Month: August 2012

Monday Discovery: Mind the Gap

/ Gerry Wilson / Leave a comment

Today’s Monday Discovery: A new series of writing challenges at WordPress called Mind the Gap. WordPress will choose a topic each week that’s trending in the news and issue a challenge to us bloggers to express our opinions on the issue. The focus of these “Mind the Gap” posts is to get us thinking and writing.

Here’s this week’s Mind the Gap question: Has social media changed how you view the Olympics? You can go over and take the poll and express your opinion there.

Here’s Mine

The title of the challenge, “Mind the Gap,” seems particularly apt for today’s chosen topic. I was not as concerned about social media and the Olympics as I was about the obscene amount of money spent to “put on” the games. All through the opening and closing ceremonies, especially, I couldn’t stop thinking, “My God, how much does this cost?”

I know how important it is for the host country to shine, and Great Britain did that. The games–which are, after all, the focus of the event (or should be)–went almost flawlessly which, considering all that could have gone wrong, is nothing short of miraculous these days. The athletes were astounding in their prowess and in their successful and heartbreaking moments.

Soup Kitchen
Photo credit: iStockphoto.com/Gary Alvis

The Least of These 

Here’s the gap that bothers me, though. According to our local paper this morning, the price tag for this Olympics was $14 billion! I keep thinking about how many empty mouths and scrawny bodies all those billions could feed and clothe. Could the world have done with a little less show and a little more charity?

How about, for every gold medal, a charitable contribution of $25,000 goes to a humanitarian effort in the winner’s home country (that’s what the gold medal winners get–taxable, by the way)? I don’t begrudge the winners their prizes. I just wish for a little more awareness and compassion and in our complicated world.

Think about it . . . Maybe you know of a charitable effort as an outgrowth of the Olympics. If so, educate me. And let me know your opinions here! 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Wrong

/ Gerry Wilson / Leave a comment

This is a photo taken last fall, when I had pansies and ornamental cabbages, among other things, in the pots on our deck. This little lady helped herself. She was a picky eater! I sat here and watched her nibble on a leaf and toss it, nibble on another and toss it. Finicky. But we let her have those cabbages.

Wrong? Or right to let her destroy the cabbage? You decide! (Cute, isn’t she–but they can be such pests!)

Thief

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

/ Gerry Wilson / Leave a comment

A Little Housekeeping

It’s time for some updating and housekeeping chores at The Writerly Life.

Screenshot # 2

The home page has a slightly different look today: I moved some things around, got rid of the Tag Cloud (which seems to duplicate Categories, but maybe I’ll just start afresh), added a quick-access profile via Gravatar, and most importantly, a new widget called Community that shows all of you likers, followers, and commenters. It’s colorful and cheery and reminds me of why I’m here. It’s not a host of hundreds yet–but it’s growing!

Overall, I hope the effect is cleaner and more efficient. You can let me know what you think.

This little makeover calls for a big shout-out to all of you who have read these words and maybe even honored this effort by making The Writerly Life a regular stop on your blog rounds. That takes time and effort. Thank you, thank you!

Milestones

Some milestones reached this week—over 5,000 views and 65 posts, including an interview and some fine guest writers (all almost entirely since April 2012)—call for a hard look at the blog, where it is, and where it’s going.

I am not a prolific writer here. Some of you put me to shame, posting every day! I will continue to write regularly, bringing you something original (I hope!) once a week and also sharing other sites that strike me as interesting and informative (like this one), words of wisdom regarding writing and the writer’s life, and photographs, including a regular series of photos as writing prompts. Look for a special guest post next week and another writing prompt coming soon (it’s a provocative photo; I think you’ll like it)! Occasionally, I’ll dare to drop in bits of original fiction or poetry.

And who knows what else, because this writer’s house is a work in progress.

“Y’all Come Back Now . . .”

I hope I’ll continue to offer you words and images that are worth your time. So, as one of my elderly aunts used to say every time my family left her house on a Sunday afternoon, “Y’all come back now, ya hear?”

 If you’re new here, follow the links in this post for a taste of what The Writerly Life is like. I’m always glad to see you here and read what you have to say.