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Prompt: Create something to spread joy, kindness, love, and understanding to others through your creativity.
When I was a kid, Daddy and I used to go to the baseball games of the Atlanta Braves at the Atlanta Stadium. I won tickets by making straight As at school. We likely would never have gone otherwise because money was limited for such things. I saw Hank Aaron hitting his homers.
Myself
I watched lots of teams over those years. The Reds, the Dodgers, and the Yankees were all excellent. Sorry, I cannot name them all. You know the names better than I do, probably.
In school, I was seldom picked for teams when we did sports things like softball, even kickball, or dancing.
I played basketball with the neighborhood kids at my hoop on the tree that Dad measured to league specs, often with my ball. The boys were great with their prowess. I was short and I seldom got to shoot as a guard. We did play Horse and I shot then, like free throws. We played a variety of basketball I called Tag Basketball; it was not regulation.
The Globetrotters came to my school once and probably to another school, too, as I grew.
We, kids, played croquet with the set I got from Santa one year. My parents taught me, and they played sometimes, but it was often us kids.
The funny thing about the croquet set was I did not find it at Christmas. I am diverging from the main theme I meant to have here. I have to let you know something though. I was that kid who would not go to sleep on Christmas Eve, or ever really, early enough. My brothers were years older than me and they must have helped with how things were done. We would go on a ride on Christmas Eve to see the lights while Mom and Dad told me The Christmas Story of Jesus being born of the Virgin Mary and how He came to save the World. When we returned Santa would have visited our home. I believed in Santa, even as I believed the Christmas Story. I gave my life to Jesus as a child. I sinned a lot since then and it preys on my mind that I was not well enough surrendered. I have asked for forgiveness, but I worry.
Back to baseball, we watched it on television when it came over the airwaves. It was before you had to pay for all that was on TV. Back then, it was a right to be entertained as you relaxed after hard days of working, making money, or learning work, at school. I suppose commercials paid for it, then.
I always hated the commercials, because they were louder and I was in charge of the volume, which meant I had to turn the sound down, then back up. No remotes guys, it was a physical knob on the facing of the set. Channels had to be changed by someone walking to the set too. Commercials interfered with watching the games but gave us time to grab a drink or go potty.
Through a fortunate circumstance this year I have MLB. I have not watched my Braves in many years, partly because of the extra cost, and partly when I pay attention, they often seem to lose. Usually, I check on sports rarely cause I want all my teams to win. It is exciting having MLB cause I want to know what the athletes do.
I was Pep Club Captain in High School. We designed and did the artwork for the teams’ signs by hand. We were at the ball games to cheer, but we were not cheerleaders with all their charisma and athleticism. What we made, like the banners the football team ran through and decorative signs in the gym. We were supposed to encourage school spirit and were not allowed to brush our hair in public places.
Again, I digress. The Braves won. I only saw the scores for Thursday because I had to sleep. But replays I saw of some players were incredible.
Go, Braves, Go! I am for all of MLB that the players stay safe from injury and do well.
Go, Braves, Go! Win it!
Copyright – Jo Ann J. A. Jordan. Friday, March 31, 2023
I collect things, pens, journals, books, images, and feelings. Never know when I might find myself in need, so I squeeze things in, some with ease. Others come harder, jagged, and broken, but those find meaning, too.
PROMPT: Go somewhere, familiar or strange, take photographs that soothe or move you. See if you have words to fit the images. Try them out to fit. Post if you can and will.
There is something I want to catch. I have not gotten it yet. Maybe I will share it when I do. Today came close, but we all know there are times when images play us for fools, spooling out with bartered charm.
I caught other photographs, but maybe these are enough for today. I do not know, indeed cannot say for sure, but I might bog someone down. Time will keep, until it does not, then it will slide out and away.
Thankful for these, Today:
1. Oreo cookies. 2. The pen I photographed above is a spirit of music, and music is a muse. 3. January, days when the depth and darkness seem to fall away. 4. Finishing reading the first book in the new year. 5. Sleep.
Thanks for popping by to visit my site. I hope you found encouragement or perhaps inspiration. You can click the button to subscribe if you care to do so. It will set you up for updates when I post. If you liked what I brought, please let me know what you thought with a like or comment, or should you wish both. This lets me know these thoughts are not simply going into the void. Maybe it allows me to focus a little more clearly on what gives value.
It was a tearful day, like any number of other days. The losses weighed, and regret played, but somehow, something, somewhere, changed. It was as if a door opened, and a bit of hope took root in a heart for whom so many dreams had become moot.
The rescue climbed up, licked away a speckling of tears, and gave a look that conveyed, ‘You saved me; it is why I am here, and for that, I give you what comfort exists in me.’
There was a miracle wrapped in the space between those two, born of Love, fragile but true.
Whenever, wherever compassionate, kind, passionate hearts, even across species, or perhaps especially so, meet, Love is fully unleashed, and new dreams, music, stories, and worlds grow to bless lives as onward, outward the sweet generosity of spirit, souls goes.
Every time someone, whether human or other living feeling being, reaches across the chasm of indifference and tries to impact life positively, Love can take hold and change the fabric of reality through the miracle of creativity.
A heart broken by missteps, mistakes, trials, and troubles can learn to trust, take a chance and embrace life, Love, and fully live again.
Each of us is to others a blessing, a gift, a magic, a miracle who lives to present an opportunity to become most precious in one another’s lives. We are our helpers, keepers, and inspirations for greater and greater greatness.
What is this fond thing A haunting that enfolds us, New yet, familiar Like the breezes’ gentle kiss? Since encouragement to Love Is a melody Quieting contentious thought, We swim into song All beauties, surrounding – still Shadows – knowing every name; Life embraces Loving Wrapping our core uniqueness In almost comfort, But restlessness inspires reach To achieve, complete, receive; Adventure whispers Never hesitate, embark. Moments so fleeting – Do not give up this striving, For excellence commissions Toward performance, Rousing harmony stellar Turning inside out Our hearts’ dear feelings become An ocean, emotion, Love Beckoning each day, Life does sing.
On Friday, August 12, I drove to Chattanooga to visit my son, Alex. I took him a few supplies since he will be starting college at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus soon. He gave me a tour of the campus, and I was amazed.
We ate some scrumptious food and we visited both portions of the Tennesse Aquarium.
I wrote the poem at the beginning of the post, longhand in my journal today. My only significant change was bringing it from the first person to a universal third when I typed it on my phone.
I wish I could attend college. It would be an incredible adventure. I hope Alex has a tremendous academic experience in studying Data Science. There is much on that campus to keep him interested and busy.
I am grateful I found the courage to drive up to see Alex. I am so honored to have such a talented young man who has accomplished much as my son. God blessed me abundantly in the gift of a child with his aptitudes to offer the world.
Prompt: Create something that engenders positive feelings. Share it if you choose.
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Be steadfast, be excellent, and find joy in the blessings surrounding us. God be with everyone always.
All work on Haphazard Creative and my other site, Chronicles, is my own work, copyright Jo Ann Joyce Anita Jordan, unless otherwise cited. If you choose to copy or use my work, don’t hesitate to contact me for permission.
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