Tag: coronavirus

meaning in life

Does Life Have A Meaning?

carolyncordon

For some people their family,and caring for them gives a meaning to their life, for others it’s their job, or the work they do when they’re home from work – volunteers. For parents raising their child or children brings meaning to their life …

At various times in our lives we would answer this question differently, and all of those answers could be true, for that particular time. But what does ‘having a meaning’ actually mean? And what does Life mean? Making it to work five days a week, for as long as we have a particular job, is that a life with meaning? Is work an overarching worthy thing for a person to do? Yes, for sure, for some people, with some jobs, that could be true.

For others, work is merely the thing that pays for the important things in their live the things that mean the most to them, the things that bring meaning to their lives. We are all alive, but for some, truly living a life is a dream, and they are merely existing, rather than living. I’ve had a full time job early in my life. I worked as a clerical assistant, going straight from finishing high school, to working in an office in a government department.

At that time, I certainly didn’t feel it gave a meaning to my life. I liked the money, I liked the friends I made at work, but it was only a job, it didn’t feel like it was giving me a meaning in my life. I was existing, and I was learning how to be an adult. The meaning there for me, was to move from child to grown up, and do my work as best I could. No overarching meaning that felt overwhelmingly important.

Then I met the man who became my husband, and we began showing dogs together. For many people, being involved in the dog show world, and breeding dogs gives their life a meaning. They give their all to their dogs, and working their way to the top of the ladder, in Dog Show terms. Becoming a judge, travelling the world to judge the dogs of others, becomes a greater meaning for them. That was never a thing that felt like a thing I wanted to give my all too, and so wasn’t worried when we gave that world away.

Dog showing for some years was a fun thing to do, we made some friends, won ribbons, bred dogs, became friends with some of the people who bought dogs from us, but it wasn’t a thing with meaning for my husband and I. It was fun for a while, but we weren’t upset to give it all away. We had a son, we had other things that were or more interest to us than winning ribbons with our dogs was. Our son, being parents to him, gave us a far more overwhelming meaning to our lives.

Our son has grown up now, and is living his own life. Being a parent is now a different thing, not an overwhelmingly important thing. We succeeded in raising him to be a good person, and he is his own person now, a friend, as well as our son, but not again, not an overwhelming thing in my life, not anymore. Being his mother when he was young certainly was, but is no longer. I’m his mum we love each other, and that’s good, but not huge.

I have other things I do, now, and my writing life grows ever larger for me. Writing, bringing new books into the world, and being involved with others who do the same, that brings meaning to my life. Sharing my words, though my writing, that feels like the meaningful life for me, for sure. Connecting with other people who care about thoughts, and sharing their thoughts through their words, these things feel good, very important things.

And writing now, through this blog, has now stepped up another mark. In the light of the coronavirus, in the shape of Covid-19, we are all now living different lives, lives in Lock Down, or in essential services, when any connection may bring the virus and its consequences into our lives. Having a chronic illness that could potentially mean I may face bigger danger than others, perhaps, has meant I’m taking this isolation seriously, for sure.

But in my isolation, I’ve had more time to think about the important things in life, in my life, and in my thinking, I realised their was a thing I could do, a big thing, that could bring more meaning to my life. I love my life, but is there big thing there, a thing I do that brings greater meaning to my life? Perhaps not, but now, this new thing, could be that thing.

I came up with a phrase, it lit up my brain, and so began my current obsession, that of producing an anthology that looks at the locked in lives and the possibility of being sick from, or dying from Covid-19. The phrase was ‘plague invasion’, and so started this book – “Plague Invasion – Creative Writing Responses to Covid-19”.

But an Anthology needs words, many more than an idea, and a title, and so began my call to the world – send me your words, in the form of poetry and/or prose, and I will consider your words, and make this now book, an exciting relevant and important look at an historic time in the lives of us all, one that will go down in history, to be remembered, and written about further, perhaps referring to the Anthology I will produce and publish.

So if you’d like to become a part of the written history of this time, check out the details about this book here, and we’ll make history together!

New Ideas, writing prompts

Considering Changes To Come …

carolyncordon

These Lock Down times are leading many, many of us to think hard about what we are doing, and ways we could be doing it better. We may be stressing about things, worried about our health, and health of others. We may be having to work and not liking to, or working and wishing we weren’t.

Times at the moment are different for all of us in Western Nations. Things are scaled back, and we are missing out on many things. Some of those things, we may have realised, weren’t as necessary as we’d thought, and we’re learning to manage in other ways. Other things may still feel necessary, and we feel we’re missing out, because we can’t get them.

It may be a time to look at how our pets manage their days. I look at my dog, and from what I’ve seen, her life is more or less the same as it was before Covid-19 came into our lives. The main difference, is that my husband and I are home even more than we were previously. We are both retired from work though, so that’s not that surprising.

At this time of year, my husband would usually be out all afternoon on a Saturday, playing Lawn Bowls, and I would be out on Thursday afternoon at my writing group. We are both now home, instead. And from a dog’s point of view, having the humans at home is always a good thing. Humans mean pats, and food, and the door opened to go out, and then to come back in again.

Missy isn’t that keen on her new ‘friend’, we think it’s cute though!

There will be a time though, when sports happen again, and catching up to have a meeting in a hotel will be allowed. My writing group have been meeting online, and have discovered some interesting differences in how we do our meetings when together in person, rather than together online, some of which are better. There are some troublesome aspects of the online meeting, though, or if not troublesome, then definitely very different.

One thing I feel many of us are missing though, the friendly touches, the hugs, the pat on the shoulder, the smiles and the silly things. You can’t do these things in a virtual world. And if you can’t see each other, you miss out on many nuances of what is happening in a conversation.

Shopping, that’s been a strange thing too. Having supermarkets run out of necessary goods, that was definitely a new, and very much unwanted thing. Will 2020 be remembered as the year we ran out of toilet paper, and couldn’t get any more?

Some of my ‘stash’

My feelings about this time, are that many of use realised the importance of being together with friends, and looking out for each other. And it’s been a time of valuing and appreciating the small things others do for us, when they can. Life is different, and in some ways, the new way of things is better, less impatient, more forgiving, more thoughtful. I think time spent ‘locked in’ at home, without a job to go to, has given us both permission and time, to finally do things we’ve wanted to try in the past, but couldn’t.

Being able to finally do these things, is definitely a positive thing. Personally, I have begun working on an Anthology, based around the creative writing responses of writers to “Covid-19”. It feel as though this time has been waiting for me to do something big, and I feel like I must do this. At the moment, I have only only ten or so pieces for this Anthology, but I can feel there is a great upswell of thoughts and ideas, creative writing, that can, and will fill, the pages of this Anthology.

As soon as I came up with the title, I know I had to do this. “Plague Invasion” was the phrase that hit me, and I’ve now taken it up as definitely the title of my new word-related thing. I’ve since expanded the title to “Plague Invasion – Creative Writing in Response to Covid-19”, to make it clear what the work is all about. But the responses I’ve received so far, and my own written responses, are different, as our lives and responses to these times are also different.

I’ve read comments that these times are an introvert’s version of perfect times, and an extrovert’s version of hell, and I suppose there’s truth to that idea, but introverts don’t hate people, most of them, they just like alone time, more than extroverts do. Extroverts like to talk, to discuss things, all things, and to get ides from others and what is happening all around them. These, of course are generalisations, as is my thought that introverts are more like cats, and extroverts dogs, particularly happy bouncing ones, bounding constantly from one thing to the next.

Cats would be troubled perhaps by having so many people in the house, when they were used to many ‘alone’ times, and dogs happy to have their humans with them so much more … When (if) things change, who will be grateful for the change, and will things actually to back to how they were before, I wonder? What caused this? Could it have been stopped? Is mankind in some way to blame, or at least a little complicit. These are questions that will go on being considered, written about, and discussed for a long time. That’s what I think.

And for those who feel these current troubles have hidden away concerns about Global Climate change, I suspect the two things are far more connected than many realise, and those things that tie the two together will be subject to many more discussions and ideas. Times are achanging that’s for sure, can they ever really go back to how they were? And if they can, who really wants that? Do you? I don’t, not entirely. We have the chance to hold onto what we’re now learning about ourselves, and the world and new and better futures for ourselves and our planet. Are you up for the challenge of it?

inspiration

Feedback and Ideas Requested

carolyncordon

I’m a teensy bit excited about this project I’m currently working on to be honest, and I hope lots of others will be excited about it too. The range of works that can go in an anthology, means that both serious things, and silly things can go in there. Could I or should I use an image like the one below, as the front cover of this anthology? (Comments welcome on this question)

An anthology is: A published collection of poems or other pieces of writing. (https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095416186)

So poems, fiction, non fiction, stories, articles, songs, all and any of these can make their way into an anthology. And the works that get published in the anthology I’m working on can be deadly serious, or ridiculously funny, sensible or silly. It will depend on what is submitted for possible publication, and what meets the needs of the editor (Carolyn Cordon).

The editor has been thinking about this, quite a lot these past few days, since the “Plague Invasion” Anthology began to become a possible reality. Thoughts and ideas have flown in, and out, been tweaked and twitched, and at the moment, these are relevant details for those interested in submitting work for this anthology.

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

Plague Invasion Anthology

Up to three poems, or 1,500 words prose, fiction or non fiction.
For prose, up to three pieces, up to that 1,500 limit as above.
All accepted writers can buy one copy of Plague Invasion at cost price * this point may be changed to ‘All accepted writers will receive on copy of Plague Invasion for free (plus p&h)’
Further copies for accepted writers will be available at half retail price.
All prices are plus p&h.
If I end up going mad, or broke doing this, it was probably still worth it.

That final point was a bit of silliness, I am feeling confident that I can do this, and my sanity will remain intact, as much as it ever is … Haha, humour in times of challenges is a fine thing, if we can find things to laugh about, life seems to flow better, much, much better.

Did someone mention toilet paper?

White Gold in Pandemic Times

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

I would really appreciate knowing what you think about any of this, Good, bad or indifferent, I need the feedback to keep going, and going in the best directions, thank you!

Cozy Mystery

Strange Times …

carolyncordon

Thinking about what is going on in the world right now, I’m wondering, is there really any point in getting concerned about what is happening in countries I’ll never visit, people I’ll never know. But of course that is a head in the sand kind of thought. Places, and people, are important. Things that happen in one place bring echoes of what occurs to other places, as people doing things in one place can link with other people in other places.

I’m not only looking at this from the point of view of a world being held in stasis, at home, trying to find new ways to live our lives … The coronavirus, Covid 19 has us all looking and hoping, grasping greedily, some of us, and sharing compassionately some others. I know of city people ‘invading’ small tourist towns, causing difficulties for permanent residents, who are not accustomed to having so many people there, out of tourist times.

As a person with a chronic illness that means I may be affected in worse ways that others, I am doing my best to stay at home, as much as possible. I go outside, often, but only outside my own house, and mostly remaining on my own property. I gather herbs, and make myself cups of herbal tea, or let our dog in and out, for ‘comfort trips’ into the backyard.

But I’m a writer, so this locked in time could be the ideal time to get writing my Cosy Murder Mystery series, but, even though I have indeed written a little bit of the first book in the series, I don’t seem to be able to settle down to getting it all written, my mind is skipping around from here to there, and I write a blog post, a poem there, and perhaps another couple of paragraphs of the novel, but not necessarily in any kind of order.

I have the TV on, mostly on news channels, seeing and hearing the same news, slightly changed perhaps, watching the numbers, worrying, and staying safe inside … If I could, I’d be like Missy, my dog, lounging around on the sofa, and not worrying about anything except having food, and getting to the toilet as needed …

Missy ‘lounging around’

But I’m not a dog, I’m a writer, and even though writing blog posts is writing, what I really want to be writing, is my Cosy Mysteries … Oh brain, please, think about the people and places in Talloola, and write more words for that first book “Winds of Death At Talloola”!

So enough of this blog post, and perhaps back to my novel-in-progress!

Cozy Mystery

When Staying Focused Is Difficult

carolyncordon

Right now, as so many people are struggling to stay safe, and to understand the crazy scary things happening all around the world, as we try to keep on top of the terrible emergency regarding the Covid 19 virus, staying, or getting, focused on our own writing is difficult, or even impossible.

I haven’t written anything new for my current large work-in-progress for a couple of days, it is feeling the relevance to life has been squashed, and the Coronavirus has taken hold of almost everything … We’re all hunkering down, and hoping, because that’s about all we CAN do, because getting ‘out there’ may bring exposure to this virus …

My writing group met at our usual spot though, and as long as the venue will be open, we will meet again next week, on the usual time, at the usual place. These times are far from usual though … The markets and the government have gone mad, in Australia, and in all of the other countries too, by the look of it. The Australian dollar is down, down and down, although up a bit at the moment, on the most recent lowest rates …

The venue for the Adelaide Plains Poets writing group. I hope they can remain open throughout this current medical emergency.

So we had our meeting yesterday, with a goodly enough number of attendees. And many of us stayed after the meeting, and we had a meal together. There were no hugs at all, while there often are at least a couple of hugs shared. We were aware of the idea of staying not too close, but I have to admit we may have been a little bit slap dash about it, obviously believing ourselves to be immune for the virus. I hope our arrogance about this doesn’t bit us badly, and kill us …

So with all of this going on, the idea of writing a Cosy Murder Mystery, hasn’t managed to cut through the media deluge, and numbers of deaths, are real deaths, not make believe ones from my novel … So yes, my focus on “Winds of Death At Talloola” is nonexistent, with apparently 800 cases of coronavirus as at 3.00pm 20/03/20 … Which is more important? Well, actually, wearing my Stoic hat rather than my poet and novelist hat, the most important thing isn’t to watch non stop news about things I can do nothing to fix, so I might as well get on with my writing, which I can do, and it would be a good distraction, and mood enhancer for me.

So why am I here? I have a novel to write, and I know being able to read my words will definitely be a happy thing for a few of my writing friends, who are waiting to read this novel, and help me to make it a better piece of writing! So novel, here I come!