Tag: covid-19

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Life, the same, but very, very different too …

carolyncordon

I suspect this blog post is likely to have a bit of a Stoic angle to it, but that’s OK, in fact it’s a good thing. Looking at life from a Stoic angle, when things are looking pear-shaped is probably the best way to look at life, in troubling times. And these certainly are troubling times.

Writing about it here, on my writing blog makes sense though, because, well, this is where I have the most followers, and I’m hoping what I write will be worth reading for others. And a note to any newcomers to Stoic Thought – being a Stoic does not mean one must live a boring, life, with no emotional actions happening. It simply means one will accept the good, and the bad things too, and deal with them in the best way you can.

And that ‘best way you can’, doesn’t just mean best for you, it means best for you, your family and friends, your community and the entire world. So obviously, being a good Stoic is a big thing, if you’re doing it all well. I don’t imagine I will ever have a huge impact on the entire world, but if the call goes out for me, I’ll be there, doing my Stoic best!

Is writing a Stoic thing? Being a poet and writer, fiction and non fiction, books, a community newsletter, blogging. Some of it is at the more flippant end of things, some more serious. I have had lots of fun times with family and friends in my life, but I have had some terrible things happen too. Such is the way of our lives. Good and bad, and yes, if we wish to live our best possible life, we must find ways to handle all of it, and do it well.

One of my blogs talks about sexual abuse, and another of them talks of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Both of these things have been in my life. The sexual abuse happened when I was a child and teen, the MS has been with me since I was diagnosed with it in 2010, and unless there is a cure found, it will be with me forever.

I have thought long about these things, and written about them in my creative writing, firstly with the poetry collection, https://damagedchildrenpreciousgems.wordpress.com/ and more recently, https://mickjaneandme.wordpress.com/ These two books have been great and therapeutic for me, allowing me to examine things in ways where I control what is happening, and looking from a variety of different points of view. I am a firm believer in these therapeutic possibilities from creative writing. I know that other people have found help in these books, and I am glad of that.

In fact, one of my best life things to do, I suspect, would be to assist others to travel from victim to survivor, and then further, to being one who is thriving in life. This is a possible thing, I am living proof of it. I have good family and friends who love and care about me, I have a safe and secure home, with enough money available to go on living here, easily and well.

I am not held back by my Chronic Illness, and for that, I can thank both my excellent medication, and the lifestyle choices I have adopted – reduce stress, increase healthy eating, get some exercise into my life, and go on thinking about my life in positive, rather than negative ways. There are bad things in life, yes, but I am going well, and helping others to do the same, when and if I can.

So this year, 2020, was going to be the year of Great things, with the whole 2020 Vision vibe of life, but then Covid-19 came along. Did I let that make me close down, and hide away from the virus? NO! I decided what I might be able to do, to help others think about how they were doing, and how things may be improved, perhaps.

Before the year was half over, I had put out a call for submissions in response to Covid-19, and very soon I had collected a goodly number of works from around the world. I was thrilled with what I had collected, and I was encouraged to forward this ‘anthology’ to a publisher that I know, to have the anthology professionally published, if possible. I’m currently waiting to hear back from the publisher, and whether they accept this book or not, I intend to launch the anthology at the Gawler and Adelaide Plains Festival of Words, in late July 2021.

This has been my first adventure in being the editor of a big collection, and I have enjoyed it very much. There’s no telling whether or not I will take this kind of thing any further, I have certainly considered the idea of setting up as a Publisher. We’ll see what happens with this anthology first …

This ‘seeing what happens’ attitude is my Stoicism shining through. Taking advantage of opportunities, knuckling down and working when I have to. Knowing what I can do, and doing that, but also stretching myself further, to try do more. These are definitely good ways for me, and for others, to look at their own lives. It’s the old “When life gives you lemons” thing. You don’t sit back and curse, because you wanted a sweeter fruit, instead you get on with doing great things with those lemons you’ve been given!

So, overall, life in many ways is the same for us all, but oh, dangerously different, for those living where the Covid-19 virus is at loose in their community. I feel for those people, and hope that soon, scientists and other medical people can find a vaccine, or other way to finally kill the virus, for us all. It only takes one person, to spread the virus to another, and so it could go again.

Working on Climate Change, tied with action of Covid-19 seems to be how the whole world needs to go, as soon as we possibly can, for all of us!

covid 19, Uncategorized, writing opportunities

First Idea, Isn’t Necessarily Best Idea …

carolyncordon

Today was a day to visit, rather than a day to write … I did talk about my writing project though, when I visited my Mum, and she is thinking about what she may write if she actually writes something for the anthology I’m currently working on. I’m not demanding she write for me, but she knows I will be happy to receive something, if she does write it.

I’m not a demanding kind of person, asking, with no pressure is more my style, and that is working well enough for this Anthology I want to publish. The idea of having lots of different sesponses from a range of people, all about Covid-19, and the crazy times it has brought to us all, seems like a great thing, and I’m thrilled with both the quality and quantity of responses received, so far, and there’s still a few weeks to go until the submission closing day.

This image is a silly front cover image that occurred to me when I first started work on this project:

First idea, not best idea!

Having ideas, and being prepared to drop them when better options come along is an important thing in writing, and in life too, isn’t it? So when I was able to speak with a young man with artistic abilities far better than mine, and saw he was very interested in assisting me with the front cover of this book, I was thrilled. I’m sure the front cover of “Plague Invasion – Creative Writing Responses to Covid-19” is going to be much better than the photograph as above, that was my first idea.

When I had the idea for this book thought, that I put out the word for submissions for an anthology about Covid-19, and gather them all into a fabulous and historical book, well, that first idea is still a fabulous one, no need to change it. It has grown, though, and the format has slowly came into being, and without being too overly prideful, I think it’s going to be a great and interesting book.

We’re living in times not many of us have ever had to deal with before, and different people have different thoughts and ideas about this time. We went from silly toilet paper things, to more nuanced ideas about community, politics, and a great number of other things. I look forward to getting this book finished, and launched.

I feel like this was a task I had to do, and while I know I’m not the only person with the idea of writing something about this time, I feel my book will be one of the books to show a wide range of the responses of people to this strange time.

So I’m still collecting more submissions, and if you’d like to have your work considered, this is what I’m looking for:
Poetry – up to three poems of up to thirty lines
and/or
Prose – up to three pieces, of 400 words or more, with a total of prose of up to 3,000 word.

If this interests you, please send work to me at kittycordo@gmail.com – I’ll let you know promptly if I would like to use your work. There is no payment for works accepted but accepted contributors will receive a free copy of the book, and extra copies required will be at a lower cost. I will sell copies out for free, to Australian contributors, and with contributors from other countries, will ask for postage to be paid for.

As I said, I hope this is interesting to you!

Uncategorized

Seeing Different Things

carolyncordon

Almost every time I switch on my laptop, and check my emails, I see a new submission for the anthology I’m editing. With the closing date for submissions still almost two months away, I’ll have an enormous book, the way things are going …

This Anthology, “Plague Invasion – Creative Writing Responses to Covid-19” has been an idea that gets bigger and bigger all of the time. I thought this idea would attract interest, after all, we’re all living with this terrible and potentially deadly virus, and that sort of thing sure attracts the attention.

Today’s submission grabbed my attention immediately, and there was no doubt in my mind, that this one would be in the anthology, it was different, it was on an issue that hadn’t been written about before, certainly not in the same way, anyway. Fiction is a genre where the writer can sometimes tell a larger truth than is possible with non-fiction, a strange thing, but true.

This current world is going mad, in some ways. Many of us are locking ourselves away to keep safe, which is good, but that could lead to ending up ‘stir-crazy’. Interestingly, the ‘stir’ in stir crazy is a 19th century word for prison. And having to remain at home for such extended periods of time can sure feel like being in prison. I know I’m very grateful that I can go out of my front or back door, and there is a lot there still, that is my place.

Today, I took a photograph of a bee, and being able to do that is a beautiful free-feeling thing to do. I went out onto the front veranda, and saw a bee flittering around a flower, and decided I wasted to try to get that photo. So I went back inside, grabbed my phone, and went outside again. So did I get the photo? You bet! Was it worth it? You tell me:-

The bee, the geranium bloom, the result.

I’m happy enough with this result, the actual bloom is actually pinker than this, but I was using my phone, not a camera. And as you can see from this image, I’m certainly able to get outside and do things I want to do, view Nature, taking photographs and so on. I’ve been looking at ant nests out of the back of my place too, and and part way though writing a poem about these ants. Being able to do these things mean I feel free to do things I like to do.

So for me, staying home doesn’t feel like being in prison, far from it. But I live in a rural area, on one and three quarter acres, where there is a lot of ‘Nature’ there for me to see, photograph, write about. Many people don’t have the same available, far from it, in fact.

The different experiences people are having leads to different kinds of ideas, and different things to write about. I’m hoping to showcase many of these differences. And we all might see the same thing differently too, so one person’s apartment life may give them one way of looking at their current life, while the person in the next apartment may see different aspects of their same life.

This thing, Covid-19, has been an interesting writing prompt, that’s for sure, and the resulting Anthology based on that theme is shaping up to be an interesting book, filled with different aspects of this Coronavirus life we’re all facing.

If you have ideas you’d like to write about, relating to this terrible virus, I’d love to read what you write. Please submit up to three poems of fewer than thirty lines each, and/or up to three pieces of prose of up to 3,000 words in total for all prose submissions. Send them via email to me at kittycordo@gmail.com

covid 19

Is Social Distancing an Oxymoron?

carolyncordon

The idea of Social Distancing has taken over our world at the moment it seems. The Government of Australia, and others, have taken on the idea of it, and are punishing people who get too close to others. And so somehow, giving a friend a hug has become a crime.

I can see the reasons for this, in this Covid-19 time, but oh, I so miss those hugs from friends. Getting too close to others could lead to catching this virus, with possible fatal results. I can see that. But I’m also aware that not being able to catch up with those we love, our family or friends, can lead to a progression to feeling low, to depression, and worse.

Human beings need social contact to be who they are supposed to be. Unless they have awesome mental abilities, and can step beyond that social need, and reach something higher. But for most of us, social interaction is a needed thing. We join in, we go to meetings, coffee and chats with friends, we visit, we hug each other, oh yes, we hug each other.

Surely, this distancing thing is far from social. Yes, I know it is needed right now, but I hope that need is safely over soon. I want, and need to see and be with my friends.

covid 19, inspiration

Getting My Words In, and Getting Them Out

carolyncordon

Today I received a book in the mail – a poetry collection, with one of my poem in it. Hooray! and I also received notification that a poem of mine is going to be in an online journal, The Crow. And after having no internet since yesterday afternoon, I was thrilled when we finally got internet back this afternoon!

I don’t know why our internet connection fell down, or strolled away, but was glad that the people at Aussie Broadband, were able to help in getting things up and going again. With the current world of Covid-19 restrictions, and being ‘locked down’ at home, keeping connected feels even more important.

I managed without the internet for those hours, but gosh, I hope that doesn’t happen too often, I like to be able to get connected! A blogger without the internet? It can’t happen! I took the opportunity today in sending an email, to get the word out about the Covid-19 anthology I’m editing too, and the result should be good.

So submissions for ‘Plague Invasion – Creative Writing Responses to Covid-19, are coming in, and I’m putting them into the document, and sending out requests for ‘writer bios’ to go into the back of the book from all of those whose words are accepted. Words in, words out – it’s an ongoing thing. And of course I will be writing some more of my own words for this anthology too.

And of course, getting the word out about this project is important, and that’s why I’ve been promoting it so heavily on my blog here. This is an important project, one of historical note, and in ten years time, we will remember that mad time when there was such a big run on toilet paper, so that the supermarkets had to limit how many toilet rolls a shopper could purchase …

Mad times for sure, and it isn’t over yet. I’m still looking for more writing, in particular prose, and would love to have prose from sports minded people, lamenting the lack of sport, or from medical people talking about the dangerous times they had, working up close and personal with this killer virus, and hoping they didn’t catch it themselves.

Or political people form any of the three level, local, state or federal, something from some people there would be a great addition to the anthology. Time for me to get the word out to the politicians and mayors I know, perhaps …