From the Mole Hole

I Want to Write

Mme Mole — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:53:28 +0000

It is my dream to write. If you are an American Idol fan, you have no doubt watched the auditions, wherein seriously delusional singing wannabes make complete fools of themselves by opening their mouths in front of the judges. The sounds that pour forth are but a mockery of the music they purport to represent. These poor souls truly believe they can sing and are devastated when they are told that, no, they really cannot sing, and will not be going on to the next round.

This, I fear, is how my writing skills are perceived. I would love nothing more than to become a composer of the English language whose skills leave an audience breathless with anticipation for works yet to come. I dream of my name belonging in the same ranks as Hemingway, Capote, Dickinson, and Steinbeck. My novels would be among those of required reading by educational institutions, and my literary contributions would be revered as works of unparalleled genius.

Are you laughing yet? Yes, well, it is to be expected. For, really, what do I have to contribute to this world? I sit down with the best of intentions, thinking that this will be the day when, at the moment my fingertips touch the keyboard, I will be transported into a creative trance, and the words will pour forth onto the page of their own accord. At some point, I will awaken to find that nothing short of a literary miracle has transpired, and the entire world must be made aware of its existence, for what I have created will surely make the world a better place.

Mmm hmmm… I will get back to the housework now; Cinderella, returning to reality. No, Dog… writin’s not your thing.

Tagged: blogging, writing

1.26.09

Mme Mole — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:09:04 +0000

Things have been pretty dull at my house lately. Usually, my son or daughter will do or say something that will send us into fits of laughter, or something ridiculous will happen to me that I can report. Not so, of late. I find myself wondering what has happened to change us into such serious people all of a sudden. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it is winter – a time for hibernation, if you ask me.

I have most definitely reverted to active mole status, burrowing myself so deeply underground that I have not left my house for a week, nor do I see people on a regular basis, other than those in my immediate family. Some people tell me this is not healthy. However, I am perfectly content. It does tend to make me overly introspective, though. Is that bad? I suppose it’s like everything else in life: all things in moderation.

Sunday; Day of Rest

Mme Mole — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:26:02 +0000

     This is my third attempt at something to say. I’m not backspacing and erasing any more; whatever lands here will stay here. Let’s hope it’s something good.
     Today is Sunday. I’ve never been fond of Sundays, and I really can’t figure out why. Believe me; I’ve tried to put my finger on the problem – with no success whatsoever. Sundays are slower, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Whether or not I attend church seems to have no bearing on the matter. Whether or not I am home alone or with family makes no difference. Sunday afternoons just leave me wanting to sleep them away. I’m often bored on Sundays, but nothing sounds fun or interesting which would remove the boredom.
     Sundays were intended to be a day of rest, and maybe I’m just not paying proper attention to the plan. Maybe I’m trying too hard to make use of a day which is, in fact, not intended to have much use beyond worship and rest. It would be very typical of me to march to the beat of a different drummer and not even notice.
     So, I shall shift my attention. I will begin to ask, not how I can find some excitement in Sundays, but rather, how I can find rest. I do believe we can rest in activities as well as in napping, so it isn’t necessarily a question of finding the softest pillow. I think it’s more a question of what soothes the soul. Typing on this keyboard has been restful. I’m calmer now than when I began.
     I often forget the benefits of writing. I sit down at the keyboard thinking that I must have some grand plan, when, in fact, all it takes is to simply begin. I look back and see that I have written four full paragraphs up to this point, and I can’t begin to tell you how I got here. Oh, sure, I’ve said a lot of nothing, but my soul has profited. When the soul profits, I think we must be doing what we were intended to do. That is where we find rest.

Tagged: rest, soul, Sunday, writing

I’m Back

Mme Mole — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:42:20 +0000

It’s been so long since I have written anything. I hope I have not forgotten how it’s done. It seems like I used to have so much to say, but then it just all went away. Silence. No whispers of ideas in my head, no inspiration from my surroundings, no rising up of emotion – nothing.

But, here I am now. Not that I really have anything all that worthwhile to say, but I’m back. You have not missed anything from me, I can assure you. Nothing noteworthy has happened that I can recall. Maybe it’s just that I have not been paying attention. Or, maybe God just gave me a time out. Whatever the case may have been, I am now feeling drawn to the page once again. We will see what happens next.

Tagged: blogging, ideas, writing

More People Watching

Mme Mole — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:11:03 +0000

People just kill me. God is most definitely creative; no two of us are exactly alike, which is a good thing, no doubt. My husband says it takes all kinds, but I argue that no, it really doesn’t. There are some we could do without and be just fine.

I love to watch people. I am fascinated by the differences in wardrobe, body shapes, facial expressions, and hair styles. I chuckle at how oblivious some people can be to their surroundings, wandering aimlessly in front of others and narrowly escaping collisions – fun to watch, but extremely irritating to encounter first hand.

There are those who dress stylishly; fashionably; with the latest in hair designs, then there is the other extreme – those who definitely like to do their own thing. Somewhere in the middle is the group who chooses to do their own thing with the latest fashions. We all have different ideas.

I seem, in different forms, to write a lot about my people fascination. I wonder what that says about me. Am I satisfied with myself? I don’t think so. Am I looking at others trying to discover what it is I lack? Probably. Will I find my answers if I continue this practice? Maybe – but only if I take what I observe and use it as a learning process, not something to imitate. Imitation is only a false reality, and I want the real thing. I think I know enough about myself to know what it is that I lack. Being patient enough to see things through until I reach my goals will be the difficult part.

Hanging around above ground,

Mme. Mole

Tagged: differences in people, observation, people, self-examination

Vote Today

Mme Mole — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:55:44 +0000

Election Day. I’m not a political writer. I don’t really even discuss politics that often, simply because I don’t enjoy debate. I never feel well enough informed to fight for one side or the other. I have my preferences, but I keep them to myself most of the time. Any discussion on politics in which I become involved is strictly for the purpose of gathering information. Better to keep my mouth shut and let people think me ignorant than to open my mouth and remove all doubt, as the quote goes. (Mark Twain, I believe.)

The important thing is that we all get out and vote. This is not any new revelation or even an original thought on my part, but it is a fact. Don’t let today go by without exercising your right – your privilege – to take part in the future of our country.

Venturing out in the world today,

Mme. Mole

Tagged: election, politics, voting

Three Important Questions (not)

Mme Mole — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:44:09 +0000

I always compose my posts as a word document first, then copy and paste it where it belongs. Sitting down to a blank page can sometimes be a scary thing. What will end up here? What should end up here? Do I really have anything worthwhile to say?

As a beginning blogger, I’m still learning. The question any writer must answer for themselves is: Who is my audience? Well, I struggled with that question for a long while, but now I’m slowly beginning to see an answer, although it is coming to me backwards. I can begin to see who my audience is not. I am not a writer of politics. I am way beyond the typical college age, and I have faced my fair share of challenges in life. I don’t want to bore anyone with the sameness of my everyday life by just keeping a journal, and I don’t write using the same genre all the time, thus, an avid reader of short stories, for example, may not always be entertained by my blogging.

My site is a variety show of sorts, I think. It’s time I expanded a bit and started researching some topics for some factual writing. Some questions I’d like to find answers for are (1) Do they teach phonics in Great Britain (We don’t pronounce words like the British, therefore how would phonics work?), and (2) Who decides how foreign names are spelled in English when they are translated from a language which uses a different alphabet (i.e. translating and spelling from Arabic to English)? (3) What is the purpose of a tick, and would the ecosystem be affected if they became extinct?

And, who thinks of things like these, other than me? If you are out there, please show yourself. I’d like to think I have company.

Yours,

Mme. Mole

Tagged: audience, blogging, writing

I Miss My Computer

Mme Mole — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:59:38 +0000

My computer is sick. The poor thing needs more memory added, so it’s in the computer hospital at the moment for a temporary stay. In the mean time, I am using my husband’s laptop. The two of us (the laptop and I) have not quite come to terms with one another just yet. Laptop’s version of Microsoft Word does not have the same fonts that my computer possesses. As a result, my postings from Laptop will not look the same as usual from my computer. My obsessive compulsiveness has kicked in as a result, and I’m really struggling.

My email also (obviously) cannot be accessed through my Outlook Express, unless I want to go through all the steps necessary to set up my own account here on Laptop, which I’m not in the mood, nor do I want to do on someone else’s hardware, then have to go to the trouble of undoing what I temporarily did.

The keyboard on Laptop is so different than my regular computer keyboard. Typing is much slower for me here. I know several people who say they would never go back to a desktop computer after getting a laptop, but I don’t know. I know laptops are the thing, and maybe I could get used to one, but I sure do miss my computer. I’m told it will be about three more days before I see my beloved again. I’m going to have to learn how to do such mechanical things for myself. Surely there are directions on line somewhere. Would that be akin to a doctor searching on line for directions on how to perform surgical procedures? I suppose I’m better off leaving my computer with the experts and just learning to deal with our temporary separation and my obsessive compulsive disorder.

Burrowing underground,

Mme. Mole

Tagged: computer, laptop

An Appeal to My Readers

Mme Mole — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:38:47 +0000

Okay, I see that people are regularly visiting my site. If the same people are visiting on a regular basis, they are probably getting aggravated with me for wasting their time, since I have not posted anything new for a few days. I’d really like to know who is visiting and why. What do you want to see here? Do you just visit to find out what the crazy woman might say next, or do you visit because my literary talents exceed all possible expectation? (Yes, I am kidding – about the literary talent thing, not the crazy woman.)

There are endless possibilities in writing, yet it is so very easy to develop writer’s block. I want to write things that people want to read, but what is that, exactly? Just my commentary? A daily diary?

Apparently, there are a handful of you who like what you see, and I don’t want to lose you. In fact, I’d like to add to your number, but I am struggling with just how to do so. I would absolutely love for you to tell me what you like and what you don’t like. Do you want to see researched facts? Do you like my point of view on things? Do you like my childhood stories?

I get such personal satisfaction from writing, and I’d love to think that readers might get some satisfaction from what I write. I need help, though. Any and all suggestions, criticisms, and comments would be greatly appreciated. I’m not fishing for compliments here. This is a serious request. Thank you so very much if you are willing to respond.

Sincerely,

Mme. Mole

Tagged: blogging, readers, writing

Yesterday, I Was Five

Mme Mole — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:21:09 +0000

Yesterday, I was in a mood. Self-examination revealed that I was angry. Angry at whom? At the world, I think. At different people for different reasons: For not paying attention to what I have to say; for being an ass; for not living up to expectations; for patronizing me; for being generally stupid; for unanswered prayers; and for the wrong in the world in general; just to name a few.

After I grumbled internally at all these perceived injustices, I reminded myself that the world is not all about me, which only added fuel to my inner fire. Why can’t the world be all about me for a little while? I whined. And, wouldn’t it be nice to hear all those apologies I think I deserve?

I needed to vent, so I wrote my feelings on paper. But, writing the general idea of the issues made me feel guilty. Why? Because, I named names. I put it in writing so it could be seen. I put a name to my anger and I felt guilty for doing so, as if I am really not supposed to be angry at all (be a good girl), and I would not be allowed dessert after supper as punishment for my transgression.

But, the fact is, putting it on paper made the anger simmer down. Once I allowed myself to be childish for the moment and whine about all those people and things which had contributed to my anger, I felt better. It is said that you are only as old as you feel, and yesterday, I was about five years old. However, temporarily allowing myself to be five again gave me the freedom to be a content adult once more.

Content in the sunshine,

Mme. Mole

Tagged: anger, childish, venting