A Creative Writing Prompt (from creative fiction class)

There is a room

Three characters

Electricity goes out

One looks for a light source

One gets scared

One falls in love with one of the other characters during the event

“I love you!” Ann blurts out, antsy for attention and comfort in return. Her palms hold the pacific, while her eyes attempt to blockade the Atlantic. She’s been planning this moment relentlessly, the need for perfect smothering her now messy house. All that energy…seemingly a waste. It was a waste.

And Johnny, he failed to hold back the water in many places, if you know what I mean. While the other two were obsessed with doing whatever they do, he nodded off. When the lights fell asleep, he shrieked. Panic attacks aluminate his insides, while they make his vision black. No pun intended.

Sparkles is quiet. She’s always quiet. When the lights fell asleep, she knew monsters wouldn't wake. Fear is irrelevant, and acts only as a catalyst for “be killed or fight.” She has no logical reason to do either.

Ann is melting through the holes in her seat, as Hurricane Failure erases all the progress she had made. What ifs take over…what if she bought flowers at that coffee shop a year ago, what if she held that one door open a little longer? What if what if what if. Fear consumes her, realizing she just lit a fire, and their relationship the victim. All she can do now is shake and rock and cry.

Johnny is still fighting absolutely nothing, according to Sparkles. She thinks he’s a drama queen, and she’s always right. In between swings and jabs he listens to Ann’s meltdown. His shrink says grounding is the best way to fight attacks. Ann becomes his ground, and from above he can’t help but to shoot a stringed arrow at her heart. It’s easy to fall in love with someone that brings you back from insanity, especially when they’re vulnerable. Sparky is annoyed with these two emotionals. Annoyance is a catalyst for action, whatever it takes to get away from it. In this case, the door is turning the lights on.

“I love you,” proclaims Johnny. Ann cries harder. Could these moments get any worse, or is it better?  At this point, her laughter and crying are indistinguishable.

Sparky opens the living room door, and light invades. She goes to get a muffin.  Johnny now has tremendous hope that Ann will be his. Ann sees her everything walk away, never to return. All that energy…seemingly a waste. It was a waste. Her life will be sparkless. 


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TedTalk about thinking inside the box:

This Doesn't Make Any Sense: An Idea I've Been Pondering for 6 Years

What if every student had to take an unspecified required class as part of their education? No class name, description, or teacher listed.

Upon walking in, students see hundreds of various textbooks, and sit down, expecting the teacher to show up. No one comes. After a week, the students start to get annoyed, “we must be here every day, why doesn't the teacher have to be?” Students flip through the textbooks, and read the ones they like. For months, students start bicker and argue that their book is the correct one.

On the last day, the teacher walks in and says, “I've been watching all along.” He sends the students with the correct book out to a celebration, and sets everyone else on fire.

Question for you: Is this fair?

I don’t think so. If this actually happened, it would be a worldwide story, an epidemic of outrage and demands for change.

This happens everyday, but is never a story in the media.  

Religion.

Note: Blue Rectangles is not a faith blog. Not at all. I may do one more post on popular verses and sayings that are misinterpreted. It’s exasperating!!!!!

We continuously argue and fight over what book and beliefs are the correct ones. People go to war to prove they’re right. People say you are going to (their version of) hell if you don’t believe what they do and don't practice faith exactly the same way.

Or some tell you that you can't join them because of this or that.

I wasn't allowed to attend Sunday School, and thus the church, because I was disabled. Spoiler: I'm still disabled.

I admit, I know some about Christianity, Buddhism, and atheism. I know nothing beyond those. I did attend church as a young kid, but too young to remember any of it. I don't think I would have enjoyed going anyway. I don't know what I believe either.

Most faiths have some sort of heaven, judgment/purgatory, and hell. Plus an indulgence system. I'm going to talk about Christianity for the rest of this post.

If you do this long list of things and don't sin, you get to go to heaven. Jesus took all your sins, so sinning is ok. If you ask for forgiveness, you’ll be saved. You have to convince enough people to join you. Do everything priests, pastors, reverends tell you to.

Else, you are going to hell. At least, that is what we’re told.

Is this the truth? I don't know.

Does this make sense? Not to me.

A.             Genesis 3 and stories of God killing about sin and punishment.

B.             Genesis 1 and many books are about goodness, forgiveness, and love. Jesus.

I think every Christian believes in B, that Jesus is the heart of faith. Let's say B is truth.

As much as I take comfort in believing people go to hell, I don't believe hell exists. Hell doesn't make sense.

We are children of God. God loves his children, and made the world to his likeness and in his image. He rested on the seventh day because all was perfect. If we turn our backs on him and disobey, he will always welcome us back. The Parable of the Lost Son is an example. He knows every thought we have and every action we make, and yet he still wants us to be with him.

Jesus is 100% man and God, and never sins. We were supposed to die for our sins, but out of love, Jesus was sent to die in our place and take all our sins. His only son sacrificed for us. “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.” That's huge. But before death, he performs miracles and heals people.

Jesus also fulfilled the covenants, the agreements with man and God, a partnership. The first is with Noah, to never flood the Earth again, and Noah has to do nothing in return. God promises to be faithful despite knowing we won’t be. The second, third, and fourth are two-sided with Abraham, Israel, and David. All of these fall apart.

God fulfills all these partnerships with himself, through Jesus. He’s part of Abraham and David’s family, and is an Israelite that obeys. We failed, but he still fulfills his promises.

I don't know if a higher power exists. I’ll question this all my life, and I am ok with it. If he exists, I believe there is a judgment period of some sort. It's a very common belief that God will judge whether we go to heaven or hell. I see two major flaws in this thinking.

First, if we all see judgment day, and God knows all, then weren’t our fates determined the moment he made the universe? How does this fit with his gift of free will? He says we can repent and redeem ourselves. Is it truly free will if our fates are set long before we have life? Why bother repenting and asking for forgiveness? Then why do we have to stand before him on judgment day?

Second, hell doesn't exist.

Instead, I think there is a neutral and peaceful place after death but before heaven where the judge is ourselves. A place we can think, reflect, and feel all the /emotions we buried over our lifetimes. A place we face all the things we avoided and see the pain and happiness we caused. A place to heal and forgive. And a place where you can sit beside God/Jesus and talk whenever you like. There's no time limit. You are his child. His one desire is to be with you, listen, love, help, and support you. He will answer every question you ask. Only you decide when it's time to move on, and reconnect with everything you lost. Friends, family, pets, childhood, innocence, the list is endless.

Question for you: Why would God do all this for humans and then send people to hell?

I pretty much have dreaded, for any reason, going in a church or talking to a pastor my entire life. I am still iffy about stepping in a church, since I apparently don't belong. Will I be welcomed and accepted? Are all people accepted under this roof?

I may be a member someday, I may not. I'm more drawn to the community aspect. A hip church leader/pastor would be a must. :) 

I never ever have conversations about faith. They almost always turn into a persuasion battle, and I don't like being told what to believe about any topic. I don't like telling people what they should believe…well, mostly. Plus, people think they know what they're talking about, when they don’t. Quite annoying!

Feel free to let me know what you think! Here, Facebook, the contact me form, anything. By owl. Whatever.

Housekeeping Rule #6 from my Introduction post: If you want notifications about new posts, let me know! I’ll post on the Blue Rectangles Facebook Page too. You can also give me contact info under “Contact Me” if you want some other type of notification (email, text, tweet, snapchat…etc). No BCC crap from me!

Today’s Agenda in Science Class: Be Creative (Modified Assignment)

            I haven’t always liked science, and that may come as a surprise to some people, especially those who have met me in the past several years. Actually, sometimes I still dislike science. As a kid, science class made me absolutely miserable. I remember reading out of a seemingly huge biology textbook as a 4^th grader, trying to fill out a worksheet. It was incredibly boring, and I didn't understand why we had to know about, for example, rodent habitats, and why we had to read it out of a book.

            In high school, and even in college, I’ve dreaded going to a science lab class. In these classes, you are given a lab book that outlines every lab for the entire term. Each lab has a predefined list of what to do before, during, and after lab, as well as the result you should get at the end. And, oh yeah, if your result doesn't match theirs, you pretty much fail. It’s not about solving problems, but rather completing a long list of chores, and the worst part, you can't even do the chores in your own way. No wonder why so many people run away from anything science; we are led to believe science is dry, complicated, and full of strict rules.

            If so many people dislike science, or believe they don't belong in the field, then why is Breaking Bad so popular? Or even House MD? Sure, both shows are comedic, but the science ideas and concepts are unavoidable. 

            Simply, these shows are creative. We don't see Dr. House or Walter White following a lab book checklist that was given to them with answers at the end. We see their curiosity and creativeness to solve real world problems. My favorite image is Walter White and Pinkman in the middle of nowhere, using a run-down RV, in their underwear, to make meth. This isn’t the portrayal of science we are used to, but it is one we can relate to.

            The fact is, we all conduct science, most likely daily. Granted, you probably don't make meth or solve outrageous medical mysteries, but I'm sure you have fixed an electronic device problem. You observe, make guesses, and try different ideas to solve the problem. If it doesn't work, you cry because you are missing the finale of Breaking Bad, and then continue to guess, observe, and experiment until you solve it. Or in the process you come up with new questions, like where to buy the cheapest 80’’ TV since your TV died!

            I haven’t had TV problems nor have I missed a finale lately, but I have conducted science in my biology class. To receive credit for the lab units, my partner and I have to ask our own questions, do our own research and analysis, and present our findings. Of course, since it is a college class, we have to stay within given boundaries, like overall topic, certain data, and analysis tools we can use, but we are given creative license to explore our own interests and curiosities. We have the freedom to research and analyze the data in ways that make sense to us, instead of being told exactly how to carry the lab out. And unlike other science classes, the answer isn’t at the end of the lab. In fact, no one knew the answer; we have to draw our own conclusions based on our own analysis. Finally, we present our conclusions in a creative way that we are interested in and excited about. In the last unit we created a slide presentation with mostly pictures and a comical reference to Star Trek. We are able to explore our passions and use our imaginations to complete labs, and because of this, we are able to experience the fun and beauty of science.

            Science is not boring, it’s not about following directions, and it’s not what many classes portray it to be. Unfortunately, early science classes do not allow students to be creative and explore. As a result, I think many individuals whom would make great scientists are pushed away from the field. Many great scientific discoveries have come from creative individuals whom didn't do well in school, but followed their passions, persevered, and changed the world. I think it’s important for people to know that if they are having a hard time in a stereotypical, “by the book,” science course, or have bad memories from a past course, remember that, in reality, science is a creative process. Science is creative. Be creative.

   

         I like visual images, so I’ll end with this quote by Albert Einstein:

One more thing: Here's a Ted Talk snippet that uses dance to explain science ideas. (I think it's super cool!) 
Dance Your Ph.D: https://www.youtube.com/v/UlDWRZ7IYqw&feature=youtu.be&start=45&end=354 

Why Not Mauve Rhombuses?

So, I've decided to write a blog. Obvious, I know. Otherwise you wouldn't be here, unless you are a time traveler, in which case, show me how you did it.

I’ve wanted to do this for some time, for reasons I don't totally know. People say I'm a decent writer, but I don’t think I have never truly believed them. Most of my written works (poetry, story, essay) were derived from some kind of instruction sheet, an assignment, whether for school or some other entity. They all had a map, with a legend, and roads already carved out. The maps for poetry were blurry, so I did have more freedom, but still for a grade. I've always done well, I know how to follow instructions when I want to, or have to.

I haven't written much since I've been in college. My first semester I took freshman writing, but I really didn't think of annotations as writing. Since I'm a math major, most of my classes have been calculus and physics. I've probably written over 90 single spaced pages of lab reports, but I don't think all that technical goop qualifies as writing. If you want to read about the moments of inertia of complex discs and other nerdy things, let me know, and I'll post them...although, I don't know why you would want to...like eating dry turkey.

I have missed writing. Perhaps I only miss it when I get fed up with doing pages and pages of calculations. Or perhaps doing endless math makes me realize what I'm not, but want to be, doing.

I want to do something different. And since I can't board the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E, I guess this blog will have to do.

This blog isn’t “Mauve Rhombuses,” it’s “Blue Rectangles.”  ...and for good reason.

I took 11th grade trigonometry with Mrs. Rapson, and I have to say, she was right, the unit circle was the most important lesson covered...that, and SOHCAHTOA. It was my favorite class that year, and probably the most useful...I’ve used trig concepts on every college math and physics homework, and test.

Trig was my second to last class of the day, study hall being my last.  It was also her prep, so I stayed in her room and did homework, if I had any.  One day in the middle of the year, I didn’t have anything to do, so I decided to do the monthly puzzle posted in the back of the room.

The puzzle was:

How many squares in this 3x7?

I started adding all the blue boxes, then the green and cyan boxes, then the purple, then I continued with 3x1’s, 1x3’s, 3x3’s, 2x4’s, etc. I think I counted 247 total...it took my EA, Brenda, and I a good 30-45 minutes. I wrote the answer on a post-it, gave it to Mrs. Rapson.  She said “no.” I think Brenda and I looked at her in complete astonishment. She sat a couple feet away, I'm sure laughing silently, while I fooled around with this puzzle. I may have been a little mad because she didn't interrupt me. She continued, something like "key word, squares." lightbulb! You know how Homer Simpson says "doh?" Well, I said "rectangles." It stuck. Now, anytime I do something completely stupid but overall harmless, "rectangles!" The "blue" is is short for blueberries, and "blueberries" has the same meaning. Not totally sure where it came from, I just know Brenda and I started saying it when we did something dumb and laughed it off.

"Blue Rectangles" seems very fitting for this blog title, cuz I'm bound to make mistakes...grammar, spleilng, composition, content. I do not have an extensive vocabulary either. So, go read a dictionary if you want to get your fill of big words. You ain't gonna find 'em here.

I took away 5 lessons from the square puzzle:

1. Rectangles are not squares, but squares are rectangles.

Rule #2

2. Read and listen carefully, you'll save time. Or don't, and learn things you will never forget.
3. Even when it doesn't seem like it, people do care and want the best for you.

I was surprised Mrs. Rapson didn't say anything when I was counting rectangles, and a little irritated. After, I realized why she did it, and I respect her more as a result. I still wish I was in her class at times.

4. More enforcement that mistakes are not a bad thing. Perfectionists can't be perfect.
5. Squares are rectangles, but rectangles are not squares.

I've shared the story behind the title, but not what I want it to represent. My hope is to write about my life (duh), the good, the bad, and the untold. Rehashing what many already know about me seems boring, for all parties. Let's talk about something new.

I want to write about music, share interesting quotes, questions, and ideas, and talk about what I'm learning (nothing too technical, I promise). I also want to write about my various writings, the stories and meanings. I get asked a lot, but I almost never share.

Finally, some housekeeping rules:

1. No vampire slayers.

2. Contained liquid nitrogen is fine. Just don't splash it around.

3. Please don't forget a No. 2 pencil.

4. Comment, contact, connect, capture, captivate, care, craft, create. If you wish, contact me anonymously.

6. If you want notifications about new posts, let me know! I’ll post on the Blue Rectangles Facebook page too. You can also give me contact info under “Contact Me” if you want some other type of notification (email, text, tweet, snapshat…etc). No BCC crap from me!

7. I’m not a shoelace dealer.

8. Visit my art and poetry site: www.dees-knees.com

9. Whatever you do, don’t break rule #5.

10. Do not rip on my Oxford Commas.

Feel free to comment on my Facebook too.

Peace.