. When the road seems long and hard, we can stop along the way, do some shopping or sight-seeing, gas up, and make repairs, but no matter how badly we want to turn back, we can’t. In life, stuff happens that cause emotional setbacks. We suffer trauma, emotional challenges, embarrassment, even emotional break-downs, but after all is said and done, there’s no turning back and no escaping back into the womb. We simply have to find a way to keep going, no matter how tired we get and no matter how embarrassed we feel. Some people try to turn back the hands of time when things become too overwhelming, but the results are never good. They either get stuck and have an emotional breakdown or they manage to injure or kill themselves.


 Also like a one-way street, life has twists and turns that we need to anticipate. We also need to be aware of how others are driving, what signals they give or if they’re having problems or show other signs of distress. If we’re speeding too fast at the wrong time, we can make a wrong turn or miss our turn. We can also miss signs of danger or distress that can come from other drivers. If we’re going too slow, we can cause others to become impatient and try to pass us or even worse, force us off the road. We need to see a one-way street as a community of drivers who follow rules and support each other when it comes to being safe. Drivers on the road show respect for each other by allowing the right-of-way, signaling, and being courteous. In life, it’s no different. We need to take time to stop, look and listen to others who try to express what they feel. We need to have empathy and not be too caught up in our own goals and objectives to help someone else or at least understand their perspective. We need to keep pace with others and follow what’s happening within our groups, whether at work, at worship, or at play. If we seem incompetent, we will be challenged, undermined or even fired from a job. If we have poor problem-solving skills, there will be miscommunication. We need to be prepared for whatever comes our way in life, and when certain things happen, we need to be able to anticipate how others will react and try to keep things flowing smoothly so everyone feels supported and respected.


Finally, on a one-way street, we need to follow the rules. There street signs posted along one-way streets and highways and in order to stay safe, we need to follow rules. No texting while driving, lights on at dusk, no lights continually blinking, no distractions and nothing that endangers other drivers. Working as a unit to observe the laws and rules, everyone on the one-way street remains safe. In life, there are also rules. There are rules of conduct for every social situation we might encounter, and when the rules are observed, no one is offended or surprised. People take turns when talking, they stay in line, they try to do whatever they can to help each other along the way. When people follow the rules, everyone is happy to be in a safe, supportive environment.

A story About Depression

A STORY ABOUT DEPRESSION******************************************************** With depression, negativity is normal. I remember thinking: “You’ve got to stop thinking so negatively or something terrible is going to happen to your health. Something did; I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes after 13 years on the job. I wasn’t overweight and was considered very healthy, but after that diagnosis, I thought my life was over. ****** After realizing I was feeling depressed, I sought counseling in order to get help with my feelings of hopelessness. Instead of receiving counseling to help with negative patterns of thought, the counselor began to focus on the problems related to my personal relationship which had been wonderful just a year ago, but a year ago I hadn't been so negative. ****** At the counselor’s office, I didn’t feel uncomfortable until he became more fascinated with details of my personal life than with my constant negative thinking about the diabetes and life in general. During the second visit, I realized any real help from this doctor was impossible. Yet, I visited his office once more just to make sure, just like I always did in every bad relationship that had been only partly my fault yet for which I accepted total responsibility. ****** I felt myself justifying why this doctor should be allowed to experiment on me, ignoring my negative feelings, physical exhaustion, and sadness. Finally, half-way to my third office visit, I made a decision to stop. I turned the car around and drove home. I had a fatal flaw of nurturing people who didn’t nurture me in return. Maintaining a professional relationship with this doctor was consistent with my usual pattern of negativity, allowing people to neglect me, ignore me, and not reciprocate in the relationship. ****** This doctor was neglectful, condescending, and dismissive and I needed to stand up for myself. There was no reason to continue with his services except, I didn’t want him to dislike me. I never tried to see a counselor again because I didn't know the symptoms of depression. Incessant negative thinking is not normal. Besides, the doctor wasn't even likeable, maybe to his wife but not to me. Besides, there will always be people who won't like me and I won't like them. Will it be the end of life as I know it? I think not. ******

Clutter doesn't have to wear you down & out.

If clutter's got you down, here are some excellent suggestions. The following list of things that keep you uncluttered was found at the website: http://www.shakeoffthegrind.com written by Tim, from Manchester.
1. Put important things like keys and cell phones in the Same Place Every Day.
2. Hang everything up according to some organized scheme--season, colors, occasion, etc.
3. Create a special place fore EVERYTHING and keep everything in its place.
4. Clean out your inbox and label stuff according to file/discard/action/follow-up/recycle/shred or similar.
5. Make organization of your workplace a priority.
6. Have a miscellaneous file for things that you want to keep for no apparent reason.
7. Open all mail over the recycle bin
8. Create a file specifically for papers that need to be shredded.
9. Take electronics or other non-biodegradable items to government recycling facilities.
10. Keep a clean car in case you have to transport someone important.

Uncluttering and organizing your life takes a little motivation and a little planning. If you have a hard time throwing away things you don’t need, you might have a problem with clutter now or in the future. Learn to prioritize what you need and be willing to let go of the things you never use. An uncluttered workplace frees your mind for completing other tasks. Also, your life will be much less hectic if you do.

9/ll-- a time for prayer and celebration

Today is 9/11/2012, eleven years later and the skies where I live are just as clear and beautiful. As I look overhead, I simply want to pray.

What's to pray for? Our survivors among first responders and those who did not survive. Our families of victims who did and did not survive. So many others who suffer the effects of such an assault on our American landscape.

What's to celebrate? Our victims who managed to escape the wreckage but suffer emotional trauma, and our families of victims not only at the World Trade Center but in every American city which has endured tragedy--floods, fires, hurricanes, mass murders, domestic terrorism, violence behind closed doors and on city streets, and yes, even more.

We're all in this together, united by tragedy but held together by resilence and American Pride. Yet, many are still struggling to overcome the effects of our trauma. More than we realize, first responders need special attention because many still suffer post 9/11 ailments, PTSD and depression, and due to the heroic nature of their jobs, they often have no one to turn to, nowhere go in order to express their emotions. They need to be celebrated and they need our prayers.

Today and every day, it's important to acknowledge the little things and the people who help us survive one day at a time. Our emergency responders do this every single day. To acknowledge our silent heroes, visit this website: http://ufanyc.org/tribute. If you'd like to sample my personal tribute to American Pride, you can follow my link on twitter at @survivingaday.

Look Up America, Look Up New York - Post 911 tribute

Look Up America, Look up New York - Post 911 tribute

Surviving a day is how we really live, no matter how far in advance we plan. Every day comes with its own challenges and rewards, and we accomplish goals one day at a time. Each day we live, we are offered choices, opportunities, and chances to start all over again. Sometimes we succeed in making it a good day and sometimes we fail, but we know that tomorrow will be better or at least, we hope so. But sometimes tomorrow never comes, like it didn't for so many on 911, which is why it is important to live our best life today. This includes trying to celebrate the little things, any little thing that makes us smile, or any one who cares for us.

Events like 911 come unexpected, but although 911 is the most blatant and unforgiving type of tragedy, tragedy has been experienced in cities and towns all over our nation in so many ways. Floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, massacres, acts of terror and other traumatic events affect our level of happiness, but if we overcome obstacles one day at a time, we can slowly learn to overcome trauma and mastermind our own happiness, no matter the circumstances.

The great thing is, we don't need to find happiness for a lifetime, only for one day. But surviving a day is sometimes the most difficult thing we can do because it consists of finding a reason to survive 24 hours, despite feelings of hopelessness. Finding willpower enough to make it through 24 hours can be seen as an heroic act, and any act of heroism is cause for celebration. Celebrating or acknowledging our acts of heroism increases our ability to live a happy life.

After 911, after hurricane Katrina, after floods in the midwest and fires in the west, lives were transformed forever. I thought I lost my daughter on 911 but she had felt ill and didn't go to work. I was relieved, but I suffered PTSD. To help overcome feelings of anxiety and stress, I wrote poetry and short stories, knowing that writing is therapeutic. I also wrote a song/tribute to celebrate the pride of our country. You can sample or download, "Look Up America! Look Up New York!" at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mdjohnson1. 
(c) M.D. Johnson (2012)

Lesson from Prince Harry: Don't Quit.

Here's to the beginning of fall, a real turning point in terms of what we'll be faced with in the coming few months. I hope your weekend was great. Labor Day weekend this year was pretty nice all over, despite flood waters in Louisiana, a few tropical depressions in the Atlantic and forest fires started by human error. But overall, even the national news was positive.

It was nice to see how Britain's Prince Harry reintroduced himself to society after his Las Vegas adventures. As he greeted children representing his charity , he flashed a wry grin. He is so much his mother's son--I'm totally smitten by him. I can't imagine standing before a child even as my naked photos were splashed across media outlets all around the globe. But I learned something positive from his courage. What I learned from his sense of composure is, If someone with a pristine reputation such as his can be so betrayed, exposed, violated, and yet stand before the world and give a smile, I can find courage to keep going when everything seems impossible and the going seems to last forever. I can find the courage to tell myself, "Don't quit."

Life is challenging,for sure, but "it takes the bitter and the sweet to make a life complete" or so my mother, Ms. Essie, used to say. Christian and Buddhist doctrines teach us to accept the good and the bad as equally powerful and equally significant when it comes to accomplishing our goals and living a positive life. Our "good" experiences offer us encouragement while our "bad" outcomes offer opportunities for improvement, growth and correction. Nothing is perfect, so we need to accept that everything is bittersweet, like a box of chocolates, and if we keep at it, we'll get the one you want.

Buddhist teachings also explain that most suffering comes when we try to hold on to things that were meant to be temporary in our lives. When we hold on instead of letting go, we become fixated, overly challenged, and frustrated. We fail to appreciate the fact that life is duality in which two things exist in a paradoxical balance of two equal forces that keep going on and on in a kind of postive/negative dance. When the going gets tough, we need to focus on this duality which is the foundation of reality. Life is ebb and flow, positive and negative, bitter and sweet, negative and positive. When the going seems too tough, we need to focus on finding and going with the flow. We need to follow one rule of thumb: don't quit.


"Don't Quit"
- Anonymous
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

(excerpt from Best Loved Poems of the American People)