Week 13 prompts

think about the small and then...work outwards.

62. For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoethe horse was lost. For want of a horse the rider was lost. For want of a rider the battle was lost. For want of a battle the kingdom was lost. And all for the wantof a horseshoe nail.

(This is not an invitation to repeat a nursery rhyme or make up a rigamarole; it is a prompt--it has its meaning and possibly is a springboard for a mini-essay of your own.)

I guess this is my true version of 'If You Give A Mouse A Cookie'.
I bought a new curtain rod for my sons' room the other day. It was nice, a good change from the stupid looking white traditional rod that you can get anywhere. This one was more ornate, as much as curtain rods can be I guess. It was on sale.
So I get the rod home and put it up. It looks great. But then the curtain started looking crappy next to it. Then the paint on the wall looked dull. So I conned my husband into re-painting with me. As we are painting at midnight, all tired and delirious from paint fumes, Ron mentioned how the drywall joints could look better if he mudded and sanded them. Later he admitted his regret regarding this statement, but it was too late.
The next thing you know, all the drywall joints in the house are being mudded and sanded. Then my mother comes over. She comes over often, and notices every little change. I could move a picture an inch to the right and she would comment on what a magnificent change it was. She saw the work we were doing and decided it was time for paint at her house. At this point I was thinking, 'You better not want me to help, I have enough to do already. Friggen curtain rod. Why are you so damn good looking next to everything?' She didn't ask for my help, but she did call to tell me her best friend, Fran, was going to paint her bedroom now. And she asked where I got my 'stunning' curtain rod.
Now I am scared to buy anything I like. Will a new coffee mug turn into new appliances? What if I decide to buy my husband a new shirt and it's to 'ornate' for him? How far can this go? A new house. Car. Family. Not only for me, but it's affected my mom, and further. For all I know, the President is painting the oval office right now. And all because of a curtain rod.
It is pretty though. Maybe I should go back and get them for the rest of the house.

One way of looking at these next prompts is to consider that they (somewhat treacherously) invite you to write about four big things--love or physicality; hate or another kind of physicality; beingness without physicality; and eternity or spirit, another take on unphysicality.

So, can topics this big be brought close to home? That's your job--don't gas on in general, vague terms; instead, figure a way to put yourself in.

66. Loosely holding hands, not even aware of doing so, but, still, skin touching skin....

It's funny how love can take years to form, or it can happen in a feverish instant. I think really those who take years are missing out. The lust that comes with 'love at first sight' is unparalleled. Now, I am not suggesting that lust and love are the same thing, quite the opposite. They can exist separately. I love my dog, but I definitely don't lust for her. And there are certainly some things that I lust for, but do not love.
I guess I just feel bad for those who take forever to realize their feelings. Where's the excitement? There is nothing like discovering someone for the first time. I wonder, if couples that have known each other for years before falling in love are like those who have been together for the same amount of time. Is it like being married for years? There is still lust, don't get me wrong, but it's nowhere near those first months. Incomparable.

67. This fist has got pow-pow-POWer!

The things a female body is capable of is phenomenal. It's kind-of alarming to think of all the changes that occur when a woman is pregnant. How is it even possible? From hormone balance (or in-balance) to organs completely re-locating just to make some room. It's a wonder women haven't devised a way to let the men take a turn. But it would probably just be like a million Arnold Schwarzenegger's running around, with a huge belly and no idea what to do with it. Instead they just cater to the prego's and joke about hormones. Which, to be honest, is nothing to joke about. You try to control your temper with crazy hormones, extra blood, fluid, a belly that completely throws off your center of balance, organs shifting around all willie-nillie, and aches in places you didn't know existed.
And on top of all of that, women still do everything they normally would. Go to work, chase their older children, go running.. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. And I'm not even pregnant. Then there's childbirth, which I will not even touch upon. We all know where that baby comes out. Let's just make a point, next time you see a pregnant woman, tell her how great she is. Give her a little respect, she definitely deserves it.