Another chance for a challenge

It is a challenge to write every day,

I haven’t been able to write every day, or just didn’t want to, for much of my writing life.

Then, in the middle of a coronavirus quarantine when routines were forced to change and the world no longer spun quite so fast, WordPress Discover brought back daily prompts.

I was determined to use the changes in routine wisely so I set more goals, and one of them was to write every day in April.

I did.

Then, when Sue decided to continue the prompts, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to see how long I could keep up the pace.

Today is the 60th consecutive day I’ve posted, which is by far the longest continuous stretch since 2009 when I started this blog.

The posts haven’t all been winners, or even good, but they’ve been written.

Maybe I’ve turned a challenge into a habit.

Time will tell.

I know there are more stories I haven’t written.

Some have been dormant in my mind for years, but I believe they’ve germinated now because of the challenge to write every day.

Others happened more recently.

I started a “story ideas” note on my phone, and maybe I won’t lose them before they’re told.

Sue’s jibberjabber prompts have inspired many people to write many of their stories this month, and since May is almost gone, I figured now’s as good a time as any to revisit my own.

The month started with a story about how many an afternoon on the porch has been ruined because crazy pests like the way my blood tastes.

I asked what the old days are, and I’m still thankful I can’t relate to the worst of this virus.

I remembered when I went to see a large lady and got in the wrong line.

My nieces and nephew provided a reason to celebrate.

My first attempt at a fiction story, which got rejected by three magazines and lost a contest, got posted here for the first time.

I thought about how prompts have helped me create a writing habit, and how much those in the food industry have helped in this crisis.

A trip down memory lane took me to another time, and Mother’s Day was a happy one.

My sister made me a frozen mocha. It wasn’t smooth, but it tasted good.

I remembered my pen pal, and what a joy it is to get a letter instead of a bill.

Then came the memory of how the luck I had on Spring Break of my senior year of high school was actually a blessing, and how I’ve received a big blessing from those who keep us free.

The longer we’re in this quarantine routine, the more I think it wouldn’t hurt to explore a new place at a safe distance.

I took a break, but still kept the post-a-day streak alive.

Then came some thoughts on friendship, like how sometimes the best way to be a good friend is to make someone else’s burden light and sometimes there’s value in silence.

I thought about why I hate when I have to hurry, and how sometimes it’s good to stop and smell a flower.

I came to the realization a name is a gift, and so are signs of recovery.

There was a short post, which was followed by the story of how I stole Elvis’ dance moves.

Memorial Day brought memories of my trip to Arlington National Cemetery last year, and how we live each day in the shadow of the legacies those who gave their lives for our freedom left behind.

I thought about how we have to continue to live our lives during the virus crisis, and how it is also important to live more carefully.

I told a story about how a hill helped me get healthier, and followed it with one about support from a stranger.

Yesterday, I pondered the simple power of a book.

Today, I completed another challenge from Sue when I used all of her prompts in a post.

May has almost gone, but here’s to whatever tomorrow brings.

This post is a response to Sue’s prompt, which is “challenge.” Hopefully, it was successful and I didn’t forget any prompts.