dailyprompt

Superstition

/ Damean Mathews, Author / 2 Comments

I do want to say no to this, but to be honest, it’s hard to be Appalachian and not hold some superstition. Growing up in this area you hear a lot of wives’ tales about why things work the way they do, what this event or happenstance might mean, or how changes in the weather can effect the seasons ahead (can anyone say “mythology” and the origin of storytelling?). Hearing those things, you also can’t help but notice that some it does kind of make sense. For instance, there is a saying that if you see a bee/hornet/wasp nest built high off the ground in a tree or on a structure it means there will be a bad winter. The idea is that insects know that bad weather is coming and try to build high enough to stay out of the snow.

I noticed late into Fall and early into Winter there were several nests/hives built high in the trees on my drive to and from work, and made note of the myth. This winter we had some decent snows – nothing like the 3 footer we had about ten years ago, but a decent amount. You can see how there are some elements of potential truth to things like that, I hope.

Knowing there are truths to some of the superstitions in these mountains is not exactly a bad thing, either. Seeing the leaves turn upside down in the summer typically means there will be rain soon, so that can give you an indication you should seek shelter soon. Likewise, the color of the sky in the morning or at night can give you an amateur meteorologist’s view of the day’s weather (Red sky at night, sailors delight vs. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning) and let you plan a little.

On the other side of this, there was a wives’ tale I heard growing up that said if you hear a Screech Owl (one of my personal favorite sounds in the mountains) at night while in the bed you should tie a knot in your bedclothes or someone you know will die. Needless to say, I don’t have any reason to necessarily believe this is true, but when I heard that lonely, warbling screech last year I was sure to tie that knot. In other word, I may be superstitious at times but, with some things, it’s better to be safe than sorry, right?

Daily writing prompt
Are you superstitious?
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Ideal Day

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Daily writing prompt
Describe your most ideal day from beginning to end.
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My ideal day would have to be one filled with peace and adventure. I love traveling with my amazing wife, and we have some excellent experiences on cruises, whether we are in port in a new land, or just on the sea. We also have great days on land in our mountains. Personally, I think as long as we get to enjoy the beauty of the world around us and God’s creation, get to enjoy some good food and have plenty of laughs there isn’t a limit on where that can be.

So a perfect day for me would be one spent adventuring to a new or favorite place with her, getting to enjoy nature and good food and good music. Waking up in the morning some some nice coffee or an energy drink to get me started and then leisurely making our way to our destination to get us started. A day full of fun and love, complete with a relaxing bit of time to lay in bed and unwind sounds wonderful. The filler is so fluid I can put in a new experience every time I imagine it. Throw in some time to read and write in there and you’ve got Heaven on earth for me. As long am I’m with her all is well.

Perspective

/ Damean Mathews, Author / 2 Comments
Daily writing prompt
How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?
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For a long time I didn’t realize just how these things could influence the way I look at the world around me, but as I’ve matured it seems more and more I reflect on them. It’s definitely not a stretch of the imagination to say my happy memories and experiences have made me in large part who I am today. Between traveling and being with my wife, to writing and attending conferences, I can look back on those things and see how I want more of them. So far as life events, that can be both good and bad, of course. My wedding, our first (and every subsequent cruise), my first day teaching at my school, all of these things have a profound positive influence on me. I can see the benefits of keeping those memories close to my heart and I feel that it helps me to grow and improve as a human.

On the other hand, the loss of family members, bad days, and sad events are just as important. Coming off the loss of my biological father, I can definitely say the entire experience of a 30+ year bad relationship with him to literally not knowing who he was as a person as I looked into his coffin, has had a profound effect on me. Not in the least it shows me more than ever how important it is to maintain proper mental health, and to let those who matter to you know how you feel. Perhaps, by saying nothing, he said all he needed to, which is fine. For the rest of us, however, we can use events in our lives – both good and bad – to improve on ourselves and our abilities and generally take life lessons forward that will make us better and happier if we let them.

Decluttering my Life

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Where can you reduce clutter in your life?

The idea of decluttering is always a positive one, if the act itself is a bit difficult. As much as I hate to say it, one of the key ways I can declutter my space is by slowing dwindling down my collection of physical books. Not my first editions or rare ones, or ones that hold special meaning, of course. But nonetheless. I currently have more than 1,200 physical books and I’ve long since ran out of shelf space for them. I’ma working on selling my used books on eBay for anyone who is interested, of course (https://www.ebay.com/usr/dmathews91), and I’ma hoping to use the money made from that to get as many copies of my favorites as possible on my Kindle. Granted, I also need to upgrade my more than 10 year old Kindle, but still! That’s where I’ma at. What about everyone else?

Dream Job

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What’s your dream job?

While I, first and foremost, think the idea of wanting to work for a living is one of the many skewed parts of humanity and a product of the long-term lies we have sold ourselves to explain why we ultimately ruin the planet, freedom, and happiness more with each passing day… I have to say I’m living a version of my dream job now.

I’ve had a lot of thoughts on careers throughout my life and have explored everything from paleontology, oceanography,  and forensic investigation,  there are a couple of things I keep coming back to. Writing, of course, has been my chief desire for most of my life. I would love, beyond any other job, to be able to fund mine and my wife’s life and travels solely with the money made from my books. In other words, I’d love to be a bestselling author. But teaching is also a passion of mine. I have had dreams of being a college professor for a long time, and that is still an ultimate goal, but teaching high school English is one of my greatest achievements to date.

In essence, teaching and writing are my dream jobs, and I’m beyond blessed to day that I am living that dream each day. I might not be riding the bestseller list, and I might still have to teach standards of learning rather than specialty period courses, but I am, as they say… living the dream.

Childhood Love

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Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?

The biggest thing that comes to mind here is the stuffed Bugs Bunny I had as a kid. I’m not sure when I got it, but it was legitimately my favorite thing in the world. I always have and always will love Bugs Bunny, and this little guy went everywhere with me. The store, vacations,  libraries. Everywhere. I recall the various stages of “well-loved” he went through. From hearty and whole, to slowly becoming more threadbare, holes in his body, the wire that held his ears up starting to poke through the fabric. Unfortunately, I do not know what became of him, but I do know I would do a lot of sketchy stuff to have another one. I’ve seen some that are on eBay and online elsewhere, but they don’t look like mine. He would have been released probably between 1990 and 1995 if anyone has any clues on where to find one… what about you guys? What was your favorite childhood thing?

Everyone Should Know

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Frankly, the biggest piece of knowledge I would share with anyone and everyone I possibly could, is that YOU MATTER. In today’s world that is a message that is not shared enough. From parents/guardians who are hands-off (or hands-on in the worst way) to an educational system that tends to forget about if not outright shun those who might not be riding the top of the honor roll, this world is too quick to pick favorites. As a child of a single mother from a small town in the Appalachian Mountains, I had a foundation of care, but I knew tons of people who did not. I’m not saying things were perfect, by any means, and I could tell some stories, but there are many who had it worse. Now, as a teacher of largely at risk students, I see those kids who do not have that foundation. When children are raised in an environment where they are treated like an afterthought or a burden they cease to believe they matter. I could write and speak for hours on this, but the toughest person you know is likely that way because they have had to be. I try to approach all of my students from a place of understanding and care, because everyone deserves to know they matter. If you are having a tough day, a tough life, or if you are feeling like you have been shoved aside, please know for sure; YOU MATTER.

There are people out there who genuinely care. I am one of them. You are all always invited to reach out to me in any way you can. For those who feel they have no other options, the end does not have to come. Do not ever think your time should be over. For those feeling the worst extremes, remember to dial 988 on any phone. It is an emergency number. It is free. They care, just like I do. Reach out.

Daily writing prompt
What’s something you believe everyone should know.
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Historical Memories

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Well, to be honest, being a child of the 90’s I have a fairly large gathering of historical memories. The largest, of course, being 9/11/2001. I can remember the horrific feeling of helplessness I had being a young adolescent in a world that just changed in an instant. From gas and goods prices skyrocketing, to terrorism suddenly being part of everyday conversation, it was a very different world with no warning.

In addition to those things, of course, I’ve seen presidents impeached, sex scandals in the White House, the first black president, the development of smaller and smarter cell phones, the mass influx on internet users and so much more. Y2K proved to be nothing to worry about, and Halloween became less frightening than everyday life. I could go on and on….

Daily writing prompt
What major historical events do you remember?
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The Measure of Success

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One person I feel is truly successful would be Stephen King. King, who has worked tirelessly at his craft, has been a role model of mine for most of my life. His writing and tenacity are things I love so much about the world of horror literature. Knowing the pain and trauma he experienced both through his recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and the car accident that could have taken his life in 1999 have not prevented him from rising to the top of his field is incredible. Being a horror author myself, I often find people saying things like “you could be the next Stephen King,” or calling me the “Appalachian Stephen King,” which are compliments I try very hard to live up to. Life is all about perspective, to me, as is success. I will always feel pushing through adversity is a huge measure of success, and that is what I try to do daily.

Daily writing prompt
When you think of the word “successful,” who’s the first person that comes to mind and why?
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Rules for Life

/ Damean Mathews, Author / 2 Comments

What principles define how you live?

This is an excellent prompt, and I have a pretty simple answer. I try to live by Rule Number One, and I don’t sugarcoat it. The rule is, simply: don’t be a dick. It’s a philosophy I’ve always held but I didn’t have the words for it until 2021 when my wife and I took our first cruise and made friends with the Fun Squad. One of them shared the simple words with us and it stuck. For me, as long as you are living your life without hurting yourself or anyone else,  you do you. Easy enough, right?