Thursday, November 1, 2012

Spirit of NaNo

I have just eaten a packet of Monster Munch and am suddenly thinking about the woman with selective eating disorder who eats nothing else, and the six-year-old girl whose mother left her alone in the house for five days with nothing to eat but packets of those.  Both survived and survive, though obviously it isn't food.  The young girl's case was clearly one of child-neglect, but the other is a grown woman who seems to suffer no major ill-effects.  We do not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of god, so it is written.  Perhaps the woman's faith is very strong or she has another source from which to draw the vital forces one needs in order to live.  I have a healthy diet with organic vegetables, fruit, meat, whole grains and pulses.  But the woman who only eats Monster Munch is stronger and possibly healthier than I am.  All she suffers is brittle nails.  Some things are just mysterious and one accepts this.

Last night was the first Halloween for many years that we did not put a carved pumpkin on the hedge to show itinerant vampires, ghouls and witches that they could come and knock for sweets.  I know this is one of the winter shine-your-light-in-the-darkness festivals, but actually, I should have medals for doing this for, well - much of my life, really.  Last night the wick had burned down to almost nothing.  It revived a bit after the good words of a friend (we do not live by bread alone), chocolate and prescription drugs - good things all three, and I do not despise them.

And now it is that time of year again and I am back in the frolick and fun that is NaNoWriMo.  In my fashion.  One year I nearly killed myself with word-count frenzy, another I came down with swine flu and really, a diet of a thousand words a day is respectable enough in my yet-to-be-written book.  So I will be embracing the spirit of NaNo without the caffeine overload or sleepless nights which, actually, I already have.

It is also the Daughter's birthday.  This, and the fact of her existence, makes me very happy.

9 comments:

'tis I said...

Happy Birthday to the beautiful Daughter of Signs, and much love and goodness in your direction.

I received a "pep-talk" email from Nanowrimo (my fingers just won't do that alternate upper-case thing). What's more, it was in Finnish. Now looky here, but how do they know I've ever tried it? And, since I tried it in English (very cunning of me, for due to prepositions and articles, the 50,000 words are easier to achieve than in Finnish) – how did they know to send the fecker to me in Finnish?

You are so very right, once again, Poet Signs – some things are mysteries and we just have to accept them.
x

Reading the Signs said...

Listen up, 'tis you - you are still there, as my Buddy, darling, so you are on their books, in a manner of speaking. Once a NaNo always a NaNo - it's a bit like Narnia in that respect - and they'll get you.

I can't explain about the Finnish. Except to say that perhaps they are like God and therefore they Know you. Thrillingly spooky.

PB said...

how nice to share daughter of Signs' birthday - do greet her from a fellow Day of the Dead baby!

Fire Bird said...

urghhh that was me I wish I didn't keep doing that...

Reading the Signs said...

It's ok F B, I'm into alter-egos myself - Day of the Dead baby :) - must tell the daughter about that one.

Cusp said...

Warrior Creator x :)

Reading the Signs said...

Cusp, yes, I could live with that! :) And we won't breathe a word about - you know - the spoon thing

Zhoen said...

The only answer I could come up with is that for some people, the rules really don't apply. Gravity doesn't affect them, the usual rules of society have no bearing on them, or they can survive on dirt and be fine. They are made of something else, and that's all there is to it.

Reading the Signs said...

Zhoen, yes - exactly. I once met a doctor who said that in his opinion there were some people who could "get vitamins out of bubble gum." But I prefer how you expressed it.