One Little Word

Posts Tagged ‘One Little Word’

A Year of Open

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing, tagged Guanyin, One Little Word, Open on December 30, 2014| 15 Comments »

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I don’t remember where I first read about choosing a single word for the year rather than making a bunch of resolutions that never happen. Lots of my blogging connections do this. My 2014 One Little Word has been Open.

Open became a mantra for trying something new. I tried some new writing workshops. I tried some new art techniques. I even opened my heart to new friends. My openness helped me apply for and win the Donald Graves Award. Open felt like the just right word.

This word choosing is harder than you might think. I am looking for signs for my new 2015 word.

Is the sign in this little statue my husband gave me for Christmas? My Berry Queen name is Queen of Good Will. He said this goddess reminded him of that. She is Guanyin (or Kwan Yin), the Goddess of Mercy. She is made of soft wood and her cloak is wrapped tightly around her. She seems to be carrying a book.

I like that others see me as merciful and giving. However, this is an outside view of who I am. My One Little Word needs to be one that I will internalize, one that will inform my work in the world. My OLW has to be mine, not given or assigned to me. I’ll keep looking for signs. I believe it will be revealed to me soon.

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Make Good Art

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, tagged Acadiana Wordlab, magnolia, Neil Gaiman, One Little Word, watercolor on May 20, 2014| 10 Comments »

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Open
My one little word
finds me;
open your eyes
to your own heart;
listen
to what she loves.

I painted a magnolia
in cadmium blue and crimson red.
Do you see the red and blue?
To make good art,
first you must see.

I saw the perfect magnolia
hanging in my neighbor’s tree,
the one ravaged by a hurricane,
yet today,this tree sings
its magnolia hymn to heaven.

Now I see, magnolia to magnolia,
critical eye turned off,
yes, beauty, art.
Make this art.
Who cares about appreciation,
glorification, success (whatever that means),
just create.

I see magnolia to magnolia–happiness.
This is all I need.

–Margaret Simon, written at Acadiana Wordlab May 17, 2014

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Open to Friendship

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing, tagged Author Amok, Laura Shovan, nerdlution, One Little Word, Open, spring, writing on March 6, 2014| 4 Comments »

Slice of Life Day 6. Join the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge.

Click here to view the roundup at One Grateful Teacher.

It is day 6 of the Slice of Life Challenge and Day 38 of Nerdlution. Time to reflect a bit. I am sitting on what we call “the boyfriend bed” in the study writing while my dog, Charlie, and cat, Mimi, nap nearby. This is how I spent most of the last two days, taking it easy on a break from school and nursing my cold.

My nerdlution to exercise did not happen. I used my cold inside and the cold outside as my excuse.

However, my nerdlution to write happened in the form of Slice of Life blog posts and poems for Laura Shovan’s Pantone poetry project. Take a moment to read the wonderful poems about Jewel Blue and Peacock Green. We all did research before writing. I used the ghazal form for my poem. This project has kept me focused and creative.

The last nerdlution goal was to be more responsive to my One Little Word Open.

I reflected on my week to see how I was Open. Then I remembered my Saturday walk (before the cold front came in.) I walked with a friend who lives a few blocks away. I took a chance that she would be home. Not only was she home, but her husband had gone hunting, so she was free to take a walk with our dogs. We had a great time sharing experiences of grown daughters. I took pictures of blooming flowers and blooming trees thinking spring was on its way. I Open myself to creativity, spirituality, and also to friendship.

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Give up/ Take on

Posted in Slice of Life, Spiritual Growth, tagged Episcopal, Lent, Michelle Haseltine, nerdlution, One Little Word on March 5, 2014| 13 Comments »

Slice of Life Day 5. Join the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. I am an Episcopalian. We do Lent. I will go to church later and have ashes put on my forehead and hear the familiar words, “You are from dust and to dust you will return.” If you think about it too much, it’s kind of scary. But I like the humility of it.

I have been reading a number of blog posts by teachers and by students. Yesterday, I read a student’s post about being yourself. Even as a grown-up this is hard to remember. I want to compare myself to all those other blogging teachers out there. I want to look at myself and wonder what I could be if I just made a decision and stuck with it.

Sometimes, though, it comes down to just being the best of the you you were made to be. I think that is the purpose of Lent. Lent’s not so much about the brow beating, guilt wrenching suffering of giving up. It’s more about sitting with God and adsorbing all the love he has to give and then living your own life. Not the life that you think you should be living, but the one you have. To the fullest.

Before I get too preachy, let me set my goals for my Lent. I did New Year’s resolutions that lasted a few weeks. I signed on for Nerdlution at the end of January and pledged to exercise, write, and be Open (my one little word for 2014). Now Lent. I’ve decided to give up sweets and not for the usual reasons. I want to loose a few pounds and I don’t want to diet, so practically speaking, giving up sweets may be all I need to do. (And exercise more, #nerdlution continues…)

Photo by Jennifer, Creative Commons, Flickr

The real practice for Lent will be my “take on.” I want to take on random acts of kindness. I have been inspired by Michelle Haseltine at One Grateful Teacher. Michelle set this goal for her Nerdlution. I have enjoyed reading about all her kind acts and amazed at how really easy it can be.

Now I am committed. I’ve made the pledge publicly. And I threw away a not quite empty bag of mint chocolate M&M’s! Tragic.

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Open Air Dancing Words

Posted in Slice of Life, tagged Acadiana Wordlab, Bonny McDonald, free association poetry, One Little Word on January 14, 2014| 6 Comments »

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My One Little Word for 2014 is Open. (See my poem about it here.) On Saturday, I was required to be Open to a new idea. I attended Acadiana Wordlab. This week the presenter was Bonny McDonald. Bonny is a PhD. candidate in LSU’s performance studies program. I got the feeling we were guinea pigs. She led us in many weird movement exercises, all new to me. At first we did something she called flocking where we walked the expanse of the room “filling up the empty spaces.” We walked in a variety of unusual ways, such as with your right elbow leading.

All the while I was making strange and new movements with my body, I was thinking about my students and how we rarely get up and move. I wanted to transfer this energizing experience to my classroom. On Monday morning, I told my students we were going to do “Bonny’s weird word association dance.” For this activity, you must think of a word (one you love or one you hate). Say the word and pay attention to what movement your mouth makes. Mimic this movement in a whole body movement. Then flock around the room saying your word and making your movement. OK, yes, we all got a little silly. Then we sat down to write free associations of our chosen word. Following a quick share, I asked my students to spend a little more time with their words and compose a poem. They will be posting this exercise (if they choose) on our kidblog site. If I get permission, I may post some of them for Poetry Friday.

Back to the word Open. When I made the movement I associated with my word, I was surprised by the closed-ness of the ending. O is very open, and my arms wrapped an O shape in the air, but then the ending closed in a clasping of my hands together. I begin with being open, but I must come back to myself and hold it in. Here is my free association with the word Open:

Open
Air
Ginger blossom
Fly in space
Up on my roof
Space stars
Mint leaves in my tea.
Fill my cup to the top.
Open parachute — jump
down! Catch me
little star gently
on soft petals of iris.
Fields open to me as
I walk in space to the place
where I am meant to be.
Let’s sit here a while, you and me.
–Margaret Simon

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Posted in Slice of Life, Writing, tagged Digital Bonnie, New Year, One Little Word on December 31, 2013| 14 Comments »

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As 2013 ends and 2014 begins, I am thinking about a One Little Word for the new year. Last year I was suffering with ankle pain (tendonitis) and walking in a boot. I chose the word acceptance for a few reasons. I wanted to give myself the patience I needed to recover, and I was looking for self-acceptance of my writing voice. My ankle recovered. It took six months, so I definitely made use of my OLW. I published a poetry book. Somehow I feel less intimidated by this because my poems were surrounded by my father’s loving art. Acceptance presided, along with bravery and perseverance.

On one of our drives during the holidays, I decided on the word OPEN for 2014. I am now loving this choice as I worked on this poem.

Open by Margaret Simon, all rights reserved

For today’s special year end Slice of Life, fellow blogger Bonnie has made a video compiling photos from the world of bloggers, including me! It’s an awesome celebration of life! Thanks, Bonnie!

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Old Year, New Year

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, tagged New Year, One Little Word on January 1, 2013| 8 Comments »

Sunset at Lake Martin, photographed by Leon Henry.

My pipe is out, my glass is dry;
My fire is almost ashes too;
But once again, before you go,
And I prepare to meet the New:
Old Year! a parting word that’s true,
For we’ve been comrades, you and I —
I thank God for each day of you;
There! bless you now! Old Year, good-bye!
–Robert William Service, The Passing of the Year

I thank God for each day of 2012. But today, I say hello to 2013.

Last night as I was drifting off to sleep with the pop, bang, boom of our neighbor’s fireworks, I was thinking about the night creatures. What do they think about this silly human tradition of setting fire to the sky at night?

Where do the owls go
when you set the sky on fire
with your loud, booming works?
Drowning out the who of my nighttime friend,
you celebrate intolerably, sending flares,
screaming as if chased by a bee.
This noise just can’t be right.
Where did the owls go tonight?

Read other Slice of Life writers at The Two Writing Teachers

Over at Two Writing Teachers, New Year’s Day Slices of Life are being collected. We have been challenged not to set New Year’s resolutions, but to select One Little Word to live by this year. This has been a challenge for me because it’s not really a word that I want, but an attitude. I want to value my work, whatever that work may be. I want to see it as significant to the greater good. But I want to be gentle with myself at the same time. So this year, my one little word is acceptance.

In William Zinsser’s book On Writing Well, he speaks of the audience for your writing: “It is a fundamental question with a fundamental answer; you are writing for yourself. Entertain yourself. You are who you are, so relax and say what you want to say.” So, to whoever is reading today, I am here on Jan. 1, 2013 to declare a new attitude. Acceptance!

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