Distractions: Good or Bad (Part 2)

Example of a good distraction (Photo
By P. Lynne Designs) copyright 2018

When we spoke last, I was talking about Distractions and how they can be good and how they can also be bad.  Let me tell you of two scenarios (in no particular order):

The first one happened in 2015.  A person was on their way to the last day of their event.  The road was clear, and she had all the typical distractions in her way:  Why was her hotel bill $356 (not an exact number but close)?  Why didn’t she get up in time for the buffet?   I wonder if Joann’s was going to have a good sale today?  So, she hopped in her Honda Accord, she cutely (rather her sister cutely) named Jessica, after piling all her things in the trunk.  No time to eat but will stop to get a donut.   Went to the nearby, but realized it was too far out of the way, Tim Horton’s to grab a donut and ate it along the way.  Made it to the exit and turned off the freeway.  Got to the street, Dave Longaberger Way, and proceeded to go across, when bam, hit by a truck going in the opposite direction.  The person survived, but the car was totaled, the engine, which could not take another impact force trauma from the year before, imploded, the fire did not reach the cabin of the car, and the car looked like someone gutted the hood area, while still looked normal from the back.  

For those who have been reading my blog for a while know that this was my accident from 2015.  The Lord spared my life and for that, I am truly grateful.  It was amazing how fast I got a new car (new to me-used). Since I loved my Honda so much, I hated my Dodge Caliber for a few months after the accident.  First of all, things, I NEVER get black cars.  When I think of a black car, I instantly think, funeral car.  I am driving a funeral car.  You might as well change my name from Patricia to Morticia, LOL. Second, when I first started driving this car, I had to research it (after all, it’s my job), and it has no value.  They stopped making them in 2013, and I have a 2008 car. So, screw the notion of me getting a 2018 because there are none and the car that replaced the Caliber, The Vie? Vision? Something like that had just retired itself.  In 2016!!!  I did not like the way the new car replacement looked. 

Third, I hate the fact that I had the accident in the first place.  Even though I had one little abrasion that did not completely heal until my follow-up mammogram (the doctor wanted to make sure it was not a mass), I was forever scared of making a left turn.  I would freeze up.  I still do, especially when there is a person behind me who is in a hurry.  Not sure if that feeling would ever go away.

Next Scenario….

A young woman traveling on Rt. 270 hits a semi. The report does not say but to say that she was instantly killed.  Her father is the local sports director/anchor for 10TV.  What this message of distracted driving brings that since his daughter’s death, it has prompted Dom Tiberi to create Maria’s Message, where he speaks about distracted driving, which it does kill a driver.  Millions of kids and young adults have taken the pledge.  Not only do you have to be aware of your surroundings as a driver, but also as a pedestrian as well.  He mentions things such as not using your cell phone, do not text while driving and other things that keep a person safe and well.

This was in 2013, and my accident, caused by me being distracted by trying to eat a donut in 2015 are not good distractions, but they teach some valuable lessons on how not to be distracted.

What are some of the Distractions:

First, a distraction is anything that takes your hands from the 10 and 2 positions of the steering wheel.  Most of us (including yours truly) love driving with one hand.  I am not sure what your reason is, but mine is simply because it feels comfortable, but if there is ever an accident, the police can blame you for not having both hands on the wheel.

Next, do you ride someone else in your car?   Children who constantly scream at each other and at you, a carpooler who will not shut up, a nervous pet on their way to the vet, or a spouse telling you about their day.  Yep, these are distractions too.

Finally, we all like a little music to pass the time away.  A favorite song starts playing, and you start singing.  You get a call in the middle of the song, and you must take it.   They now have cars that allow you to text while drive by allowing the driver to speak into the speaker of the vehicle.  Cool huh?  Maybe.  In a nearby town not far from my home, you are not allowed to touch your phone while in their city limits.  Your hands are at 10 and 2, and you are not holding your phone, so you are good right?  Maybe, it depends on what city, state, and country you are in. 

Some of you are probably wondering if no one or nothing should be in the car with you at all times.  no other persons (including children), radio, pets, nada should be in the car?  Yes and no.  You have to learn how to ignore them.  For instance, when a child starts yelling at you, or threaten to toss their two-year-old sister out the window, nicely tell them to stop and if they don’t, you will pull over and make them walk home.  My mom actually did that to my sister.  Seriously!  They were on the freeway near home, and my sister threw one of her 10-year-old tantrums.  Mom told my sister to stop, nicely, and she did not.  So, mom announced that she was pulling over.  She talked to my sister again, who was not hearing it, then asked my sister to get out of the car.  Once my sister was out, mom drove off, but she went to the nearest ramp, turned around and picked up my sister, who was stunned that mom would pull something like that.   Did it cure my sister?  Nope, not for a while, but all mom had to do was mention the words, “I am pulling to the side of the road”, then she would be quiet, and not say a word.  This is why my sister’s children are so good in my car, today.  I told them that story to them, and now I have good little riders.  I know, bad Auntie.

I am still working on my Radio skills to not sing along.  I am not perfect.

So, what is the lesson from parts one and two:

·         Distractions good, bad, or indifferent and they are there rather you like it or not. 

·         Learn to work around your plans.

·         If life happens (and it will), do not get mad because you did not get any sales from your Etsy shop, you cannot start on a project, or if you have to delay a massive clean-up job on your website or come home early from your trip because of an unexpected loss.

·         ONE ANSWER:   BUY AN ISLAND. LIVE ON IT AND HAVE ONLY YOU ON THAT ISLAND.  The only problem is you will miss civilization.  You cannot hide from life.  You must go with the flow, deal with the distractions, smile and say thank you Lord when you get through it.  There is another distraction coming

ARE YOU READY!!!!

Day 29, 30, & 31: Reflection

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016

Please note:  I had something very different that I wanted to write on this last day of 2015.  

This is a tip for you would be writers and current writers: Do not settle on your first manuscript, blog post, or even love letter.  If something is not write (right), set it aside and pick it up later.  If you still feel the same way about the subject and content of that piece, go for it.  If not, go with your gut and write about something else.  Do not scrap the original.  With this technology, it is so easy to save it on a flash drive or in the cloud.  When the time is right, and you will know, pick up where you left off, and publish it at that time.  Sometimes, like now, you just have to scrap the piece.  Why?  Well in my case, I started writing it a couple days ago, I was angry at the way my Christmas evening ended, and it did not feel right for me to dump my problem on you, my readers.  Another tip:  never write in anger, if you never come across like that in your writings.  Calm down.  Never tell a stranger your problems, especially in writings.  People with problems look for negativity.  They want others to wallow in their misery with them. That’s human nature.  We want people to feel happy when we are happy, sad when we are sad, and so on…. Why do you see so many comments from people when a blog post or a video is posted?  Humans love to be entertained, especially with anything that makes them negative.

Anyway, back to the topic…

I want to say that this has been a year of many roller coaster rides.  Some I expected, such as trying to get my businesses stronger, and growing more and more with Christ.  I had some issues I had to continue to work out from 2014, such as the death of one of my friend’s child, but I am at peace with it.  Some things I did not expect, such as my accident at the end of July.  I am still scared of making left-hand turns, and it is going to take me a while to turning with confidence.  Overall, it was events, like my accident that helps me reflect on how good God is, and how he works.

I am not happy about the events of this country in terms against Blacks, especially the children.  I am particularly upset in terms of the two police officers of shot and killed a 12-year old child in Cleveland, Ohio.  These two officers, who are supposed to be upholding the law, shot this kid, A KID, WHO HAD A TOY GUN!! Sorry, I am screaming about this, but they never questioned him, never questioned his age.  Then, when his sister, who was also under 18 tried to go to his rescue, they arrested her for seeing about her own little brother.  Where is the justice in that?  Whatever happened to asking questions?  Two days ago, these two officers were told by the city of Cleveland, they acted according to the law and will not be charged for the crime.  It is a crime, people, against a child.  Well enough with this subject, because I can write a whole post on the subject.  BTW, yes, all lives matter, but when it comes to brown skin, I guess not.  Something needs to change, ASAP.

OK, I am done….

2016

There will be some changes in my life, and I want to share.  No, it is nothing bad, just my words of affirmation for 2016.  I have thought about them throughout the year, and I must say that I am pretty pleased with them.  I started saying them back in 2012, but I was just saying the words.  Nothing held water in them.   The more I chose a word each year, the more committed I wanted to be with a word.  For 2016, I have several, and it is not because I was indecisive, it is because I have many aspects of my life.  You may see it in these next few sentences.

Words.

1.        Truth.  Would you believe I found this word a few days ago while playing one of those stupid games on Facebook?  It was called “Find your word for 2016”, and I know you are laughing, but here me out. I had to think about this word for a moment, and I had to ask myself, what is my truth? Am I being true to myself?   To others?

2.       Authenticity.  It goes along with truth.  How authentic am I? I am basically a quiet, shy person when I first meet you, but I have a business that has clients.  This comes to this next word…

3.       Authority.  When you are naturally quiet like I am, it looks like to the surface that I am a pushover.  Not so fast, my friend.  I can be a leader when I need to, but I do not like to push it around.  It is one thing to say what you can do and will do for a client, friend, or family member, but it is another to just let them just walk all over you.  Trust is a co-word of authority.

4.       Creative.  I put this in my business, mainly because I make art, music, dance, and make dreams happen.  I want this business to be a blessing to all who request a product, be it cards, scrapbook, or a written document.   With that being said, I may have to make my other business (an Independent Home Consultant) to part-time.  It all depends on where I am at with this business.

Well, that is it for this series.  I hope you enjoy it.  I am taking off for a couple of days to get situated and to prepare to organize the month of January.  So I hope you have a safe New Year’s eve and day.  Goodbye, 2015, I cannot say it has been all fun, but I thank God I am alive.  Hello 2016, and welcome to a new day, a new year, and a new adventure.  I cannot say that it going to be a great year, but it will be a great year if you let it be. THINK POSITIVE AND BE PRAYERFUL NO MATTER YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM IS.

Top 10 posts of 2014 (and goals for 2015)

(c) jks Lola

This is my first time writing a top 10 list of my posts for the past year.  I love to blog, there is no question about it.  There is something about it that is informative, and I can be that ambassador to the world.  This I how many bloggers feel as they put pen to paper, or as I call it fingertips to keyboard.  Everyone has a different style about going at it, and if you never have done this before, it is a fun experience that one should not take too light.  You are not just simply giving your opinion on a subject, but your opinions and views on the subject should there to inform, enlighten, and keep them coming back for more.

How did I make my selection?

I made my selection based on the number of views according to Blogger, not Google Analytic.  I also based it on how much I enjoyed writing that post.  I will get to my complete list in a moment, but first I have to give you what I enjoyed writing the most and the least favorite to write:

This first post gave me joy, because of how I feel about my parents, especially now.  I wrote and posted it on February 25, 2014.  It is called My Parents are so Cute.  In this post, I told the story of the Sunday before (or that day), which my father wanted to watch a movie on Egypt, so he tried to find it first on Netflix (which he can either use mine or my cousin Derrick’s account), and then my dad wanted to know if the movie was on his cable company’s pay per view list.  Later on, my dad was doing “love picking” at my mom to the point where she said something to him, and he asked me a question about how many years he had to put up with it so far (53 years), to the point of me my shaking my head, and deciding to writing this post.

My least favorite post:

I, as well as many other people were shocked and upset by the passing of Robin Williams and how he died.  I decided to write something on the subject, and even though the page views were not that great (28 views), it is a subject that many people do not like talking about, and I had a hard time writing it.  I think it is because everyone, especially teens and young adults, go through a period in their lives where they do not fit in, and that was the reason behind my own attempts. (I had 4, neither of them landed me in the ER).  In the case of Robin Williams and many adults, they are tired of dealing with the same thing every time, and they do not want to be a burden to their family and friends.  I do not know what was going through his mind when he took his last breath.

My list of top 10 posts of 2014 (in terms of page views)

Post	Date	Views
Happy Ballet Day	Monday, February 17, 2014	148
Opportunity Alert, Freelancer	Tuesday, January 14, 2014	85
How I write a post	Saturday, March 15, 2014	70
It's never been about the Easter Bunny	Thursday, April 24, 2014	67
Call of Jury Duty	Monday, May 19, 2014	65
Vacation time in San Antonio	Sunday, March 9, 2014	58
My parents are so cute	Monday, March 3, 2014	53
Keep a good thing going: Inspire Someone Today	Wednesday, April 16, 2014	51
Why I can't Enjoy Food Anymore	Wednesday, June 25, 2014	51
Correction is a big thing for me: 5 ways to improve your writing	Saturday, July 19, 2014	46

So there you have it.  I hope you go back to read them, I had fun writing them.  If you have any comments, let me know.

What’s new and the goal for 2015?

I am going to try to write more regular than I did in 2014.  I have lots of things to accomplish with this blog and my other blogs I write and own.  I want to get my freelancing writing back started again, and well as my freelance scrapbooking and greeting cards.  You can learn more about that in my P.Lynne Designs blog.  I am trying to do other things with this blog, such as switching platforms.  I love blogger, but as I read more about Google, the more that I learn that if I rub Google the wrong way, this blog, as well as my other blogs can be taken down without explanation, because Google decides to change the algorithm or the rules of what makes a worthy blog to them.  It is bad enough that I am trying to build up traffic, without worrying about that.

Anyway, what will I cover?

For now, it will be the same.  I will still do BlogHer’s writing prompts, and I may sprinkle in other writing prompts as well.  I will find more things for inspiring people to write more, such as how to get started, how to find something to write about, and how to get traffic and people to read your blog.  I am getting more into the aspect of writing blogs, as opposed to just straight writing.  There are lots of subjects on creative writing, technical writing, and others.  I will still write on subjects that touch others (more opinionated), and finding the goofy.  I may also expand from my other blogs to get a writer’s prospective on the subject, such as how does one find time to plan a Disney Vacation when you write for a living from my Traveling To the Mouse's House Blog to the comparison between a writing layout and a scrapbook layout.  Who knows, it may lead to a collaboration with another writer.   I will also be vlogging from time to time, and place a copy of it on my You Tube channel.

This is only the third day of the year, and the wheels in my head are turning like mad.   So with that note, I will talk at you later.  

Please leave the holidays alone, they are not bothering you…

(c) 2014   P.Lynne Designs 

I am making a statement, which is one of my motto's for 2015.   For those who have been following me, do not worry, I am not going to be some militant writer, who is going on a 50-state rant across the country.  I am not going to ignore what is going on either, but I do have something to say about the holidays.

Lately, I have been hearing about all these cities across the United States trying to cancel Christmas, because the very thought of celebrating the holiday may offend some people and their beliefs.  My question is how are the cities doing that?  Let me you in one a little secret: ignore it.  You do not have to participate in anything you do not believe in.  Let those of us who love the idea of going downtown to see all the lights, sounds, and smells have our season.  Let me give you an example:

Where I live in Columbus, Ohio, we have horse drawn carriage rides.  They are only given during the holiday season.  Now I have never rode in one, unless you count the time when me and my family visited downtown San Diego, California in 2007, me and my mom rode one, while my father, nephew (then 11), and a family friend walked by the water.  I love seeing them around Columbus, because it is part of the Christmas season.  I am a Christian, but nowhere in the bible does it say that I cannot ride in a carriage taking a tour of downtown Columbus.  I do not have any restrictions so it does not bother me.  I just personally have taken the time over the years to fully enjoy a good carriage ride.  Ok, now say it did offend me.  Do I have the right to take away from others, just because a horse-drive carriage offends me?  No, I do not, because it is about freedom to do what you want, because it is within the context of the law of this country.  I am not an island, and no other person should feel like that they need to put others with them, just because the celebrations of the season put them in that position.

Now to those who live in the towns where Christmas is “cancelled.”  Christmas is not cancelled.  It is on the calendar, and no one has the right to take away your right to celebrate the season.  This is only year one.  After this is over with, write your congressman, and tell them your feelings about the cancellation.  These so-called elected officials have one year to restore celebrations to your city.  Do not let a few people take away your celebration.  Celebrate anyway.  The police do not have right to tell you what you cannot do in your own home.  This is the perfect time to celebrate with family and friends in your home.  There are more problems in the world to complain about, then the cancellation of a downtown Christmas tree, though it is pretty to look at. 

Try to find out why this year’s celebration is cancelled.  Have you ever heard of the game called Telephone?  It is a child’s game, where the first person whispers a name or a phrase.  The idea is to make sure that last person repeats exactly what the first person has started.  Most of the time that last person gets it wrong every time.  What does this game have to do with the cancellation of the Christmas celebration?  Simple.  The real reason for the cancellation gets lost in the shuffle, and the reason may not have anything to do with offending a few people.  It might have been due to budget cuts, construction, anything but being offensive.  By the time the reason gets to a news person, it turns into something that gets a town stirred up and then the anger starts.  That is how most fights get started.   Other names for this type of talk are called “rumors” and “gossip”. 

Whatever the reason, please have a pleasant holiday, and I am looking forward to my presents and celebration the birth of Christ.

Merry Christmas!