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Conversations with Calliope- A Full Week

By Joseph Langen

 

 

(Cable Car- San Francisco)

It's not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted.~ Mary O'Connor

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What are you up to today?
JOE: I just finished my journal and wrote about how much I have to do this week. It's a new feeling for me after so many years.
CALLIOPE: Better than being idle. What's on your plate?
JOE: At noon, I have a meeting to discuss a book project for a non-profit organization. I also want to contact a book printer for quotes on this project, Marital Property and two books I have had listed for POD sales.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a lot for one day.
JOE: Then there is my column due Saturday but which I would like to at least start today.
CALLIOPE: You said something about writing on the topic of waste.
JOE: I did. I just haven't decided just how to approach it.
CALLIOPE: Any ideas for it?
JOE: When I least expected it, I think in the middle of the night, it occurred to me to use nature as a guide for how to dispose of waste.
CALLIOPE: I've never heard that idea before.
JOE: Neither have I. That's what excited me about it.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a challenge.
JOE: I'm ready for it and everything else in my mind. Talk with you tomorrow.

 

 

Conversations with Calliope- Writing Prompts

By Joseph Langen


 

 


(Zamboni at Sea)

Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege. ~ Unknown

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Is your mind still resting?
JOE: It is but I had a new strategy. I looked at prompts on my Firefox start page for inspiration but did not fine either prompt inspiring. Stuck, I found the above quote and decided to use it as a theme for today.
CALLIOPE: I'm glad you found something. I wouldn't want to just sit here and stare at each other. It's even less interesting in cyberspace.
JOE: Agreed. In any case, the quote led me to think back over my life to stupid things I have done, some embarrassing and some to my detriment.
CALLIOPE: Want to talk about them?
JOE: I already have in my memoir, Young Man of the Cloth. No need to drag them out again.
CALLIOPE: I suppose not. Have you ever repeated these stupid actions?
JOE: I must say I learned from each of them and went on to make new stupid mistakes. Fortunately I leaned how to make good decisions in the process.
CALLIOPE: So you are generally happy with the course your life has taken?
JOE: I am. For the most part I set me own course but did remain open to opportunities I could not have anticipated.
CALLIOPE: Perhaps new opportunities will await you in the next year.
JOE: I certainly hope so and plan to make the most of them. Talk with you tomorrow.

 


 

Conversations with Calliope- A Beach for Ideas

By Joseph Langen

 

(Boathouse Beach- Barbados)

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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you?
JOE: Still a little foggy from my cold. My mind has been active though.
CALLIOPE: What's stirring up there?
JOE: I thought about the column I just posted, Lessons from a Nude Beach and had an aha moment.
CALLIOPE: Which was?
JOE: I have been thinking about a website consisting of a playground for ideas. That's about as far as I got.
CALLIOPE: Until today?
JOE: Yes. I realized my ideas would be happier on a beach than on a playground.
CALLIOPE: What led you to that conclusion?
JOE: Maybe it's because I would be happier on a beach than on a playground.
CALLIOPE: Any other thoughts?
JOE: I realize life originated from the sea. What better place than a beach for ideas to germinate? They could write in the sand, swim or just bask in the sun.
CALLIOPE: All true.
JOE: I'll work on it some more and let you know what develops. Talk with you tomorrow.

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