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.


When you think about it, life can be compared to a one-way street. There are probably more areas in which these two very different things can be very similar. One-way streets are always nice because everyone is following rules, watching for twists and turns, and remaining focused on what lies ahead, not what they left behind.