Those who made hard choices were....

 

You chose wisely...Which will you choose: the red pill or the blue pill?...Stay or go?...

Basically, choices have results.  Indiana Jones chose wisely, clearly.  Neo's (The Matrix) choices gave him possibilities where his choices led to results that could have all sorts of results.

These two movies appeal to me and my husband.  Straight forward, instant results...

 

Sophie's Choice?  Oh my.  I try to forget her choices. Too Painful.

 

How were cities in Japan chosen? Were there big thoughts given? No. It was an off hand remark made by the Secretary of War, Henry Simson that determined that which cities to nuke. One of the three was excluded by Simson because it was of historical importance to the Japanese. Then he added that it was where he and his wife spent their honeymoon, with a smile. 

 

Throughout the movie, Oppenheimer had some hard choices to make...and this painfully superb movie shows further struggles over the many he had to make.

So there we feel the variety of choices these very human people had to make. These have a wide reach of possibilities, none of which will be clean and easy.

Our choices? You know of only the choices that we face commonly, but they are not easy to make.

Choose wisely. 

 

 

 

 

 

I choose Christ.

 

To say "I am a Christian" is a confession, a witness to my community that I have a greater belief that comes from a source not within myself. 

Nothing happens by chance. There are no coincidences that are not rooted in an instigating force. Things happen for a reason. 

The world is and has always been a big hamster ball. All the souls on earth can be frantically racing on the Rainbow Bridge to Asgard. With just a tilt to the left or right, the ball can go sailing out into the skies. BUT maybe not?

So that is the question: IS this all for real? The answer is "Yes, this is really happening." 

So, if this is all really happening, what can we do about it ? Nothing, absolutely nothing. We can make choices.

Basically, I/we have never been in charge of a single blessed thing, not even when it relates to me/us. I can make choices and then accept the results. 

I choose Christ.

The Elite and the Gentry

***

  The sight of Marchioness Hermione of Brampton plunging through the mass of titled gentry would remain an indelible memory in her daughter’s mind. Her elegant grace and steely gaze ran interference for the daughter, brushing aside lesser baronesses and viscounts as she made straight for Duke’s son. She would slice him to pieces. 

“Clement!” she addressed him with a curtsy. It was a matter of form, and he responded, “Marchioness” with a deep bow.

Clement grew pale when the Lady Emilia emerged into view.  Curtsy, bow, smile.

“Clement,” the Marchioness addressed him with cold eyes.  “It has been said that your father has been and is now a magnanimous man.” 

 

Hermione stepped in closely to the now shivering man.  “You have stolen two valuable possessions of great worth from the Marquess of Brampton. How do you propose to make reparations for each?”

 

Clement staggered with the knowledge that his father the Duke and the Marquess were going to do some very bad and fully deserved things to him. As his future was now decided.

While all the elite gasped, Clement took off on the fastest, saddled horse and headed as far and as fast he could go. 

What had Clement done? What would the Duke and the Marchioness do about this?

This meme was started by Delores a long time ago.  Troubles led her to bow out, but the meme was too much fun to let go, and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast. With Elephant's Child  and other blogger volunteers, Mother Owl's we will find the challenges. Underlined words are of the words available. Let yourself go.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind. My difficulty is using words that were just released. Grant me some forgiveness, greatness cannot be hurried.

If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along to read it and add a few encouraging words. Head on over to play with words

This is a post from March 22.

Sunshine Blogger Award

armchairsquid

Recently, The Armchair Squid honored me by selecting me as one of bloggers to receive The Sunshine Blogger Award. I love her blog. She is never boring, and just her drink recipes are enough to make me feel a bit light headed. She shares her interest in Star Trek, which is also mine.

These are her questions:

If you could live one year of your life over again, which year would you choose and why?

If you could learn to be an expert at something without putting in the work, what would it be?

If you could learn a new language instantly, which would you choose and why?

If you could give $1 million to any charity, which would you choose?

When was your Robert Frost moment a la "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood..."? The poem (read it here) says you can't go back and that is true. "Way leads on to way" and so forth. But if you could, would you? What is the difference you think it would have made?

Time travel: where would you go and when? Why?
Who would you want on your fictional character bowling team? You get to pick four.

What would you want for your last meal?

What's your favorite song?

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

If you came over to my home and I offered you a drink, what would you want me to serve you?

This really made me think and ponder what I should answer. What would you answer?

#1 One year, couldn’t I have two?

  

The year when I was 7 is my choice. We had just moved to the farm where our buildings was built in late 1800s. We kids didn’t know that we were living rough and it was exciting. Playing in the hayloft, stomping through snow drift, eating snow ice cream, the smell of Mom’s beef stew cooking slowly on our old coal heater in the kitchen (there were two heat sources:  kitchen  and living room, nothing upstairs)…these a strong memories that pop up and make me smile.

#2 I would love to become an excellent pianist.   Their hands and fingers fly across the keyboard and I envy their skills.

#3  A new language?  Gaelic. We lived in Ireland a few years; Gaelic was taught in school where our two younger kids (4 and 6) learned to speak it, being young. Our 10 year old was excused from learning as she was considered to be too old.

#4  $1M?  I would donate it to the American Red Cross, no question. They respond quickly to disasters and needs.

#5  Robert Frost (one of the most gifted and meaningful American poets) I would not go back in time or forward either. It would be tempting to do something that would change the course of the future. Knowing history would tempt me to do something like kill infant Hitler, prevent Lincoln’s assassination. Those actions would have unknown consequences.

#6  Time travel? Dang.  Hard to think, but I guess it would be observing the founding fathers and the development of the Constitution, signing. Seeing how these brave men took a chance on the development of a unique country gives me goosebumps. They showed integrity and honesty.

#7 Fictional character bowling team?  Members of the Avengers, no question. Just pick 4, except Aquaman. Yes, he is majorly hot, but his talents are in the ocean and probably other places.  😉

#8  My last meal?  I know this sounds strange, but I would love pinto beans and ham with cornbread. Real butter and honey. Rhubarb pie with homemade (hand churned) vanilla ice cream. And, don't forget a glass of Pinot Grigio.

#9  Favorite song?  "Hallelujah"** written by Leonard Cohen. This version is being performed by an acapella group named "Pentatonix"Everytime I hear it, I stop and sing along. 

#10 So very extrovert! Oh yes, yes I am.

#11 Something Bailey’s Irish Cream, a lot of it. Maybe with some coffee.

These were awesome questions, very thoughtful ones. Normally, I request that I do not get any awards. I can't deal with the work required to pass them on. It is not actually the work, but it is the combing through my mind and pulling out sincere answers. Please do not give me any awards, altho I appreciate them. :)

Pentatonix singing "Hallelujah" . No instruments, just this is a group of gifted musicians.

I've decided that I will hold onto this wonderful award as mine and not pass it on. But I encourage other bloggers to take these questions and make them your own.

**

Follow the Road

Source: Mimica

Parker had fought against conformity all his life. When his friends followed a road to the left, Parker turned to the right. Contrary, said his mother, just downright contrary.  Odd boy.  

Roads lead in all directions, he reasoned.  Truthfully, roads led everywhere, up and down, over and under. 

Parker cupped the delicate fire of adventure close to his heart.  He followed a yearning to climb distant peaks and to consider faraway lands. Walking with a rucksack over his shoulder, he set out.

In this solitude, Parker recognized how fragile, how brief time was.  So many people with such different lives walked their own roads with their own rucksacks.  

In time Parker climbed one last peak. Grizzled and gray, he smiled at roads not taken.  Roads caught in a snapshot in time would continue, but he would not.

 

His road had come to an end.

Many thanks to Delores for posting 6 words and a sentence prompt (in bold italics).  Each week this talented writer challenges participants to create prose, poetry, flash fiction, etc. You may hop over to her site by clicking on the yellow flowers on a stream at the right sidebar.

You may also decide to take up this challenge.  Be brave!  

Choices Made, Roads Traveled

Source

Everyone has to make his own decisions during his lifetime.  Where should I live?  What job should I pursue?  Will I find someone to love?  These questions are universal.

Recently I discovered a poster at a restaurant, Buca de Beppo.  It is a boisterous Italian place, with photos and décor that entertain the diner before and after the food arrives.  Even the bathrooms are unexpected.

This poster is about a young woman, Gina “Bronco” Bouza, 1932 – 1957.  At one time before fame found her, Ms. Bouza was a Kansas City stockyard worker.  She was strong, darn strong; she was 5’ 5” and 200 pounds.  

Her job was to kill the steer at the beginning of the meat processing.  Her claim to fame was that she could jump onto the steer, wrap her legs around its neck, and break it. 

No, I am not kidding you! 

Someone realized her talent and asked her to join the female wrestling organization.  She defeated Quebec’s Giselle “Frog Legs” Boudreau. 

After such an event, Sal Mineo asked her out.  Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts were impressed with her.

At the height of her fame, Ms. Bouza was asked to participate in a fundraiser by Joel Del Campo.  She would get to wrestle an elderly orangutan (I think), “Bungles”.  Tickets were sold out, crowds gathered, spirits were high.

Source

After great hoopla, “Bungles” was brought into the ring by its handler.  It is easy to imagine it wearily looking about at the human monkeys, sighing at the noise, and longing to be back in the quiet of its cage.

Ms. Bouza leaped into the ring energetically, rousing the crowd.  Bouncing around, Ms. Bouza approached “Bungles”, ready to put her moves to work.

In twenty seconds, “Bungles” reached out, grabbed Ms. Bouza, and broke her neck, killing her instantly.

What choices could Ms. Bouza have made?  Were the Kansas City Stockyards her ideal employment? 

Choices are all important.*

Note:  In researching this story, details were mighty thin.  Maybe it didn't happen?  Maybe it did.