Walking home from the bus stop, I was kicking rocks as I meandered my way down the long dirt road to my house. I felt something touch my ear and brushed my hand lazily in the air near my head. Thinking about my terrible day at school, I continued looking at the ground and shuffling my feet along. I felt a sharp pain on the left side of my neck. I scratched there, assuming it was just a twinge. Suddenly I felt funny. My vision began to blur and I felt dizzy. I felt my legs give way beneath me and fell to the ground. Confused, I looked around me as my vision went black. Of course, the beehive . . .
Eileen Maki
Today’s OneWord: Plans
I had plans. Big plans. Not the pie in the sky, I wanna be famous, kind of plans, but they were big plans nevertheless. I was a simple girl back then, just wanting a family and a home I could be proud of instead of the run down trailer I had grown up in with a drunk father and June Cleaver for a mother. It was sad and scary, really, the way she thought she was perfect and refused to admit that we were not.
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Today’s OneWord: Hinge
Hinges squeak when they get old and rusted. When a door opens, you hear the creaking hinge all over the house. Everyone knows what the sound is and which door has been opened. So I don’t know why I thought I was going to get away with sneaking back into the house at 4 o’clock in the morning, but I did. And I didn’t.
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Writing Resources
Ok, so I’m doing some web search this afternoon and I am coming across a whole butt load of information. It’s too much info for me to take in alone. So, I decided to share. Here’s just a few of the great writing resources I have either found today or use regularly:
Check these out. You won’t be sorry!
🙂
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Today’s OneWord: Fences
The fences around the property were old and worn. The shutters were weathered but hung proudly, framing the clean windows. I mounted the aged steps, worn from years of feet and boots and smiled as I raised my hand to knock. It had been years since I’d been home.
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Today’s OneWord: Scarce
Food was scarce in those days and momma and daddy rarely ate anything. They gave most of the meat and substantial food to us kids, hoping we would avoid starvation. It was cold that winter. I remember thinking that my legs had fallen off in the night one time. I woke up and they were numb from the cold. I didn’t think we had it bad back then, but when I think back on it, I wonder how we lived through it.
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Today’s OneWord: Runway
She walked down the runway, her long legs stretching out in front of her as if she were taking a stroll along a sunny French street on her way to a cafe somewhere where she would meet her lover. Her face was drawn and taught, her cheekbones prominent in her thin face.
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PowerPoint Presentation Sample
Google Plus – Chapter Two – Circles – PPSX
Chapter Two of a Client’s PowerPoint presentation that I prepared based on his content.
This is copyrighted material and may not be used without my express written consent.
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Today’s OneWord: Liberty
Liberty tasted sweet. Much sweeter than I had imagined it would. When you think of being free for as long as I have you imagine all you would do, all you would say and feel. And when I was finally free, all I could was stand. Stand still and breathe.
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How Buddhists Worship
Buddhist Temple
Buddhism was founded by a man who went by the name Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha was born into a wealthy family who was involved in the leadership of the tribe in which they resided. Siddhartha was originally slated to succeed his father as the tribal leader upon his passing. From an early age, Siddhartha was sheltered from the outside world and taught only what he would need to know in order to be a good ruler. As Siddhartha got older, he began to question his station in life and why he had more than others did. Later, as a father and husband, Siddhartha left his life to begin his journey into enlightenment.
Siddhartha traveled through many regions and tribes, seeking the honesty of the meaning of life. After many years of traveling and fasting, Siddhartha was no closer to finding the answers he sought. Sitting under a tree to meditate and rest, Siddhartha entered a deep trance and awoke enlightened. Henceforth, he went by the name Bodhi which literally means ‘enlightened one’.
Buddhism is the most popular religion in many Asian countries. Buddhism began in the northeastern areas of India and is believed to have begun over 2,500 years ago. It is estimated that there are over 350 million Buddhists in the world as of the year 2011. After the initial rise and fall of Buddhism in India, Buddhism resurfaced in Japan and has flourished there.
The goal of Buddhism is to become enlightened. It is not to worship a particular god or being. The focus of Buddhism is not how life began or who is watching over us from above. Buddhists do not believe in one omnipotent being. Nor do they believe that several gods and beings govern our lives or our interactions with those around us. Buddhism concentrates on reaching a state of Nirvana, or enlightenment.
Buddhists worship in several different ways. Buddhists generally have a shrine in their homes containing a Buddha statue, candles, and incense. Buddhists also worship in temples. Temples can look very different, appearing in different shapes and sizes. The one thing that Buddhist temples have in common is statues of Buddha. All Buddhist temples have at least one statue of Buddha somewhere in the temple and are designed and built to represent the five elements of life. The five elements are: Fire, Air, Earth, Water, and Wisdom.
Worshipping for a Buddhist is referred to as ‘puja’. Puja involves chanting and offerings of purified water, incense, flowers and candles at the shrine. The purpose of puja is to thank Buddha for sharing his knowledge with the world, thanking him for his teachings.
Typical Buddhist worshipping includes sitting barefoot on the floor in front of an image of Buddha, usually a statue. Worshippers listen to Buddhist monks who chant from religious texts. These worshipping session can be accompanied by musical instruments and contribute to the prayers.
Eileen Maki 