The bloganuary post prompts are interesting: they’re designed, in part, to elicit a positive response. Take prompt eight, “what do you like most about your writing.” It’s phrased in the affirmative. You’re supposed to give yourself props. My personal go-to of being negative and critical makes one seem small-minded and surly.
(I feel I should apologize for any imperfections (I’m regularly perfect, of course): this essay is in the way of being one of my “off the cuff” posts. That is, I’m writing it in WordPress proper, rather than writing in Word before copying it to my blog. I might as well confess while I’m here that I love the block editor. I inadvertently switched my “posts” page back to classic view yesterday: I was not amused. Confession two is the one that will really annoy: aside from the glitch that happens when I post from the drafts folder, I rarely have problems with WordPress. And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.)
I suppose it’s a side benefit of the challenge that also lets us stretch our fingers and meet new people: a positive mental attitude for the new year. Too bad this prompt is the one that sank my ship.
Not really, but I don’t like being asked to speak about myself in positive terms. I’ve moved away, mostly, from the constant internal stream of negative abuse that comes with an eating disorder, but I’m not what one would call a cheerleader to the self by any stretch of the imagination.
(Sometimes I think I make glitchy grammatical choices just to stress Grammarly out.)
Problems with my writing: the structure isn’t great, I’m often wordy, I have a tendency to navel-gaze, and I didn’t edit my old work nearly enough. As in, at all. I assumed I was perfect, a writing savant, lower case everything notwithstanding. I assumed wrong. I have periodic bursts of enthusiasm and I get busy correcting those old posts, but today’s not that day. I’m horrible at differentiating between when to use the colon and semicolon, though I don’t confuse colon and cologne, so there’s that.
As to what I like, I’m sometimes a fan of the font. I think I do a good job with pictures, though, in the early days, I made serious editorial mistakes. Too few images, and then too many. Ah well.
I’m funny, though. At least, I think I am. The occasional reader agrees with me. I’m not overt, I’m dry and often dark, but I crack myself up and hopefully a few others. I find humour in even the darkest of topics. There’s always ease to be found, no matter how dark the night and how far the dawn. It’s a habit people in pain share, I think. It’s a distraction for both the self and the audience. Funny entertains (and sometimes skewers), but it also lets one keep the walls in place.
From Famine to Feast. 
Wow, that colon montage (although I don’t actually know if montage is the right word for that) is pretty fantastic.
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“colon montage” 😂😂 worst band name ever lol
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😁
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Colon… No comment.
Yes, I’ve told you you were funny in the past and we all know that what I say goes.
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True story 😁
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Good one! Especially the one about the colon. 😆
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I’ve never heard of navel-gazing before and, huh, I think I’m guilty of that quite often myself. Oh well. And people really confuse colon and cologne? That’s…unfortunate. But hilarious!
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Making people laugh is one of the best things ever, and you got a guffaw out of me for the colon inclusion. I’m right there with you on the self-deprecation, because it feels wrong to shout about my own brilliance. Surely it should simply shine through my awesome writing, right?
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Exactly! 😉
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You have beautiful colon…. words everyone wants to hear after a colonoscopy 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I loved a bit too much at the Nickleback meme, classic, Photograph is still one of my favourite tracks next to Rockstar for reasons I cant explain, perhaps its because haven’t been cutting my hair and the part of cutting my hair and changing my name..
Glad I ran into you post its made me laugh
~B
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I think if don’t love “Rockstar,” then you’re a little bit dead inside 😉
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🤣🤣🤣🤣
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FYI for all fellow naval gazers colon – there’s a word for that: omphaloskepsis— A form of religious meditation practiced by Eastern mystics who stare fixedly at their own navels to induce a mystical trance, or simply said, the art of meditation while gazing at one’s naval. Or, put another way, preoccupation with yourself to the exclusion of everything else. Guilty as charged.
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Omg colon 🤣🤣🤣
I hate the new editor as well, I changed it back to classic but its not the same!
Gotta adjust to the new one!
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Right? Every time I start to hate on change, I remind myself that I don’t want to get crotchety: at fifty-two that’s a definite concern 😉
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Haha, I don’t think you should be concerned at all! I’m younger and you have now put the thought in my head. So if anybody should be concerned about getting crotchety, it should be me!
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😂 😂 No crotchety until fifty. It’s the law.
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Haha, I’ll remember that!!
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Those colon quotes are gold! What do I like most about my writing? That’s a good question – I’m not sure. That I’m not afraid to be honest/push the boundaries a little maybe. Or that I think I’m good at drawing a conclusion/finishing on a powerful note. Enjoyed the post Em. 🙏
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Thank you 😊 Being able to be fully honest and push boundaries with one’s writing is important; I’m not quite there yet.
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You are funny! I love your posts!
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Thank you. I do try, at least some times.
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