Remarkable instincts

It’s remarkable how one decision in one single moment can change your life.

It usually doesn’t take more than that.

Because it was in that precise instant that Hope could feel her reality taking a different turn.

It was that rapid, instinctive choice to get on a train that altered everything.

If she hadn’t been so bold, she would not have dared to do something extraordinary and out of character.

But she would also have not met him.

And she would not know that kindness personified does exist. That there are people who look for quality above price, who take care of others as they take care of themselves, who have a heart that is full of love to give and are open to receiving the care they deserve.

She would not know that relationships could be mutually fulfilling.

Or that you could fall in love with someone for the person they motivate you to be. Who boosts your incentives and pushes you to improve. Who wants to be together no matter how little free time is available and who dreams of a future in which you both are.

Had she not been so determined to take a leap, she would not have realised that some risks are worth taking.

Because if they work out, they are simply marvellous.

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On the edge of heaven

©MCD

No matter how calm a person you may be, and how in order you may have everything in your life, there comes a time when you too erupt. It is simple human character. It’s impossible to be fine all the time. He knew it well.

She, on the other hand, was easily subjected to panic attacks and nervous crises. She was just more vulnerable to them. She stressed too much, overthought everything, and felt too deeply. She became too emotionally attached too fast, and it usually brought heartache and unpleasant thoughts. Thus leading to the aforementioned breakouts.

That day, was one such occasion.

He could see the storm coming in her eyes that morning. She was still trying to suppress the torrent that was in turmoil inside of her.

“What would you like to do today?”

He knew she was undecisive, yet always offered her the option. She valued that in him.

“Let’s go somewhere extraordinary”, she replied.

He smiled widely. Their sense of adventure and their passion for devouring every moment of life, filling their moments with unforgettable experiences, was what had brought them together in the first place. And he fell in love with her for that. Because she was different.

He knew just the place to go.

Somewhere to calm her storm.

It was more than enough. For when she viewed the mountaintop view of the sea and city in the background, she fell silent, in awe of the beauty of nature.

It felt as if they were standing on the edge of heaven.

And right there, it was impossible to think about anything that was troubling your soul. Nothing mattered. It was so vastly magnificent, that everything else – including your stress – seemed negligible.

Nature has its own way of soothing and healing you, placing your senses in order and restoring your hope.

A magic herb

© Dale Rogerson

It was the image she held most prominently from the village house: the stone walls on which a large braid of garlic hung.

She found it amusing that tourists were always interested in this tradition of theirs. And she enjoyed her grandmother always having something new and interesting to tell them.

A pungent herb, garlic is one of the oldest cultivated plants, worshipped by Egyptians as a god and used as a currency.

But its most widespread ‘use’ was to ward off the evil eye, to attract good luck, as well as to make you strong and bring you courage.

Also part of Friday Fictioneers

That inconspicuous dark cloud

It arrives abruptly and sits upon your shoulder silently at first. But then it grows heavier and you begin to feel the burden of carrying it. It grows darker the bigger it becomes and it’s even more difficult to shake it off.

Stress is like a black cloud. Inconspicuous upon arrival but may be lethal if prolonged.

We know it’s bad for us, yet we continue to fall victim to it.

We even know all the remedies for it too: meditation, deep breaths, organisation, priorities, etc etc.

But the one thing no one seems to be able to understand is that by telling someone “not to stress” does not solve absolutely anything. It simply elongates the circumstances that lead to the anxiety and nervousness in the first place.

It’s not about advice when it comes to ‘solving’ stress.

It’s about finding things and people around you that can help you get rid of that black cloud on your shoulder, simply by being too busy enjoying other things that you forget it’s even there.

Exploiting opportunities

They had prepared for a weekend away. She had planned it in her head so perfectly. But usually when that happens – when you long for something too long and linger on it for a prolonged period of time – it almost never works out as you had hoped.

First, she missed the bus. Then, he was held overtime at work. By the time they managed to encounter, the day had almost passed.

And then, of course, torrential rain broke out and emergency alerts warned of a cyclone with strong winds and high seas. It was the exact opposite of the weekend planned.

The point of being able to enjoy life, however, is to have the capacity of making the most out of every situation, no matter how adverse or unfavourable it may seem.

He had equipped the kitchen with snacks and food to cook together. The essence was to spend time together, even if it meant staying in. Sometimes, this too can be fun – a healthy homemade meal, and watching movies snuggled on the couch.

“Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity”

“Your big opportunity may be right where you are now” – Napoleon Hill

The dumb things we do to remain sane

“What is the stupidest thing you ever did?”

She was stunned by the question. This was the first thing he thought of asking her the very first time he even met her? How strange.

Yet, she smiled, blushed, got embarrassed, all at once.

She had done a lot of stupid things. But he didn’t have to know about them.

She had to respond though, and in a flash, all the dumb actions, which at the time seemed perfectly logically, swerved through her mind.

How many silly things have you done? And what exactly comprises as silly? Because all our actions at their time of their development don’t appear to be illogical. It is only after they unfold and their impact is felt that their irrationality also becomes apparent.

The thing is, we all need some craziness in our lives. To dare to do something different, even if it is a simple change of route on the return way home; taking a weekend trip on an impulse; or just ordering something you’ve never eaten off a menu.

It is only by doing something you’ve never done before that life will reward you by taking you somewhere you’ve never been. You never know what pleasant surprise may be awaiting you at the end of that different path.

Like Aristotle said: “No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness”.

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die” – Hunter S. Thompson

Just say ‘no’

©Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

“Sometimes you just need to say no”.

He sighed as he entered the shop and took a gratifying sip of fresh coffee. He inhaled the smell, awakening all senses at once.

It was just one of those days when you’d rather not see anyone, because you’re almost certain you wouldn’t be able to constrain yourself from doing something you shouldn’t or saying something you’d later regret.

“Is that what the sign’s all about on the door?” His neighbour asked, unsure of whether to be coy or scared.

“Yep. ‘No’ saves us a lot of trouble. I’m just taking my precautions”.

Also part of Friday Fictioneers

The scourge of power

He was unfairly imprisoned for a crime he never committed. But in a corrupt society, justice has a price and the laws are what those in power interpret them to be. There could be no righteousness in a world filled with greed.

It is a disturbing truth, however, that those in power will always try to exploit and control those who truly possess it.

He was imprisoned because he held power through a source they could not master. His force stemmed from the intellect. He pushed people to think and question the circumstances that surrounded them. He prompted them to be critical and demand more knowledge. He opened their eyes and minds. And for that he was considered dangerous.

“It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it” (Aung San Suu Kyi).

A sentient nature

She had this unique ability of lifting people up: when they were sad, when they thought they weren’t enough, when they didn’t even deserve it.

She had a way of making them appreciate the little things. Of helping them see that it is not to the worse-off you should compare yourself, but to the better ones, in order to improve. You raise the bar to reach higher.

But perhaps that was the problem. She was too sentient. She felt everything too deeply and expected too much.

Also part of Weekend Writing Prompt #173

First impressions

©CEAyr

“I remember when I first arrived in Glasgow. It was an entirely different world. That’s where I saw my first automobile. I was so dumbfounded with this technological miracle of the time. And I was so impressed by the man driving it. He seemed to be elevated in a field much above everyone else. When he got out of the car and looked straight into my eyes, I could feel my blush turning into a fever. I was so embarrassed”.

“But grandma, wasn’t that how you met grandpa? In Glasgow?”

“Yes, that sure was. That was our very first encounter”.

Also part of Friday Fictioneers