#1 Most of you will know that I have a book out this month, but I had an uneasy thought in relation to it the other day. There’s a scene in the book where the heroine and her two boys sing along to a play list of novelty songs. I went to post the You Tube link to one of these songs on Facebook the other day—a song I’d loved as a child. The moment I clapped eyes on the film clip (which I’d never seen before in my life) I gulped and realised that the song was seriously politically incorrect. The thing is, whenever I think about this song it’s not the words I remember, but the fun I had with my dad and sister singing it at the tops of our lungs and our sense of camaraderie. Fingers crossed the mention of it in my book won’t offend anyone. I feel I should apologise.
#2 Thought and word associations fascinate me. I was going to call this post Hodge-Podge and then I wondered if that term was correct and if it wasn’t Hotch-Potch instead, which started me considering other funny little terms like odds and sods, bits and bobs, and flotsam and jetsam. Now, as I’ve been considering getting a dog or two (or fostering a dog or two), it occurred to me that Flotsam and Jetsam could be good puppy names. This in turn had me remembering an Enid Blyton book about a puppy and a kitten called Bimbo and Topsy. Anyone else remember that one?
#3 I’ve just started reading a book called The Soul of Money. The author says we live with an attitude of scarcity—we wake in the morning and think “I need more sleep”; we glance at our To-Do list and think “I need more time”; we look at the repairs that are needed on our houses and cars, the new shoes we’d like for an awards dinner, and the holidays we’d love to take and think “I don’t have enough money.” I’d never thought about this attitude of scarcity before. I’ll be interested to see what my thoughts and theories are once I’ve finished the book.
#4 I recently wrote a couple of entries for The Encyclopedia of Romance that an academic in America is busy compiling. Writing these intimidated me. A lot. I froze every time I sat down to work on them. That in itself was confronting as I have an automatic routine for my fiction writing. Want to know what helped me over the hurdle? The idea of “good enough.” I didn’t need to write something that would set the world on fire. I just had to write something that was good enough. I don’t know why this was so freeing, but it took a sledgehammer to perfectionism and for that I’m grateful.
#5 We’re into the third month of the year and I have yet to start the Yoga class I promised myself at the beginning of the year. I really want to do Yoga. I’ve found a reasonably priced class at a nearby Yoga school and a spot has been saved for me, but… It’s a 90-minute class. I’m not sure I can manage any form of exercise—other than walking—for 90 minutes. Is it crazy of me to want to get a bit fitter before I start the class?
#6 My favourite song at the moment is Hold Me Tight by Johnny Nash. No reason except that it’s catchy and makes me smile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYhRpbqe1Zg
So…do you have a random thought or two to share?
Michelle's Road Trip With the Eligible Bachelor is on the shelves now.
Michelle
ReplyDeleteFirstly none of the songs in your story offened me I thought they were all lots of fun :)
I guess we all have random thoughts mine are often winning enough money so as I can retire LOL whether this is a random thought or a dream wish I am not sure but I do know that I would dearly love to have more time to spend with my family and read
Have Fun
Helen
Glad none of the songs offended you, Helen. They were just meant to be lots of fun. :-)
DeleteOh, dream wishes! I think we all have those. Mine would be to have all the time and money in the world to travel to all the places I'd love to see (with the DH of course). Happy sighs at the thought. :-)
Oh that's mine too, Michelle! Except I want to add in enough money to fly business class! :-)
DeleteOoh, did I forget to add that bit? ABSOLUTELY to business class, Amy. ;-)
DeleteSince this is a dream wish, let's go first class all the way. :-)
DeleteDeal!
DeleteMichelle, I do like the idea of that scarcity theory. I'd not realised it was there before thinking about it there are some valid points.
ReplyDeleteRandom thoughts - eat less, move more would be mine. Very random cos it never happens. BUT I started yoga classes this past Monday and it was great. You don't need to be super fit to begin, so grab your mat and go for it.
Sue, the scarcity theory was almost like a slap upside the head--esp in relation to time and sleep, which them pushes all of those stress and anxiety buttons. I think the idea is to move to an attitude of sufficiency...which sounds good in theory. ;-)
DeleteI can relate to your random thought which is why I need to get to my yoga class, huh? Will take your advice. I mean it's a beginners class, right? It's designed for people like me *she says crossing her fingers*.
Loved this post, Michelle! My random thoughts from it are: you MUST get puppies called Flotsam and Jetsam, your scarcity theory is VERY apt for me and a real lightbulb moment, why not do a couple of beginner yoga classes on Youtube to get yourself into it? (I've been doing some stretches that way and have been meaning to take it a bit further)
ReplyDeleteLOL, Barb, and I love your random thoughts right back at you. In fact I'm now having a random thought about 2 puppies called Flotsam and Jetsam and a kitten called Chaos…and all the havoc they'd create.
DeleteThe YouTube idea has a lot of merit and you just reminded me that I have a Wii with Yoga stretches and poses on it! Thanks. :-)
I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine at beginners yoga- give it a try! You'll feel amazing! (Hopefully they do a good meditation at the end too)
ReplyDeleteLoving the idea of Flotsam and Jetsom- Flo and Jet for short! Gorgeous!
I'm always having random thoughts- in fact I think mine tend to be more random than not. My boys sometimes look at me after I've said something and say- 'where did that come from?' Usually it's a bizarre train of thought that has gone from: Year 12 English, to George Orwell to where I was when I read it and then who I was with and what they're doing now ….yada yada…which leads me to say something odd... all in a few seconds. Fun though! I also think that's how I sometimes come up with stories for my books.
And now I'm so going to buy your book just to see what this song is about!
Ooh, meditation sounds good, Louisa. I think I will just have to bite the bullet and go to the class and just do what I can do. Otherwise, I'll just keep putting it off.
DeleteI love the thought processes you describe! When I blurt out something like that and the DH looks at me oddly I always ask, "Do you really want to know how I got from point A to point B?'
P.S. I hope you enjoy the book. ;-)
I remember reading that money is energy, so it's affected by the way we think. If we think that we have enough for our needs, then we will, but if we think that we don't have enough, we won't. That's a very simplistic summary, but you get the gist, I'm sure. It''s along the same lines as your 'attitude of scarcity', isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThat sounds spot on, Claire. Obviously there's a lot more to the book than my 'attitude of scarcity.' The author believes our attitude to money -- earning it, parting with it etc -- affects lots of other areas of our lives. So I'm finding that all rather interesting.
DeleteMichelle, what a great, fascinating mixed bag your post was. Those stray thoughts hit us all, don't they? Love Flotsam and Jetsam as names. I can see a pair of happy pups...
ReplyDeleteMy stray thought? It's about not putting off till tomorrow. I seem to have my hands (and brain) completely full at the moment but I've decided it's time to break out of my I-can't-fit-any-more-in thinking (maybe that's related to your scarcity thinking). So I'm in the process of organising a little treat for my and my husband, just the two of us! My theory is that I'll still do the revisions and the new book and the revamped website and the stack of other stuff that's hanging over my head, but if I don't actively carve out time for the important things they just won't happen.
I LOVE your random thought, Annie. I hope you and your hubby have the most wonderful time with your 'treat.' I too am trying to be Zen about 'the things that need doing' -- am telling myself they don't all need to be done at exactly the same moment. We'll have to compare notes at some stage to see how that attitude is working out for us.
DeleteAh, yes. Flotsam and Jetsam seem to be gaining popularity as names. :-)
I love random thoughts, Michelle :-)
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about songs you loved and then weren't comfortable with because of political incorrectness etc. When Gold Digger first came out on the radio the kids and I used to love bopping along to it in the car. We loved it so much I bought the CD single so we could play it in the car over and over. The first time I played it I almost had a heart attack! Clearly the radio version had been cleaned up and the real version had a word in there I was not comfortable with and certainly not comfortable with my two primary aged kids hearing/knowing either. I guess it gave me an opportunity to educate them about that word not being okay under any circumstances but I felt like such a naive idiot!
Love the idea of Flo and Jet! And yes I remember the Enid Blyton book too! In fact we loved it so much as kids that when we got a dog we called him Bimbo too! It's only with hindsight that I wonder what the hell my parents were thinking letting us call any animal "bimbo". Talk about political incorrectness!
My daughter and I have been talking about doing a yoga class together all year too! Just haven't got there yet....
Loved the song. Thanks for sharing. Although those old clips always make me a little sad to think of all the great songs that were written, performed and were much loved - chart hits even - by African Americans and yet they weren't even allowed to go in the same door as white performers or share the same bathrooms and they certainly weren't being paid as much either. The joy of those songs will always be tinged with injustice for me :-(
And my random thought - need to get off the internet and get to my editing, NOW! :-)
Oh, I'm hearing you on the political incorrectness, Amy! And it's when political incorrectness leads to the kind of injustice you speak of -- where African Americans were treated so different (and so poorly) in relation to their white counterparts -- that I kick myself when I don't pick it up or am unaware of it in myself (it's that naivety you mention).
DeleteAm wondering now if Bimbo meant what it did in Blyton's day as it does in ours? Might have to go check that out.
And good luck with getting to your Yoga class. I will if you will. ;-)
Great random thoughts, Michelle! Actually, this is a cool way to post - sort of like a "finger-food" post where you get to try different ideas/food. I think Amy's done a couple of these too... I can see a Random Thoughts post in my future!
ReplyDeleteHey, way cool about you writing an entry for the Encyclopaedia! And do yoga, I'm sure you'll love it. I'd been going regularly but then work and a couple of other things got in the way so I must go back. 90 minutes does sound like a long time but there'll be warm up and thn lovely relaxation afterwards probably.
Oh, do keep us up with your thoughts on that book! We do have an "attitude of scarcity" these days, don't we! How very negative that is. And I find if I start thinking I haven't had enough sleep then I feel more tired!
It is a fun way to post, Sharon! I started jotting down ideas on Monday about what I could post about today and this is what I ended up with. There wasn't anything I wanted to develop into a longer post (or merited a longer post), but altogether they kind of added up.
DeleteLOL on the Encyclopedia -- I was asked back in September last year if I wanted to be involved and that the entries wouldn't be due till the end of February. No problem, I said. Ha! Famous last words. But in the end it turned out to be an interesting exercise. :-)
Shall see I'll have to both a) go to Yoga and, b) Write a longer blog about the attitude of scarcity (once I get my head around the idea more firmly). :-)
Love this random thoughts post, Michelle, and all the random thoughts in reply. Sitting here smiling broadly on the outside (at the dog/kitten names, at Louise's thought process from A to B) while inside I'm frowning a little as I ponder my scarcity attitude and the subject of political incorrectness.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to read that book. And get myself into yoga as well. When I find the time. Ha.
Love the way you describe your reactions to the various Randoms (I know that's not grammatical, but I'm sure you know what I mean), Bron!
DeleteOf course you should read the book. ;-) Oh, and we have another for yoga! We could become stretchy bendy cats…once we get over our attitudes of scarcity, huh?