by JOHN BECK
Member since:
August 27, 2008

Prompt for Friday Writing Essential 2/8/2013

February 07, 2013 09:20 PM UTC
views: 0 | 21 people recommend this | comments: 49

Thursday morning we had rain on freezing rain on ice pellets on snow. By afternoon,  another layer of snow was being laid down.  The snow was deeper than my boots.  How difficult do you think it would have been for me to find reason not to walk the trails?

But to stay inside would have been a dereliction of my promise to Rudy to walk (or in my case sometimes ski) the trails at least twice a day.  And despite the fact that walking under those conditions was not easy, it felt good to get out there and do it, and good to come back to the house.

Some Gather members need motivation to write.  Rudy provides motivation for me to get out and walk the trails.

So your prompt for this week is motivation. This can be poetry or prose, fiction or fact. Be sure to include “FWE motivation” in your title, tag with FWE and post to Gather Writing Essential. I would appreciate posts by 2/15/2013 but I will accept late posts.

Comments: 49

Kevin E. Feb 7, 2013, 9:29pm UTC
Awesome poem makes me glad I live in Georgia. We had 2 inches of rain today, man was it a bad storm (heh heh heh)
JOHN BECK Feb 7, 2013, 9:33pm UTC
The Northeast is supposed to be in for it for the weekend.
Richard Lynn Livesay Feb 7, 2013, 9:51pm UTC
inspiration and motivation seem to fit our reactive brains but they give us a chance to be more than we think we are. I once had a special dog and no mater the weather she loved to go for a run... Be careful of the ice....great write
JOHN BECK Feb 7, 2013, 10:04pm UTC
Thanks, Richard.
Pam Brittain Feb 7, 2013, 10:00pm UTC
Great challenge, John. I now am motivated to find some of my stories for TSII.

Maybe more motivated response as I hear we're about to get socked in too. Hey, maybe I'll let Magic out of his box.
JOHN BECK Feb 7, 2013, 10:05pm UTC
Thanks, Pam.
Janet "Jax" B. Feb 7, 2013, 10:32pm UTC
I wish I was more motivated to write sometimes....or maybe it's just have time to write.
JOHN BECK Feb 7, 2013, 10:48pm UTC
Thanks, Jax. You're motivated to keep up your celebrating series. And it sounds like you motivate kids to do their best.
Len Maxwell Feb 7, 2013, 10:57pm UTC
If the snow was higher than your patent leather, skin-tight, thigh-high boots, I can see where it would be difficult to navigate through it.

Sorry, had to do that.

I got called away from last week's prompt when I was only three paragraphs into it. I'll post it tomorrow and think about this one later in the week.
JOHN BECK Feb 8, 2013, 6:57am UTC
Actually, they were made in USA Chippewa waterproof work boots. Thanks, Len.
Greg Schiller Feb 8, 2013, 9:58am UTC
I am breaking in a pair of Red Wing boots. I figure it will take me a month before the squeaking and chafing stops - but then I will have something.

John, there is nothing like walking in the woods on a snowy day. It is so, so quiet.
JOHN BECK Feb 8, 2013, 11:21am UTC
Yes. Conditions were not right for snowshoes or skis yesterday, so I just trudged through the deep snow. I broke trail this morning, so skiing should be better this afternoon.
Ms Lee P. Feb 8, 2013, 1:14am UTC
Brrrrrrrrrrr.
JOHN BECK Feb 8, 2013, 6:57am UTC
Yes, but the fields and woods are so pretty.
Allen H. Feb 8, 2013, 2:06am UTC
Motivation

If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you,
you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon.
JOHN BECK Feb 8, 2013, 7:00am UTC
My part time "retirement" job is seeing inmates a few hours/week. I guess the motivations are that I feel I still have useful skills, I feel good about supporting the nurses who work there full time, and augmenting fixed income doesn't hurt.
Allen H. Feb 8, 2013, 6:56pm UTC
You need to click on Motivation above to see the Poster...
JOHN BECK Feb 8, 2013, 7:28pm UTC
Ha! I didn't notice that it was a link.
Allen H. Feb 8, 2013, 7:34pm UTC
By the way I approve of your motivations for community service!
There is honour and satisfaction in using your skills to help others.
JOHN BECK Feb 8, 2013, 7:52pm UTC
Thanks, Allen. I know that you are community service oriented.
Irina Dimitric Feb 8, 2013, 6:07am UTC
Rudy is a nice example of motivation. To get out of the house for a short walk up the street I need to push myself a bit. Once I'm out walking I enjoy every minute and promise myself to do it the next day again. Alas, something more urgent crops up and I don't take a walk for several days...Good prompt.
JOHN BECK Feb 8, 2013, 7:01am UTC
Thanks, Irina. When we were "between dogs", I often had reason not to take one of my walks.
Irina Dimitric Feb 8, 2013, 6:57pm UTC
Which tells me that a sense of duty and love is a powerful motivator and common among humans.
Barbary Chaapel Feb 8, 2013, 9:26am UTC
Does Rudy wear little snow shoes? A coat? A hat? Does he have a cup of hot boullion when he comes in? Just kidding! :) (I could never get a dog or cat to keep their coats on...pretended they couldn't walk!

My motivation to write this long winter away is Gather's Writing Essential prompts,
remembrance and because I am lost to time when I write.
JOHN BECK Feb 8, 2013, 11:17am UTC
Rudy thrives on the cold and snow. He just shakes and fluffs out his coat. He doesn't even need to chew ice out of his paws like some dogs.
Susan Budig - Mindful Poet Feb 9, 2013, 12:53am UTC
When we've put booties on our dog(s), s/he'd walk so very funny, like a show horse with high, high steps.
Susan Budig - Mindful Poet Feb 9, 2013, 12:54am UTC
And our standard poodle doesn't care for the cold too much. She likes new snow and a bit of frolicking, but her feet get cold with walks longer than a half mile or so.
JOHN BECK Feb 9, 2013, 8:47am UTC
My dad had a Chesapeake Bay retriever, a breed noted for swimming in ice water. But the first time she encountered snow she tiptoed through it, like your dog with booties. We had a cocker spaniel who ran over the top of snow drifts, and a fox terrier who ran right through them.
Mary Ann Slavcheff Feb 8, 2013, 9:45am UTC
You may not be expecting a classroom exercise. I have an activity I give my students that is about motivation. It makes a good writing exercise by itself. I will post itlater today.
JOHN BECK Feb 8, 2013, 11:17am UTC
I'll watch for it. Thanks, Mary.
Fred Williams Eloped, his motivation being Freda's Wonderful Eclairs, gathered wildly everywhere on Rudy's trails.
JOHN BECK Feb 8, 2013, 11:17am UTC
:) Thanks, Magi.
Angela A. Feb 8, 2013, 11:11am UTC
I was definitely motivated to write yesterday. And, you saw the results. Ha, ha
JOHN BECK Feb 8, 2013, 11:18am UTC
And you were motivated to add to your meez collection.
Angela A. Feb 8, 2013, 11:23am UTC
Oh yes, I couldn't resist. The siren call was too much!
Earl Shugerman Feb 8, 2013, 12:45pm UTC
I sure miss the trails of Colorado and Wisconsin.
JOHN BECK Feb 8, 2013, 2:28pm UTC
Thanks, Earl. I would love to walk the streets of Haifa with you.
Sonia M. Feb 8, 2013, 6:57pm UTC
Sounds way too cold for my tropical blood...
Brrrrr....


I need to motivate myself to work on the cookbook I started last year...
JOHN BECK Feb 8, 2013, 10:53pm UTC
I have warm socks you could wear.
Sonia M. Feb 8, 2013, 11:08pm UTC
LOL...thanks!
Jan S. Feb 8, 2013, 10:15pm UTC
Of all kinds of weather, I hate freezing rain most. I can deal with deep snow, but ice scares me, whether I'm driving or walking. We have about ten inches of snow now. I clear some snow and took some pictures earlier today, but it would take a true emergency to motivate me to go out now. Or, maybe grandkids to go sledding with ;)
JOHN BECK Feb 8, 2013, 10:54pm UTC
We ended with snow on the top layer. Beautiful.
Thanks, Jan.
Priscilla P. Feb 9, 2013, 2:11pm UTC
You are a very disciplined soul, John. I would have relished each minute of staying in front of the warm fire with a book in hand. I would have told Rudy he could have free range privileges.
JOHN BECK Feb 9, 2013, 2:56pm UTC
:) Thanks, Priscilla.
Angela A. Feb 10, 2013, 6:59pm UTC
My motivating post is now done: I'mNotAllThatMotivated
JOHN BECK Feb 10, 2013, 7:30pm UTC
So I noticed.
Angela A. Feb 10, 2013, 10:16pm UTC
He, he
William Dotani Feb 23, 2013, 2:50pm UTC
Duty is a 4-letter word, but so is plus and it sounds you accentuated the positive. I bet Rudy spoke kindly about this to other neighbor dogs.
JOHN BECK Feb 23, 2013, 3:13pm UTC
He doesn't speak to them often, but he greets them if they come across the road onto our property. Then he reminds them to go home.

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