How would you design the city of the future?
Ha! Ha! This prompt is so far outside the realm of possibility I can’t even craft a response.
daily prompt
Clothilde
Where did your name come from?
Linda was the second most common girl’s name in 1950, bested only by Mary. Every classroom was populated with Lindas and its rhyming cousins, Glenda and Brenda. I wasn’t ashamed to be Linda.
I when I got older and learned I’d been threatened with the horrific name, Clothilde, I was grateful to be just plain old Linda. I was one of four girls. Each time a daughter was born, Daddy offered up his favorite girl name, Clothilde. It seems that when he was a starving child growing up in the depths of The Great Depression, his family had share-cropped on the farm of Mr. Ward. Daddy forever remembered his daughter, the beauteous Clothilde, hence, his love of that name.
No matter what my mother ever did or will do to me, I will be forever grateful she didn’t let Daddy saddle me with the name Clothilde!
Motivation
What motivates you?
My early training still motivates me. Mother started us on chores early on. Long before I started school, Mother assigned me simple chores. Initially, I enjoyed it but my interest soon flagged. That didn’t matter. Mother would set a pile of washcloths before me and made it clear, their folding was my responsibility. I’d have to call for her approval before being released to play. Had I done a sloppy job, I’d be back to work. After enough times, it occurred to me I might as well get it right and be done. It would have been much easier for her to have done it herself but she stayed on point. Daddy reinforced Mother’s training.
Of course, as time went on and I faced other challenges, I had the benefit of my parent’s diligent training. I did well in school, got married, had children, became a nurse, and was prepared to face challenges daily. I wanted to be a good wife, mother, worker, boss, and friend. A well-ordered life was second nature. I am grateful for that motivation.
Favorite Movie
What are your top ten favorite movies?
I can’t even think of one. I am not a movie watcher. I have terminal ADD.
Thinking
What do you enjoy most about writing?
The best part of writing is looking at myself objectively. When writing, I am outside looking in. Not just privy to my thoughts, I can surmise what others bring to the table. Viewing myself from another perspective has often given me clarity. It’s not all about me.
Contentment
What positive emotion do you feel most often?
Contentment is the positive emotion I feel most often. I am retired. My children are grown, my days routine. I am past the point of working hard, professional struggles, and daily stress. At the age of seventy-three, I’ve learned most upsets blow over if you let them. I spend my time doing a few necessary chores. As I went out before daylight to water my flowers, it occurred to me I was doing what my beloved grandmother was doing seventy years ago, puttering in my yard, and pretty much doing as I choose.
Goals
How do you plan your goals?
I prioritize my goals into needs and wants. I need to take care of my mother, my house, my dogs, and write. Those things come first.
I want to enjoy the outdoors, take trips, camp, crochet, spend time with family and friends, and do some things just for my spirit. Those things are necessary for a good life, but come after needs are met.
Emergency!
Create an emergency preparedness plan.
We’ve had a plan for a long time. We keep a clear path out of the house. Keeping up with the dogs is no problem. They’re always right with us. We have smoke alerts and carbon monoxide sensors. We have a generator, gasoline, medicines, and phones at hand. We have water, non-perishable food, and a camp stove. It’s not unusual for us to lose power, so we’ve had practice. We have a gas log in our fireplace, so that’s saved us when we had a six day outage during a power storm. Living in tornado alley, we have a safe area. We have batteries and a radio at hand. In bad weather, I cook before the weather hits.
Crude Word
What is a word you feel that too many people use?
Hearing the F….. word bandied about freely grates on my sensibilities. I can’t think of a single time I’ve found it necessary to communicate. I was appalled to hear it at a Sunday dinner recently where the elderly and small children were at the table. The speaker, a professional woman had just come from church. She was well-groomed and impressive until she opened her mouth. People, if you must say F….., at least consider your company. You are exposing yourself.
Nutsrok 