A Novel Creation www.WatersWords.com

Here we are a quarter of the year behind us. I’ve spent most of that time (11 weeks to be exact) addressing our thinking. I looked at how we can improve our brainpower and how the way we think about ourselves is shaped by everything from the movies we watch to the music we enjoy.   But that first week of 2021, I encouraged my readers to choose a word for the year. It’s time to check in.    I chose the word “BE.” I described it as “small,” “inconsequential,” and “weak.”   I was wrong. I don’t have all the answers yet and I’m certain I will learn more as the year progresses, but any word that can give you a true and abiding sense of peace is anything but weak, and certainly not one to describe as inconsequential.    I revisited my word on a recent trip to the grocery. I stopped at the bank first. The screen at the drive through advertised a number of services the bank offered. Then a screen came up with the “word of the day.” The word was “idyllic.” It was po...

  Music. We connect events and emotions to music. Music signals us to sing, stand, dance, cheer, or cry. Music is probably the most lasting of influences in our lives.     We learn through music. We remember words set to catchy tunes. No? You’re thinking you’re one of those who can’t remember the words of songs. Maybe. But you remember the tune. And consider this one: the Alphabet Song. I still hear people zip their way through that song when looking something up in the dictionary. Phooey, I’ve done it. (Even though as a child, I thought “elemeno” was a letter.)   Music is a power tool for the brain.   My maternal grandmother loved what we often refer to as “the old hymns.” She would sing them as she cooked or quilted. She sang them as she worked the garden and while she milked the cow. As Grandma aged, dementia began slowly creeping into her mind. The disease was taking over, bit by bit. Grandma would sit on the sidelines of life in her silent, isolated world....

  When we first retired, my husband and I bought a small truck camper. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law had a very nice fifth-wheel camper fitted with all the luxuries of home. We enjoyed a few camping trips together. I treasure those memories.     Once, while we were camping, my great nephew, Kyle, came with us. He wasn’t yet four-years-old and loved to travel with his grandma and grandpa. Kyle was curious about the camper piggybacked on the back of our pickup truck. I took him inside to see the tiny sink and stove, the table that could make a small bed, and the larger bed situated above the cab of the truck.   Kyle took it all in, studying every corner. Finally, he looked up at me with those big eyes and asked, “Uncle Becky, where’s your television?”    It isn’t the fact he called me Uncle Becky that surprised me. He always called me Uncle Becky. What I find interesting is that the one thing he noticed was what was  not  there. A television....

  Our parents shape our view. Our teachers in school and church influence us. Our friends also play a valuable role in how we see ourselves and how we view those like us and not like us.     In last week’s post, I shared how the movies we watch reflect the theme of our lives. If you missed that post CLICK HERE . Certainly movies “feed” our understanding of the people and can play a vital role in shaping our worldview. Many of those movies start out as books.   I’m a writer. I recognize the power of the printed word. We’ve heard stories of history being changed because of the influence of writing first appearing in newspapers. We’ve witnessed lives changed after reading compelling literature. I know and understand the power of the printed word.   As a child, the Little Golden Book  Heidi  encouraged me to care for others. The Nancy Drew series told me women could be brave, independent, and smart. Jo March in  Little Women  was a tomboy as well...

  These past few weeks the topic for   A Novel Creation  has focused on jumpstarting our brains. Winter and isolation have taken their toll on us. Our bodies are succumbing to inactivity and becoming even more lethargic. Our brains, left to mindless inactivity will become less mindful… or would that be mind-filled. Those posts were about   activities  in which we can deliberately engage to stimulate brainpower. If you missed those blogs to brush off your thinking cap these past weeks, they are still available.     Today though, instead of activity, I want to explore what we  feed  our brains. The fuel we pour into our thinking machine.     You’ve heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” The notion is that if we eat healthy, our bodies are healthy. What we consume influences our growth and development. The same is true of our thinking. What movies do you love? What books do you read? What television programs can you set your wa...