Month: August 2026

Posted in Life

What’s the Kindest Thing Someone Has Ever Done for Me?

Posted on by jennrae

My life has been littered with small kind moments. So many that it is hard to focus on one. I think I remember a time when I was frazzled and dealing with a toddler, and I forgot my wallet at home and went to the grocery store. I wasn’t getting a lot of items but it was enough, and going all the way home, much like going out at the time, was an event. I think a total stranger paid for my items and told me not to worry about it.

I hate that I can’t remember much else besides this basic fact. Back then a lot of things were a blur. I was and am, a single mom. I had help from family. I wasn’t completely alone, still my mind sometimes just couldn’t function at one hundred percent.

I don’t remember what I bought, I can’t recall the details about the person. I barely remember the incident. It is like it happened in another lifetime. I can’t think of a more recent kind act, but I know there have been some. My mind tends to focus on the negative for whatever reason. So, I remember all the times someone was rude to me but have trouble recalling when they have been nice.

Someone did complement me on my earrings, and it threw me, because I wasn’t sure how to respond except with the kind of lame, thanks. Sometimes I am a bit of a social alien. I have had to learn how to interact with people the hard way. Sometimes I remember what I should say and sometimes it is so unexpected that I forget what I am supposed to say.

Socialness does not come naturally to me. I am naturally a little feline like, independent and require lots of alone time. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult for me to make or keep friends as they rightfully require attention much like houseplants that I end up killing because I forget their needs.

I don’t mean to be selfish, it just takes me more thought process to interact. I need reminders and most people take no communication as a sign of disinterest. I just don’t want to bother people, and tend to get lost in the moment of whatever is in front of me. When I really need someone, usually there is no one there because of this. Or I don’t feel like it is appropriate of me to ask something of someone when I have been away for so long.

I’ve been more fortunate than I even realize. I guess there hasn’t been one single event or moment, but many tiny moments of kindness. I remember being brought to tears by someone being kind to me. I am having trouble remembering why. But I know I have felt immense gratitude in my life. When I needed a place to live, and I was going to the food bank, I met someone that became my landlord for a bit. I was scared and she was compassionate. That was definitely a kindness.

My family is kind to me and have helped me when I needed it, but I feel like at least in my family, that is sort of expected. Still, I am grateful that I have them. Had I been truly all alone I am not sure I would still be here. I feel for those without family. They are a rock I can count on even when I have been a stranger. They are the most understanding people. They know I’m a bit of a weirdo, but they love me anyway. I am so grateful for that.

Daily writing prompt
What’s the kindest thing someone has ever done for you?
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Posted in Uncategorized

If I Had to Get a Tattoo Right Now, What Would it be and Why?

Posted on by jennrae

I am one of the few Generation X people I know that currently does not have a tattoo. My generation embraced the tattoo and colored hair and ear piercings as ways to show non conformity. The irony is not lost on me that I do not conform because I do not have a tattoo. It wasn’t intentional.

My monetary commitments always seem to be elsewhere. And, maybe there is a bit of a commitment-phobe about me that permanently committing to artwork that can last forever is scary, and not something that one should do lightly.

I also never found a ton of tattoos personally attractive. If I met the right person I may be able to look beyond that, but I wouldn’t date someone because of their tattoos. I am not against people doing what they want, but personally I don’t find it attractive.

A long time ago I used to want a dragon tattoo. Something small, like a wyvern circling my ankle. If I had to get one, that would still be the one. It isn’t flashy, its simple, and dragons are one of those things that I adore. I also like white tigers and unicorns, but the wyvern is special.

It is a dragon, in my opinion. A specific type of dragon, a type of wyrm, dragon that doesn’t have legs. It is more of a winged snake with jaws. It does have two legs, but the wings replace the front legs which makes sense. That’s the way birds are built after all.

I used to draw them and the other styles of dragons. I think maybe I just love the word Wyvern. It is so Welsh, unapologetically Welsh. Like Arthurian lore if you go back far enough. It is also fun to say. Maybe I would have it biting its own tale like the serpent of the world.

I like the idea of a tattoo, but not the permanence or upkeep required. If I had to get one, that would be my choice. Something like a tattoo should speak to who you are and what you are interested in, much like a piece of clothing. It is like a nickname or something that reminds people of you.

Daily writing prompt
If you had to get a tattoo right now, what would it be and why?
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Posted in Life, Writing

What’s a Moment When I Realized I was Officially an Adult?

Posted on by jennrae

That is tough for me. I took a while to grow up. I was naive and trusting and childlike well into my twenties. Strangely, the biggest moment that comes to mind for me was when I got divorced. It was a short lived marriage to someone I briefly dated while I was in high school. It was a long distance dalliance, the kind of thing that can be quite beautiful from a distance of space and time.

The wedding and honeymoon were a fairy tale. It didn’t become real until we left my hometown. And then little things started happening. We used to write each other notes for the other to find when we would get home from work. We used to talk about things. Sometimes important but most often unimportant things like about music, movies and annoying people we interacted with albeit briefly.

None of it was important or ground shaking, but the communication was there. I was still immature, trying to please my spouse by being sweet and trying to be what I thought he wanted. Ultimately, reality got in the way. The problems were there, had been there since high school when he refused to drop all the internet girlfriends he had. Why would I expect him to be a different person now?

Ultimately, he didn’t like my cat, didn’t like my writing, just didn’t seem to like me very much in the end. It was a a dream largely based on nostalgia and wishful thinking. I still made plenty of mistakes and had some growing up to do, but it was after the dream was broken, and couldn’t be fixed, that the rose colored glasses actually came off.

I don’t know if I was a real adult, but I was a lot closer. I still trusted too much, still was too self centered to be a good partner for anyone, but I had no illusions of fairy tales becoming reality. I knew it was a grind with good moments and bad, and indifferent minutiae in between. It doesn’t end it goes on and on, and the meaning of these things are what you learn and what you choose to take from them.

I am not sure I would describe myself as an adult right now. The word adult is so tired and old, sure I have moments where I do feel like this, but other moments I still dream of adventures and exploring different lands and writing and publishing and having the time of my life. I don’t think we ever stop growing and learning until we die. I certainly do not want to stop. I want to look back on my life and say yes, it was not only worth it, but glorious.

Daily writing prompt
What’s a moment when you realized you were officially an adult?
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Posted in Life

What is a Thing You Wish Schools Actually Taught? My perspective on Learning.

Posted on by jennrae

Schools give a ton of information that most students do not absorb. I know I learned a lot more history and science than my peers because my learning style was unique. I am an audial learner, I learn by hearing people talk. This is different from visual learners and different from the organizational note taking learners that excel at learning what they write down.

My learning style was particularly suited to lecture style teaching which was how high school and college courses are typically taught. I struggled with math and reading in elementary school, which is designed more for visual learners. Later school was easy mode for me. If I did poorly in a class it was because I didn’t do the required work.

My memory isn’t as good as it used to be. The only studying I needed to do was read aloud in my mind and I am a very quick reader. I always end up waiting when I am reading something with someone else. Always. Now, I will say things out loud sometimes to help me remember. I am not talking to myself in the sense it isn’t a conversation, I do not expect or want an answer. I am merely hearing my voice say something I want to remember to do. Sometimes writing things down helps, reinforce my memory as well.

I guess the only thing I feel that schools should be teaching now is some basic life skills. I have noticed that the younger people that go into my work do not know how to write a check, or address a letter. Seems like financial learning would be good too. How to balance a checkbook and keep a budget. I think these were skills that people were taught by their parents or their bosses at one time. But, now no one is teaching them theses skills at all with some exceptions. Employers certainly don’t consider it their duty. They will help set up direct deposit but that’s about it. Parents sometimes teach these skills, but a lot don’t.

One could argue that letters and checks are going away. But occasionally you do need to fill out a money order. Even if you use a debit card, you still need to keep a tab on your spending and where your money is going. You still have bills to pay, even if they are automatic. You still need to plan and make sure the funds are there when needed. There are certain instances where a company will demand written correspondence. I had to do this to cancel a gym membership, I had to write to their headquarters despite trying to cancel via phone. Email wasn’t good enough either. I had to physically send them a letter.

Knowledge is important. The thing is, even if schools had a financial life skills class, I am not sure most of the students would actually take in the knowledge. Most people go through mandatory school like serving time in jail. They just survive it. Making kids want to learn and retain this knowledge would be the next step after offering it. How to make school something most want to do? They need to figure that one out and then more people will get more out of the experience.

Daily writing prompt
What’s a thing you wish schools actually taught?
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