I needed a little pep talk from Shel Silverstein, my Poet Guide for March, to put something out there for the world today. Here’s how the conversation went:
Why Hello Mr. S, How silly should we be? I'm not known for having fun, so please lead the way for me!
I'm going to need a guide One who knows just what to do. Thank goodness, you're the one! The one I choose is YOU!
Now, Shari, don't you worry 'bout a thing! (that's Shel) I've seen you have fun before! The only advice I have is to add a little zing!
A dash of zip! A splash of zap! and you'll be sizzling all day long! Now, listen to me, Gurl. . . . I'm hardly EVER wrong!
So. . . I gave it a little go.
#poetguideconversationpoem
I’m doing the 31 Day March Slice of Life over at Two Writing Teachers along with many other fabulous teacher-writers and others who just wish to challenge themselves to 31 days of writing and sharing with the world. If you’d like to read a few lovely posts from others, head over to today’s entries!
My children grown and grandchildren far away. A husband giddy and entertained with his outdoorsman hobbies. Days and days of “meh” as background white noise pestered me as I attempted to distract it with the things I distract myself with.
My husband urged me to DO more “fun” in my life. I told him I DO have fun! – scribing and playing in my notebooks, reading and writing poems. “That’s my idea of fun!” I’d argue.
He’d roll his eyes and head off to the woods with our lab, or up to the lake to fish with buddies or out to the golf course with his father and brothers or sons.
I filled my notebook with pages of “My Ideas of Fun”, yet afterwards, still, something was missing. Often, the words that came out of my pen wrote, “…but what if I’m wrong and he’s right?” (I despised when this would happen.)
It felt necessary to investigate this definition and essence of what “FUN” is (because, research is on My Ideas of Fun List) , and magically, a book found its way to my front porch, via the UPS truck. It was titled, The Power of Fun, by Cathrine Price. (receiving a new book is also on My Ideas of Fun List).
Here’s what she writes in the FIRST chapter:
“We spend too much time on FAKE FUN. These are activities and possessions marketed to us as fun. . . but they are numbing and leave us empty when we’re done. TRUE FUN, on the other hand makes us feel nourished and refreshed (p. 17)”.
The FAKE FUN she was talking about was Netflix binging, Insta-reels and buying stuff (did I really need more books?). Apparently, TRUE FUN has an energy that is produced by the …
“Confluence of playfulness, connection and flow”. Let me draw the image for you.
I’m not gonna lie, I argued with Miss Price when she said, “Most fun moments do not occur when you are alone (p. 33).”
But, I’m trying to bite my tongue, and set aside my introverted-hermit-wanna-be-right self and give this a go, committing to 2024 as the Year of the FUN-TERVENTION.
I’m writing this month with other writers in the March Slice of Life Challenge. To see what others are writing about, head over to Two Writing Teachers and check out some lovely blogs and writing inspiration from other writers.
Islands of My Soul 