Fifty Shades of my Imagination

I knew I was close, and today marks the day I have submitted 50 stories for review (and one book proposal). It feels a little surreal when I think of it. I started this journey on February 12 of this year when I surrendered a personal piece for a huge Literary Contest (it is still being reviewed and I have yet to hear any news). Once I had made myself vulnerable, I decided that I would continue to work on writing new pieces for submission. As the saying goes; it takes a hundred attempts before a win. So, if they reject all the above stories; I’m halfway there!

My writing group has been a great support in keeping me on my toes. I work well under a looming deadline. It’s a very informal group, but they have pushed me and enjoyed what I have shared with them along the way. When I have doubted myself it’s been those stories that have spoken to them. Today I should write my POV switch "assignment"
for the group but it’s been hard. I’ve been rolling ideas around in my head for two weeks now and I am still struggling, which is great. I suggested the POV switch since I hate it 😁 I am always interested in growth and we get nowhere without challenging ourselves.

Speaking of growth… While I wait for responses from the journals I have submitted my work to, my garden is producing much better returns, for now… So here’s to too many leafy greens! Bottoms up!

Release the Kraken!

Today is the 100^th post… And, over the summer my posts won't follow my regular schedule. They will be more spontaneous... So take the time to enjoy some of the previous stories you've missed and I still love to hear from you! 

I am always so excited for the summer months as I have the privilege of teaching one of my favourite classes which is a constant source of inspiration. These first two weeks of being back in the interweb of my class is a reminder of how these interactions are like a muse. It is such a pleasure to be once again immersed in reading through the critical thoughts and being submerged in the depths of understanding of participants within the class. I am always delighted to find that each of the students in the class are as passionate about the research we explore, diligent in their work and avidly engaged in our discussions. The first couple of weeks we hit the ground running before we’ll settle into a steady pace. We began by examining concepts of cognition, the role of fairy tales, fables and folk tales, Disney and social commentary in relation to our connections with other beings.

By Bruce Strickrott
From Expedition to the Deep Slope/NOAA/OER
(NOAA Photo Library) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

All this brings me to a quote from this week’s reading "if animals carried the message—if it were not completely clear where natural history ended and social history began—it might be easier to teach children unpalatable truths about the society they lived in" (Ritvo, 1985, 81). This quote stirs up so many thoughts. It brings to mind the Western idioms that are riddled with the use of other than human animals as adjectives which reflect our values, to films that will, if effectively executed, surreptitiously put forth their core message. It is the cumulative repetition of these concepts that form our beliefs, not a singular exposure to a concept which makes me think of cephalopods. Cephalopods are like mythical beasts from the abyss that capture the depths of my imagination. They are fascinating beings with an ability to create a real sense of wonder. 

When I think of the ideas that we touched on in this first part of my class, I cannot help but think of the illustrative concept of the cephalopod… Each of the animal’s arms is like the individual messages we have explored so far. These individual messages group together and are controlled by the larger being (“society”). They are sustained by the fluid patterned exposure they repetitively circulate across media and become the theoretical framework from which we will draw our knowledge, rules for behaviour, and/or varying beliefs. This is something that Colin Stokes touches on in his TEDtalk about the hidden messages in children’s movies. So, when we think of a concept, a rule or a belief to which we subscribe to, its origins are never quite like a serpent and a linear path, but rather, they are implanted over time from several sources like the arms of the cephalopod and they can be fluid to adapt to our environment like this being's chameleon-like abilities… 

So with that thought in mind… 

Release the Kraken!

Abracadabra!

Benjamin was an outgoing little boy full of laughter and verve. He was a true entertainer! His family had just moved to the neighbourhood and he was anxious to start school so that he could make some new friends. He loved all living beings, the creepy, crawley, slimey, slithery, furry and feathery beasts! So this new home that bordered Bluegate Pond was a veritable cornucopia of adventure and mystery just waiting for exploration!

The first few times that Benjamin ventured out he had not found anything more than what seemed to be a regular park. It was not until he spotted Andrei one afternoon leaving the overgrown path that he discovered the world of Bluegate. At first, the pond seemed to be nothing more than a local watering hole for a few avian visitors. However, as the days passed and the times at which Benjamin visited the pond varied, he learned more and more about the complex community of the pond. It was dusk on this particular visit and he could see the flittering twinkle of fireflies in the air around him. He closed his eyes and imagined that they were the tiny flecks of magic that had escaped from a sorcerer’s wand…