In Support Of Animals

Daily writing prompt
If you had a million dollars to give away, who would you give it to?

If I had a million dollars to give away, I would love to support local animal shelters with that money. In particular, the shelter where Lilly was being taken care of before she made her way into my heart and home. I witnessed first hand with how much love and enthusiasm the volunteers care for their furry guests. Money is always an issue, because there is simply never enough for medical care, toys, food, blankets and all other needed care products.
I do support local shelters financially as it is, but a million dollars would really make a big and much needed difference. My heart beats for animals, especially dogs, and it always will.

Make It Work

Daily writing prompt
What was the hardest personal goal you’ve set for yourself?

After my ex-husband and I separated, I had to start over. My own family was far away in Germany and his family wasn’t all that interested in how I was going to manage my life in the future. So I was on my own in a rundown, unsafe neighborhood because I could not afford anything better on minimum wage. Everyone back in Germany thought that I should just come back, to have mom and dad take me in and help me get back on my feet. But I was determined to make a good life for myself, without the help from anyone else. It was a long, rocky road through quite a few valleys. In the end, I have proven to myself and all the people in Germany, who never believed in me to start with, that I can get on just fine on my own. With lots of determination I made it work and reached the hardest personal goal I have ever set for myself. Dare I say it? I am a little bit proud of myself, too. [Gosh it feels wrong to praise myself – won’t happen again].

Excessive Tolerance

Daily writing prompt
What’s a topic or issue about which youโ€™ve changed your mind?

Let me begin by stating very clearly, that it is not my goal to potentially make enemies here today. But, I am entitled to my opinion as much as the next person. You, dear reader, are certainly entitled to dislike and disagree. What I am writing about is specifically tailored to the goings-on here in Germany. No offense intended towards anyone!

Generally, I still stand firm by my belief, that people in need, no matter the reason, should be offered help, shelter and security. However, judged by the numerous problems and challenges we are facing these days it becomes apparent -to me, anyway- that we’ve been way too tolerant and lenient for far too long. – It is very important to mention at this point, that the majority of refugees here in Germany really do a fantastic job with integration, they accept our way of life and respect our cultural differences. – But what about the men and women who refuse to integrate themselves? They won’t learn our language, may get involved in criminal activities, instill disrespect towards teachers and women in general into their children. They come here with high expectations, even impudent demands in some cases. For example: My mom took in a woman from Africa and her young daughter. Nothing we offered her was good enough. We gave toys to her daughter to play with. They ended up in the bin, while she went out and got very expensive things instead, even though her financial budget was very limited. Such ungratefulness and discontent was very disappointing and difficult for us to understand. I could list several similar examples just from people in our social circle. Some refugees get here, thinking, that a nice apartment, a car and job are just waiting for them to arrive. Where do such expectations come from? Anyway…
Due to a different cultural and/or religious background, there have been issues with women being harassed because here, they don’t have to hide. They are not secondary to men, they are allowed to do and wear what they please. Especially younger men continue to have difficulties with tolerance and respect towards our way of life. And that is unacceptable. I know I’m coming around the bend with a highly overused example, but if German people were to seek refuge in those countries, I doubt very highly, that the locals would be even half as tolerant towards us. I truly hope to be wrong, believe me.
Excessive tolerance and being too lax about enforcing rules, or dealing with disrespect and misconduct accordingly from day one, backfired in due time and is not conducive with regard to living together peacefully and with mutual respect. Everyone is welcome in Germany. But the desire to live here comes with responsibilities and the expectation on our end, that rules and regulations are being adhered to. For our politicians it is high time to be more strict about reinforcing both. Although some say, that we may have lost control already a few years ago and that it’s a little too late now. And that right there is something, that frustrates me to no end about Germany. We always react to the “damage” already done, instead of being proactive. Because heaven forbid we offend anyone or are viewed as intolerant by other countries.
Okay, I’m done. Hate me if you have to, but have a lovely weekend regardless.

PS: I may not have been able to get my thoughts and views across clearly and properly. I’m sorry if I failed at doing so. And again, no offense intended towards anyone.

The Only Way Is Up

Daily writing prompt
What would you do if you lost all your possessions?

In July 2005, this theoretical question became reality. After having lost everything due to a fire in my apartment, it was time to start over from scratch. What else is there to do? Give up? No, not an option. This was a traumatic experience, and for the first two weeks I was in a state of shock and disbelief. During the next phase, if I recall correctly, I cried over all the lost possessions near and dear to me. Anger was the final stage and lasted for nearly 12 years. This emotion was directed towards a manipulative and aggressive man, who claimed to love me, but turned out to be responsible for this fire. Years later he contacted me to say, that losing everything was my punishment for not loving him [the way he thought I should have]. To be honest, I was bitter about this time in my life until a few years ago. It left deep scars. They fade in due time, but never go away. And still, no matter what comes, the only way is up. In my case, there was a time for denial, a time to cry and a time to be angry. But in the end you can only get up, dust yourself off and keep on going.

A Wagging Tail

Daily writing prompt
What’s your #1 priority tomorrow?

My top priority tomorrow and every single day is Lilly’s well-being. Because knowing, that her needs are met, greatly contributes to my own happiness. As a dog mom, one of the best moments for me is, when Lilly’s tail is wagging happily, because her little belly is full with good for her food, and she is positively exhausted from fun play sessions and leisurely walks. Not to mention those sweet little sighs of satisfaction, because she feels cozy and protected when she curls up for a nap. Lilly is not only my number one priority every day, she is by far the sweetest one as well ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿ’—

Spare Me, Please

Daily writing prompt
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

You want the truth? I learned to ignore “good advice”. Most of these well-intended bits of wisdom don’t come with an instruction manual, and what’s the point then? If you can’t explain to me, how to implement these wise words you are sharing, please keep them to yourself. For example, I’ve been hearing all my life “in one ear, out the other”. Knowing how to do that, for peace of mind, would clearly be beneficial. But when I ask, how I can learn to achieve this, I’m often told “well you just do” or “I can’t explain it, you have to keep trying”. Helpful? Nope. In closing, just spare me, please ๐Ÿ˜Š

Stars

Daily writing prompt
What’s your all-time favorite album?

Today’s question is not easily answered. But if I take into consideration, that…

– I can only choose an album that I actually own
– I truly enjoy listening to it from the first to the last song
– There are only a handful of albums I ever did listen to from beginning to end in the first place,

…it narrows my choices significantly [surely there are a few more I can’t think of at the minute].

Now I’m left with
– Pam Tillis – Greatest Hits
– Lorie Line – Threads Of Love
– Simply Red – Stars
– Boston – Greatest Hits

Geez! I’m looking at these four options and overthink, as if human kind depended upon my decision – ridiculous! Without further ado, the winner is: Simply Red’s Stars.

Not Even In Theory

Daily writing prompt
What would your life be like without music?

The thought of day-to-day life without music is unpleasant, a bit scary actually. From toddler age onward, music has always been an important part of me. Whether I listen to my favorite songs or sing them myself, music is a constant companion, more or less every day. Not only can my favorite tunes enhance my happiness, they are also a great comfort during sad or overwhelming periods, they take me on a stroll down memory lane, or calm my mind when life gets complicated upon occasion. Going through all the ups and downs without music will hopefully remain a theoretical scenario. While life without my favorite songs would be manageable, of course, the number of my “down days” would likely increase significantly. And that is something I can most definitely do without. In short, life without music, let’s not go there, not even in theory.

Just Another Day

Daily writing prompt
How do you celebrate holidays?

Not at all, preferably. This nonchalant attitude towards holidays and celebrations began during my time in America. The family was thousands of miles away, traditions went out the window and holidays turned into a much appreciated day off, nothing more. Even now, back in Germany, I never got that spirit back. It may also be due to us never having been such a tight-knit family. Our get-togethers [more or less forced] are strenuous in the sense, that everyone is on their best behavior to get it over with as quickly and painlessly as possible. My mother’s son, his wife and I play nice to please my mom, basically. Now tell me honestly, would that evoke holiday spirit within you?

Trust No One

Daily writing prompt
Share a lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life.

Life taught me a truckload of valuable, and rather painful lessons throughout the years. The most important one, that I wish I would have learned a lot earlier in life is…

to trust no one.