The Words of the Teacher...A Prompt Post

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: "Meaningless! Meaningless!" He threw the scroll into the fire.  "What's the use of anything I do or say?  Does any of it matter, really?"  His advisor winced.  How much wisdom was being lost to the flames?  And vellum was not cheap.
"But your majesty, surely being the king..."
"Is meaningless.  Tell me, would you be my advisor if it wasn't required of you? Would you care about me if I was a soldier or cook? Be honest."
The advisor didn't respond right away.   It was hard when his king was in these moods.  His question was personal and asked out of frustration.   He got like this when he came back from his harem.  The advisor could understand--being around that many women would be enough to send anyone over the edge.  Perhaps it should remain unanswered.
"Are you going to answer?  Do I have to make it a royal command?" 
"Didn't you yourself say there's more hope for a fool than a man who speaks in haste?"  Maybe that could buy him some time to think. 
The king was silent. The advisor, unsure.  Most days the king didn't want a yes man, but honest discussion.  Most days, though, he wasn't angry and morose.  He would have to trust that God had given him the right response. 
Then the king laughed.  "This is why I like you."  he clasped the advisor's shoulder.  "When I ask a stupid question you don't respond with a stupid answer."  
The advisor let out an inward sigh of relief.  It wasn't exactly how he meant it, but close. 
The advisor knew the truth was yes he would care.  He'd learned so much from his king, like in this situation, to be able to stop and think before giving an answer.  It was his king's character, not his position, that earned him respect and made the advisor bold in in his statement.  It was why the advisor didn't want to give him useless platitudes.
The advisor knew he'd be a fool not to follow him. 

**************

I was visiting other sites and saw many had posted about a new thing from WordPress.  It's called 365 Days of Writing Prompts:  a prompt to fire your imagination each and every day of the year. 
January 5 was "Call me Ishmael:  take the first sentence from your favorite book and make it the first sentence of your post."
My favorite book?  Ecclesiastes, in the Bible. This is kind of a flash fiction based on it, a sort of day in the life.  I love the whole Bible, too.  The advisor is using Proverbs 29:20.
My second favorite book first line:  A squat grey building of only thirty-four stories.  Brave New World. 
For 365 Days of Prompts go here:  Writing Prompts
I don't know if I'll post all the prompts, but maybe some more...

Possible PhD

I'll never understand why people like to go and mess up something that was perfectly fine. 
Our nursing board has changed our entry level to DNP instead of MSN for nurse practitioners.  Which would be okay, except that I've been thinking about going back so I can say I have a PhD.  It sounds cool.   So, this is the kick I need.
I follow my new friend Boots and Bluestockings  who finished school recently.  Her accomplishment has inspired me as well.

Happy Spring Gnome!

But, Dissertation.  It sounds like something too close to dessert, which should be good, but....
Has anybody done one of these? 
What have you wanted to do but keep finding excuses not to do?  What kick do you need in order to start it?

On a lighter note:  Elementary and Hannibal?  My two favorite crime solvers in one night?  Thank goodness for two TVs!
Question:  Will Graham vs Sherlock Holmes--who would win solving a crime involving voodoo rituals?

Doreen McGettigan  Pop-Culture and marketing.  Two great topics. 
Lydia: not one, not two, but THREE blogs!
           Chalk Outlines the name is great, nice pictures. 
           ReVue  arts and entertainment reviews of a different nature
           Haiku 365  A haiku a day...interesting photos, too...worth a look, this site
Misha Gericke--another multiple blogger.
           My First Book  great information regarding craft and publishing.  Also features fellow bloggers.
          Taking Charge of My Life--like the name implies; check it out
Maggie at ExpatBrazil  I've been to Brazil.  Wish I knew this site first.
Silvia @ Silvia Writes   stories as life tells them. 
Phillipscom. Ariel's Jotting  informative and inspirational
KaTy Did   check out the sunglasses and crazy "roads"
Ice Girl  where fashion and ice collide in beautiful form

One thing I'm impressed with is how many bloggers can keep up with more than one site.  One only has to look at mine to see how I dream big, but can't quite keep up.  Reading other's thoughts is encouraging.

So, pulled out the driveway and took off again for another amazing adventure on the A to Z Highway.  I wanted to say something here uniquely profound, but got Bogged in Blogs.  My problem is that all the sites so far are interesting and I stay longer than planned, so I don't make my planned destination by nightfall. But, luckily I have set up extra time for extended visits. 
Todays visitations:
Jeanette S. Anderson --beautiful photos and I love this:  you can only read your own book so many times.  (you have to read her blog to know where that came from)
Sue  encouraging words regarding blogging
Kate @ Another Clean Slate  updating look, check out pictures on #piclove365
LyndaGrace  beautiful posts from a mother.  She's lived 24, 026 yesterdays..and counting
Stepheny Houghtlin    Need to know about gardening?  Here's the place, and so much more
Josie 2 Shoes   in Texas, I must add.  Cute cats, and impressive posts from challenges. 
Kat  card projects that are (mostly) easy.  I know.  I made one.  Eclectic, practical, fun information
The Sunday Visitor  short, informative posts on a variety of subjects
Arlee Bird   who doesn't know Arlee by now?  Those who did A to Z under a rock?  Great discussion if you have opinions on swearing.
A Ramble in the Blog  --says she doesn't like writing, but you can't tell from her posts. 

some flowers for those who don't
have spring yet due to crazy snow

Leslie @ Therapy and Function  Stop by to see the Adventures of Penelope. Find a fellow blogger trying to regain a schedule after the grueling A to Z marathon.

On The Road...trying not to speed through.

So, I'm On the Road tonight visiting spots.  I've started at the beginning of the list.  I'm going to attempt to post links to where I've visited. 

L.G.Keltner At: Two Blogs?  Are you serious?  How does she do it?  Honest Trailers is brilliant.
   Writing Off the Edge
   Warped Nerdiverity
Making the Write Connections --I could like Les Miz after reading here.
Planning with Printed Portal --Where do I begin with the organization skills?
DeeCoded--brings TV to life, especially How I Met  Your Mother
lizy-expat-writer--beautiful photos!
Ordinary Never Sleeps --I'd followed this one throughout.  Take a look at the old posts, especially Zenobia.


I would recommend all of them.  I've been tempted to just visit spots with topics I'm interested in.  But, I've realized, I can't judge a blog by it's title, and have been introduced to new things.  Will see how the method of going down the list works.
I'm finding it easier to visit since I'm not compelled to blog every day. 

Reflections on Insanity

"The patient's not breathing!" 
"Keep bagging! I'm almost done.  I've only got five minutes to post M before Midnight."
"Start CPR!"
"I've already done C.  P and R? Not sure what they'll be yet."
"Here's the patient's X-ray."
"X-ray?  I was thinking maybe Xanadu--the Rush version, Not ONJ"

May 1 has come, the challenge has been met, the patient saved, and congratulatory tankards of ale all around...or in my case, mugs of of double espresso. 
This was my second year to participate in the A to Z Challenge. Last year I did a theme--some nerdy professional thing. This year I had a theme--Random Variety.  A fancy way of saying I had no clue.  It was actually more fun this way.  I did manage to post all the days on time.  Whew!  Even with all those pesky sick kids demanding attention--what's with all this illness anyway?   However, as with last year I didn't get  to visit as many blogs as I'd hoped.  I don't know how to remedy this problem, unless I can in some way alter the time-space continuum.  But, I did learn more about comic books and Star Trek than I ever thought my brain could hold.
In one month I talked about Garden Gnomes, wrote some poems, discovered a deadly muse and  the Plague (which almost killed Sean Bean).  Told a story about a Ninja, Reviewed a Reading, Big Fish, and Travis.  I interviewed a baby twice, looked at serial killers and their victims.  After visiting Wahoo it got a little Queer, but in the end I realized Y I like Z the best of all letters.
I won an award along the way, but what really counts is all who participated and finished are winners in need of medication and a vacation.

So, on another note:  I found this other Challenge.  It's VikLit's Writing Blog. Basically each Friday you post celebrating little things you accomplished that week.  Such as I breathed air or I didn't strangle my boss. (those might be considered big.  I love air and my boss, by the way)

Three Celebrations for me:

• Finishing A to Z Challenge
• Exercising two freedoms:  speech and voting.
• Making my bed every day (trust me, it's an accomplishment!)

Celebrating anything this week? 

Christine de Pizan, Challenges, Choices

from Collected Works of Christine de Pizan

 Maybe I just missed something but I'd venture to say that I'm not the only one who didn't learn about Christine de Pizan in history class.  I found her by accident while searching for something else. 
So, who was she? One of the earliest feminists, authors, poetesses, and single working mothers.  Being born to a prominent family in 1363 Italy gave her advantages that only partially helped with the challenges she faced in her life.  Check out Christine de Pizan  to learn about her. 
What interested me was that she didn't actually set out to do the things she did. She enjoyed learning and went along with her father's teachings.   She was in love with her husband.  She didn't plan on both men dying and thrusting her into a man's role at a time when women were little more than possessions.  She had to support herself and her family while trying to console her grief through writing.  As she met the challenges, she learned of injustices towards women and spoke out against them.  This lead to success in a world where women weren't welcomed with open arms.  She never remarried, as most women would at that time. Was it because she couldn't replace her lost love or just had too many other things to do?  I don't know.  Amazing, too, that she lived to be 96 years old--in the 1300s. She lived out the courage of her convictions in a big way. 
It was more than coincidence that I came upon Christine's challenging career choices.  I needed some encouragement.  In work and personal life I'm facing challenges.  It seems the more I take a proactive, positive stance, the more I'm met with resistance.  I've questioned myself more than once, as I imagine Christine did, but I've never been the one to take the common road and I certainly don't want to live against my convictions.
The problems aren't any easier in the 21st century than they were in the 14th, but if she can live to 96 years old after being a successful writer and single woman in the 1300's, then I'm encouraged to be up to my task in 2013.  I don't delude myself into thinking the challenges will be easy, but nothing worth having is attained without cost.
What challenges do you face?  What choices do you have to make in order to meet the challenge?  Who do you look to for encouragement? 
If you don't feel up to the task and start to question yourself,  do you give up or fake it until your confidence returns?   

Ok, I can't get by without saying my favorite C word:  Coffee.