I’m on the crazy theme this week with my Bite Size Memoir. Changing my habits and routines and stuffing my calendar is working well for the writing, (though I’m feeling a bit bonkers at times.) I’m hardly prolific but I’m making more progress and learning to value that.
We saw “The Equalizer” at the cinema at the weekend and every one of us picked up on the phrase Denzel Washington’s character uses early on:
“Progress, not Perfection.”
– Already being bandied about on a daily basis; It’s a good mantra for recovering perfectionists!
So it was probably perfectionism driving a fear of failure which caused my procrastination back in the day when I should have been revising for my degree finals, but whatever happened, we all went a bit crazy under the stresses and strains of the weeks before and during exams.
In my Memoir draft this week, I’ve also been exploring times others probably thought me crazy for doing the things I did. The rejection from a few caused another kind of crazy as you might imagine. I was alone with my battle as it was.
For me, I haven’t had to squeeze my balloon animal psyche to eliminate cigarettes and whiskey, but I do, to eliminate the fears of not being good enough perfectionism instills in me. If I manage to “Feel the Fear and do it anyway” (Susan Jeffers) there’s always some crazy pops up as a consequence!
So back to the summer of 1987 and degree finals.. I want to remember and document this but admit you may not get it. Sometimes you have to be in the same land of crazy to understand..
Klingons on the Starboard Bow.
“It’s life Jim, but not as we know it.” Marcus pops his head round the door on his way to make another coffee and I’m still colouring in my revision timetable. Anything that seems like work rather than actual work. I would feel a lot worse if I didn’t sit at my desk.
“We come in peace; shoot to kill!” I reply
Exams next week and I’ve made some pretty, coloured summaries of key topics, though there’s not time to rehearse and learn everything properly. I’m paralysed by choice now – which topics to look at to maximise my overall degree classification?
We’re all in a similar vessel in our shared house and the stress levels are increasing, sanity decreasing, exchanges down to caricature utterances of a popular comedy song at the time.
“It’s worse than that — he’s dead, Jim!” shouts Gilly
I burst out laughing. At least I’m not alone.
In case you’re too young to remember or if for some strange reason(!) this didn’t make it internationally, here’s the full “Star Trekkin'” written by John O’Connor, Grahame Lister and Rory Kehoe. It’s a parody song of the original TV series of Star Trek, released in 1987 by The Firm.
I’d love to hear your bites on the prompt Crazy!
If you want to join in, please go to the new Bite Size Page to see how!
Deadline Monday 20th October.
Lisa
xxx
“If your psyche is a balloon animal and you squeeze to eliminate the cigarettes and whiskey, the crazy has to go somewhere.” - Abigail Thomas in “Thinking About Memoir.”
October 20, 2014 at 2:56 pm
Well dear Lisa, how many days, weeks, months, years even, late…ha, but here it is, my ‘crazy’ bite. Thanks to a tooth extraction that went horribly wrong last week leaving me with stitches in my mouth, on mega painkillers and antibiotics I’ve been a bit under the weather but I was determined to get this post out. Hope things are well with you…see you soon, this side of crazy… 🙂
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October 20, 2014 at 7:55 am
Chocolate and bubbles did not surface. I almost didn’t have the courage to write this, but glad I did: http://carrotranch.com/2014/10/20/bite-size-memoir-crazy/.
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October 20, 2014 at 6:52 pm
Struggling for words to convey my many layers of recognition of the strength and courage you offer up here. Survivor. Lioness. Proud and crazy only in that way that dares question – With the strength to rescue your ‘self’ from the brimstone and actually keep your sanity. Survivor. Warrior. Thank you for writing this. Everyone should read this and never take true friends and family for granted again.
Big love and hugs, Lisa xx
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October 16, 2014 at 9:28 am
Hi again Lisa…just popping in to let you know I’m putting up my crazy post tomorrow, missed a day or two here (so what’s new pussycat?) but it will be there! Hope you are having a good week. See you soon 🙂 xx
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October 13, 2014 at 12:41 am
I normally don’t struggle with a memory or ten on your prompts but crazy is something I found difficult. So I just rambled for a bit, dredged up two silly tales and hey presto, an answer. Also an excuse for some Paul Simon and Basil F x2
http://geofflepard.com/2014/10/13/still-crazy-after-all-these-years/
I loved Trek but like many others missed the gem; it was just the sort of thing for uni; we learnt Monty Python off by heart and repeated sketches back to each other ad nauseam – oh and the Top Cat theme song; my party piece for years…. Here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3_XRsDP7eM
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October 20, 2014 at 11:39 am
Ahhh – Top Cat! I did love that and the song is so catchy! I was hoping this might link to you actually singing it, but the Tangental You-Tube Channel will follow later, I guess!?
Love your post for a comprehensive look at crazy and your ever open, hilarious tales! Still wincing…
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October 10, 2014 at 7:35 pm
Actually, Gilly says the craziest moments were when you regularly burst into her bedroom, unannounced, and jumped up down on her bed singing ‘Klingons…’ just to relieve the tension!
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October 10, 2014 at 9:06 pm
I’ve been cultivating an image – here on this blog – Rumors of my assimilation are greatly exaggerated and now the cat is out of the bag – or rather someone’s just pointed out I still have a rather stubborn Klingon on my starboard bow!
Nevertheless, I have been – and always shall be – your friend.
I found one of Gilly’s letters only the other week (which ultimately led to this little piece) with ‘nyot myany’ written on the envelope – it would take too long to explain and then it would be completely lost, but boy did I laugh!!
Live long, and prosper!
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October 9, 2014 at 6:55 pm
I was also a ‘crazy’ trekkie years ago! I bought a DVD with series 1 which I occasionally watch, when I’m in the mood… When’s the deadline?
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October 9, 2014 at 9:12 pm
Great to hear it! Deadline is Monday 20th! I’ll stick that in the post – hadn’t realised I’d missed it out! Thanks, Lisa xx
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October 9, 2014 at 5:16 am
colorful brings joy and laughter.
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October 9, 2014 at 9:01 am
Thanks for stopping by!
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October 8, 2014 at 7:40 pm
Hi Morgan
Thanks for sharing http://morgandragonwillow.com/2014/10/crazy-pain-that-makes-you-numb.html
Another one from deep within your soul, amazing what 150 words can convey..
Lisa xx
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October 8, 2014 at 7:54 pm
Thanks Lisa, This one came a little slower than other pieces from your prompts I’ve written for. I didn’t know what I was going to write about. What’s funny (or not) I feel crazy a lot but I couldn’t think of a memoir piece that would depict a crazy moment in my life. It was hard but I was glad when this decided to show up on the page.
I greatly appreciate your prompts Lisa, they pull words from my depths. Honestly I think you sprinkle fairy dust on them or something, to wiggle into our darkest places and bring them out into the light.
Peace to you.
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October 8, 2014 at 11:46 am
Hi Lisa! Made it over here at last and boy can I relate to the crazy. I’ve just been reading about how important it is to do something rather than nothing when we feel squeezed out but that arch enemy of ours…perfectionism. I’m trying hard to learn this and not let those old fears of failure paralyze me. I’m so with you on this my friend 😀 I’m so glad to hear that you are progressing, one step at a time. I’m pressing in with my draft too but the last few weeks have seen one crazy distraction after the other. My daughter, having spent 3 days in the hospital and not been right since has now at last been diagnosed with glandular fever which makes sense of all her worrying symptoms which went on and on. Loads of doctors appointments thrown into the mix and that’s just for starters but I’ve said enough about me. We moved to CA in 1986 so I don’t know this song – was it here only? Those early years when I first moved to the States were lost on me here, as well as all the 90’s with anything not crossing the cultures unknown to me. So I missed a lot I can tell 😉 I love your flash, I’m definitely in the same land as crazy Lisa and fully understood it despite not knowing the song but love the Star Trek quotes which I do know only too well ;-). You capture the essence of using humour to diffuse the stress and anxiety of the time, it oozed with that sense of relief in the crazy. I’d be lost without it! Sorry I didn’t make ‘discovery’. Just couldn’t do it. Had ideas too…on the back burner. But I will be showing up for this one, hopefully this week. Hugs… ❤ xx
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October 8, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Oh no – so sorry to hear D has glandular fever 😦 – I know that can take a while to shift, although no doubt there’s some relief knowing what all the symptoms have been about.
Play Crazy if you can, but not if it’s going to make you crazy-er in the process! 😀 Lxx
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October 9, 2014 at 10:07 am
Thanks Lisa, and yes, you are right, it all makes sense now so in that regard a relief. I was getting seriously worried…
Don’t worry, don’t think I can get any crazy-er if I tried! I’m looking forward to playing 🙂 xx
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October 7, 2014 at 5:42 pm
I really enjoyed your flash Lisa, especially as I grew up with Star Trek. I loved that phrase ‘We come in peace, shoot to kill’ as it seemed to encapsulate so much, but I never met a lot of people who’d ever heard it.
It seems there’s always some stress in life, whether from our own mind or body, from other living creatures, or from the elements. And sometimes when there’s none, we impose it on ourselves!
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October 8, 2014 at 7:56 pm
Oh yes, don’t we just! But this one was definitely of my own making.‘Ye canny change the laws of physics!’
And I know – I still can’t wrap my neurons round ‘We come in peace, shoot to kill’
Lxx 😀
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October 7, 2014 at 9:18 am
Great prompt, and I love the purple balloon dog and the Abigail Thomas quote. Parodies are funny, but also intimate in a way–you share them with your closest friends and it becomes code. I’ll think on this and see what pops out in my balloon animal (although if it’s chocolate and bubbly, I’m taking a nibble and having a glass).
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October 8, 2014 at 7:44 pm
Chocolate’s definitely one of mine too!
And I’m glad you both ‘get it’ and see the potential oddity in this parody – I found I couldn’t explain it to someone who didn’t quite ‘get it’. It was lost in my attempts at translating, explaining 😐
When I came across it, I burst out laughing – I AM SOOOO on the same planet!
Lxx
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October 8, 2014 at 8:04 pm
Mmmm chocolate… I love Star Trek but never heard this song before. I loved that you could break the stress with a bit of humor. Humor is honestly the cure for everything I think. =)
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October 6, 2014 at 10:11 pm
Another good prompt Lisa and love your flash. I think I have always been a solitary in my study but can understand the heightened level of stress when living in a flat and all studying and getting slightly crazy. You’re flash reminded me of the Young Ones —probably just because of flatting youth.
On with the thinking cap to see what kind of crazy I can dredge from the recesses of the mind.
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October 8, 2014 at 7:41 pm
Ask around! I never heard of a nurse who hasn’t got tales..
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October 9, 2014 at 1:09 am
I’ve got tales alright Lisa but can I turn them into 150 words?
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October 19, 2014 at 11:12 pm
I’ve discovered Lisa I don’t do crazy. I’m either just stupid or things don’t go to plan but never crazy. Anyway here it is http://irenewaters19.com/2014/10/20/bite-size-memoir-crazy/
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October 20, 2014 at 6:19 pm
Oh yes you do!
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October 6, 2014 at 7:51 pm
Thank you Tina!
Quick off the mark and very raw. Thank you for sharing, Lisa x
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October 6, 2014 at 9:01 pm
Thanks for creating this fun opportunity, Lisa, and welcome to my crazy world!
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October 8, 2014 at 7:38 pm
Great to meet you Tina. We crazies need to stick together – Although your little bite doesn’t sound like much ‘fun’ at the time, I’m glad compressing it to 150 words was!
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October 6, 2014 at 4:53 pm
The fact that I am not a Star Trek fan doesn’t lessen my ability to identify with the degree of craziness that occurs due to examination stress. I think the craziness tends to relieve a little of the pressure so that exams can be faced.
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October 6, 2014 at 7:58 pm
Yes, love your post on the 5 minute education – sums up what I think about the way they teach French in the UK at the moment! Crazy pressure to learn passages by rote that the children don’t necessarily understand – so cannot possibly remember. Grrr!
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October 6, 2014 at 4:17 pm
Oh, for colouring in those revision timetables! Couldn’t we do something similar to get through our writing tasks?
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October 6, 2014 at 7:53 pm
How I laughed!
.. I wonder if prioritising networking with other writers, wandering around a great big library and eating cake will get me through my writing tasks?!
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