Tar Heel in the UK: Strangers I have spoken with...

Of course, the saying is that a stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet (I HATE that saying. There are some strangers who have remained strangers for a reason....but you get my point)...

I feel so sorry for my friends who have to be so patient with their ultra-extroverted friend.

I'm not sure why but I have always been interested in talking to people I don't know who are culturally different from myself. While this has served me well in my former profession as a newspaper reporter, it has also served as a source of (select one) fascination, amusement, horror, embarrassment, pride to my travel buddies.

So to continue this travel in the UK series, I present the next photo series in:

Random people Dawn had her picture made with while she was in England

Random Stonehenge person (see earlier post)

Random Boat Ride Hawker at Cambridge (not sure why the photo
is so wonky. It's fine on my camera...)

For lack of better words, we'll just call this dude the Scottish
version of Wayne Newton. He was awesome!

Can you find the tourist here? I was obviously not ready for
the camera. And it was VERY  WINDY!!!

We dubbed this guy in front of the Sherlock Holmes Museum
Constable O'Hottie.

Unusual Things I Learned About Stonehenge--and the person I met there!

This is a series of short travel articles concerning my recent wonderful trip to the UK.  Three things you need to know about me when reading these articles:
1-- I would talk to a tree. Seriously. I think one of the great things about travel is meeting new people. And of course, I would listen to the Brits read the phone book for an hour. So you'll see me and some random people.
2-- I like to try to find the unusual. To learn about things that are off the tour map (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.)
3--- The camera is not my friend. Seriously. I am neither this short, this overweight, or this dorky (well, maybe I am this dorky. But at least it's hip to be square.)

At Stonehenge on Salisbury plain in England, I'm not going to talk about what everyone has told you-- how did they get the stones there, how the stones are in perfect alignment with the stars, etc. After all, you have National Geographic specials on Netflix from that.

Here are a few things that fascinated me:

You can't see it too well on this one, but there were holes in the rocks where some
type of bird had evidently throughout the centuries dug a nest, or made a nest
out of a hole that had appeared in the stones. There were several birds flying in and
out of the stones. I've never seen that mentioned in something before.

Strange stuff seems to happen at the stones, even from folks that are normally not
easily persuaded by the paranormal. Our tour guide told us of one time, when a member of her
group got close to the stones, the hands on his wristwatch started spinning. When he backed away from
the stones, the spinning stopped. Movie crews who have filmed there have had their
equipment inexplicably start/ stop. There is definitely some type of magnetic energy of some kind
going on there-- static electricity or polar magnets or any type stuff Sheldon Cooper would
drool all over. 

Okay, the person in the picture at left was named Siloban (I'm sorry, I can't remember how to spell his/her name). Let me note that S was NOT a part of the display/event/ tour. Anyway, Siloban was not a druid or Wiccan or of any New Age religion that I was familiar with, but S and I had an interesting conversation about perception and matter. Essentially, what I think we were both talking about, but using different terms to describe, is how perception shapes reality, etc. etc..  Notice my eyes widening as I'm trying to piece things together that he/she is saying. Essentially, I think we were both talking about Einstein's Twin Paradox. I have some video of him / her that I'll try to post...it's a bit long, so I'd like to edit it down a bit, but it was very interesting.

And FYI, I'm using he/she here because Siloban told me he/she was biologically either/or, and I think was technically registered with the government as a female.

I'm not posting it to be like "hey, look at this funky dude," but just to show that, if we take time to talk to people we don't know, we learn interesting things about them.

And btw, S told me the goat on the cane was a reference to her zodiac sign of Capricorn.

I understand that S. is out there quite a lot. Anyone else who has been to Stonehenge met her?

42 Things for 42nd Birthday

This is a tradition I started when I turned 40, and I think that it is something that everyone could benefit from---whether celebrating their 16 or 60^th birthday. Gratitude is something all of us (self included) tend to overlook. While I am loathe to give advice on child rearing since I don’t have children, I do believe many children don’t realize the importance of counting their blessings.

In an effort to be more grateful, and in an effort to remind myself of what is truly important, I have made a pledge that each year on my birthday, I would list the corresponding number of items I am thankful for as praise to God. 

Some are serious, some are funny, all are heartfelt.

As I’ve said before on this blog, I do not believe in browbeating people to believe as I do. While I respect the beliefs of others, I do not apologize for my own beliefs … and I think gratitude is an important lesson for anyone, anywhere, regardless of religious beliefs (or no religious beliefs.)

42 things I’m thankful for:

1. A loving and supportive family.
2. Gainful employment
3. Good health (issues like cholesterol, needing to lose 20 pounds, etc. , pale in comparison to what so many go through)
4. Health insurance (while we’re mentioning health). To my friends in other countries, health insurance in the US is VERY important. It is not unusual for middle-class, “lower” class (and even upper middle-class) Americans to go bankrupt from medical bills.
5. Some of the best friends in the world. I still have no idea why you guys put up with me.
6. The North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team (for better or for worse.)
7. I have been blessed with probably the best manager I’ve ever had. (one reason I’ve stayed in Rocky Mount all these years). When you spend 45 + hours a week with someone, it’s very important that you get along. (I’ll be lost when he retires)
8. Exceptional functionality in spite of a chronic health “condition” that is not serious but can become extremely serious. I’d prefer not to mention this condition on the internet. The fact that I’m not on disability is truly miraculous.
9. Success as a fictional writer. There are tens of thousands of writers more talented than I who have not achieve the same success, so any time, as a writer, your work is recognized, it is a blessing. (There are also those who are not as talented  as I who have loads more success---I’m looking at you Snooki---but that’s another blog post J)
10. Thankful that I have friends who have been my friends for 20-plus years. The older I get, the rarer I realize that is—particularly knowing that I am the type of person people need to take in “doses.”
11. Speaking of rare, I’m blessed to have parents who have been married for more than 50 years.
12. Laughter. Especially Homer Simpson. He cracks me up every time.
13. I have been able to travel abroad and experience a small taste of other cultures. It is an experience I wish everyone could have.
14. I am thankful for the Bill of Rights.
15. Regardless of political standpoints on foreign policy, we should all be thankful for the men and women who serve in our military.
16. I’m thankful for the President--- any and all Presidents, good and bad. Whoever is in the Oval office needs our prayers, regardless of whether or not we agree with him (or hopefully one day, her). The US has one of the most peaceful transitions of power in the world. That’s nothing to sneeze at, regardless of your political leanings.
17. I’m thankful for having been raised in a home with values.
18. I’m thankful I was taught the importance (and honor) in good, honest work ---whether in the boardroom or at the K-mart sales counter.
19. I’m thankful  Martin Luther nailed those 95 theses to the wall of the church. (No offense to my Catholic friends.)
20. I have a really cool apartment. Not a big deal in the big scheme of things, but I am thankful.
21. I’m thankful that I have friends who are of different faiths. Why? Because I have learned a lot from them, while we also agree to disagree.  It is such a blessing to be able to learn in love—and while we cannot truly walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, we need to learn what they believe instead of what we may think they believe. I have friends who are Muslim, New Age, Wicca, Ba’hi , Jewish, agnostic, atheist, and Unitarian.
22. I’m thankful my parents adopted a three-month old baby girl from Greensboro. (That was me, btw.)
23. Communion wine.
24. My shake-weight (it was time to lighten things up a bit and cleanse the palette)
25. Thankful for my education.
26. Thankful that I broke up with those boyfriends I shouldn’t have been dating in the first place (you know who you are J)
27. I’m thankful for friends from all around the world.
28. I’m thankful for living in the U.S.
29. I’m thankful for kayaking.
30. Great blue herons. Amazing.
31. Animals. (Except for roaches. They don’t need our gratitude. They’ll all outlive us anyway. )
32. I’m thankful for being single, believe it or not. Someone once sneered at me, “How does it feel to be over 40 and single?” I said “Better than being over 40 and divorced.” (Divorce is tough. I’ve seen my friends go through it. )
33. Ambien. Nuff said.
34. Coffee. It is almost blasphemous that I put it so low on this list.
35. Happy accidents.
36. My art studio (insert shameless plug for the BelAir Artisans Center here)
37. I’m thankful for the guardian angels who have allowed me and my friends narrow escapes from potentially devastating car crashes or disasters of any kind---not mentioning the near misses that I probably don’t even know about. There are days I’m sure my guardian angel may be featherless and putting in for a transfer.
38. Did I mention coffee?
39. “Toys.” Let’s face it, none of us NEED an iPad, or class ring, or cable TV. But it is a blessing to be able to have some “wants. “
40. Literacy. Statistically you’d be surprised at how many are functionally illiterate. If you can read, you can do (or learn how to do) almost anything.
41. Believe it or not, I’m even thankful for the humid, welcoming, bizarre,  hardscrabble city where I live, Rocky Mount (which is neither rocky, nor a mount). Why? There are so many good people here. There are so many people trying to make it a better place, and seeing that sacrifice and love makes me want to be a better person. (There’s also novel fodder out the wazoo.) There are so many random shots of beauty in the landscape and  buildings (well, and sadly, just some random shots, period.) There is also a strange sense of renaissance in the air as the city finishes its streetscape project. There are small but active coveys of artists, musicians, and so many families have adopted me as an honorary member that it is unbelievably touching. Inspiration is everywhere. (Speaking of which, STEVIE—WHEN are we going to where JACK KEROUAC  lived? –yep. He spent his summers in Rocky Mount, NC. I believe he worked at a TV appliance store downtown. One of the train stations in “On the Road” is supposedly inspired by the Rocky Mount train station.)

42. Jesus. I saved the best for last. Saint Paul claims he was the “chief of sinners”—but there are days I think I could give him a run for his money. The fact that God loves me in spite of that is the ultimate blessing.

Thanks to everyone who has helped make this a good birthday.

Dennis Rodman--WTF???

Okay, let's just get this out of the way so I don't get sued for defamation. I'm sure that, deep down, Mr. Rodman is an outstanding citizen who pays his taxes and makes charitable donations and always signals before turning. This is not a personal affront or anything...it is just an opinion. That opinion can be summed up in three words:

Mother. Of. God.

You know, I don't believe in ranting on things. Seriously. Or maybe it was just irony that I had just read the book "Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea" by Barbara Demick (awesome book. I'll shamelessly plug it later on)...but when Rodman mentioned that Kim Il Un (or whatever his name is) was really, deep down, just a cool dude like the rest of us, every cell in my being screamed WTF?????!!!!

I've been fascinated by North Korea for a long time. A friend's girlfriend claimed she visited Pyongyang  when she was teaching English in South Korea and was somehow able to get a visa (I seriously doubt folks knew she was American)  and her description of North Korea was something like this:

Her:  You know George Orwell's 1984?

Me: It was like that?

Her: No. It was much worse.

Yeppers. North Korea makes 1984 look like bleepin' Disneyland.

Let me just say this is just a reflection on the government. I would love to meet some North Korean people, and let them see that we aren't as evil as they are told we are (though, for their sake, I do hope they can't get our reality TV shows over there....)

Okay, sorry, this is kind of going to be the blogs of some strong opinions. I've always tried to avoid strong rants, because it seems it only makes people angry and then there's a comment war and next thing you know someone is pulling a Glenn Beck and drawing stuff on a whiteboard that all inevitably leads to 1984 (or North Korea).

But due to my interest in North Korea, I couldn't let this go.

PLEASE---people. Let's pray for the people of North Korea. Give donations to  help North Korean refugees who arrive in South Korea completely clueless and overwhelmed. Must be like the detox from hell.

And if praying is not your persuasion, then I ask that you please send a copy of this book to Mr. Rodman.

This was an amazing, heartfelt book. And yes, this is a google ad link so I am advertising it, but I promise you---I'm not going to advertise stuff in the text of my blog posts that are crap. (fair warning though---stuff in the sidebar are random ads.)

Short Short Story in Dr. Hurley's Snake Oil Cure

My recent short short story--Denmark High School Reunion-- appeared in Dr. Hurley's Snake Oil Cure (don't you love that name?)
Click here to read it.

Novel contest

I'm excited to say I made the first round cuts in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. Not sure if I'll make it any farther, but I'm just excited and enjoying the moment.

Everything I Know About Writing I Learned from Dr. Sheldon Cooper

Who is Dr. Cooper? Was he a writing professor who inspired me to think outside the box? A former lover who jilted me and I eviscerate in fiction? Is it the name of my sister’s cat (who by the way, is trying to kill me)?

Actually, Dr. Cooper is the main character of a popular US TV comedy called “The Big Bang Theory,” and in honor of the name of the “Big Bang” book tour, I wanted to give this ode to Dr. Cooper.

While I know the show is available internationally, first, for those of you not familiar with the sit-com “The Big Bang Theory,” it centers around two roommates (Dr. Leonard Hofsteader and Dr. Sheldon Cooper) who are physicists at the California Institute of Technology.  (I don’t think the university is ever really named in the series, but it heavily hinted that it is Cal Tech.) Of course, there are the numerous humorous situations contrasting their brilliance with social awkwardness--particularly with Sheldon’s obsessive-compulsive personality and Leonard’s love affair with the intellectually average resident across the hall. I’m usually not a fan of sit coms, but this is a very clever and witty show.

So we can all enjoy the antics and inspiration of Dr. Cooper, I’ve included some video files that correspond with the lessons Sheldon has taught me. (and for the record, the clips are rated between PG and PG-13). 

So.. off we go.

1. You are the best writer in the entire world and no one recognizes your brilliance. Just kidding. You suck. BAZINGA!

Sheldon is so “robot-like,“ Bazinga is what Sheldon says so people will know he is kidding. The point is---as writers, we tend to either take ourselves too seriously or not seriously enough. Writing stories may be therapeutic, but it’s not the place to build your self esteem or find religion. While writing does help us discover things about ourselves (and thus making it a highly personal venture), regardless of success or failure, we must remain grounded. The bottom is line is that there will always be writers who are less talented than you who will become famous and there will always be writers who are more talented than you who will never be financially successful. That’s unfair, but that’s life. Compare yourself with others and you’ll always be…well, “Bazinga’d”

And here’s Sheldon to remind us:

2. Don’t try to be what you’re not.

Find your voice. Don’t try to write a vampire story because vampires are hot right now. Or erotica because it’s hot right now (pun intended). If the writing is forced, the reader will know it. I believe God has gifted everyone in different ways. Embrace those gifts. Don’t look at what others have done.

 

This leads to one of my favorite exchanges when Howard--trying to be what he was not--dressed up to go to a Goth bar. But first, he needed to stop at Walgreens to buy more eyeliner. This leads to one of my favorite exchanges:

Leonard:  I think they're going to get beat up at that Goth bar.

Penny: I think they're going to get beat up at Walgreens.

3. Readers like to use their imaginations. Let them.

Sheldon’s co-worker Howard lives with his annoying mother. However, the viewers never actually SEE Howard’s mother, they only hear her (Similar to the way viewers never saw “Marist” in “Frazier.”) The best part is this allows viewers to use their own imagination---the images in their minds are better than anything a special effects crew can dream up.

Yes, use description. Yes, use it well. Yes, make your characters real…but realize at the same time, less is sometimes more.

4. Don’t drink if you can’t hold your liquor.

Poor Dr. Cooper. Such a lightweight when it comes to alcohol. Of course, what this means for writing is that you need to know what you do well, and what you don’t. Don’t be afraid to look at yourself with a critical eye. Work on “problem” areas, and get feedback from other writers whose opinion you trust.

And don’t drink before giving speeches, or it may end up on YouTube:

5. There are always plenty of ball pits.

Ah yes, those big ball pits that children love to play in, probably blissfully unaware of how many germs they are spreading. It’s far too easy to become stingy with ideas. We’re afraid that creativity is like a swimming pool---we will eventually drain it dry. Actually, it’s more like an ocean that ebbs and flows and rises and falls. The more we exercise our creativity, the more we have.

As Dr. Cooper shows---there are always plenty of brightly colored ideas to use. No need to worry about running out…until it’s time to go home.

Thanks for letting me take a bit of a diversion here. You can find out more about me on my website, www.dawndeannawilson.com. 

Thanks to all our wonderful blog hosts.

I’ll leave you with this tribute to the best of Sheldon Cooper--BAZINGA.

Happy new year.