Tag: dailyprompt

Posted in Life

I want to fly like an eagle

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash
Daily writing prompt
Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?
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When I sat down to write my answer, I immediately thought, “Well, of course, a dog.” I’m a big dog fan. On further reflection, I am more like a bird.

I’m an early bird. I love getting up early. I love walking the dogs as the sun is coming up. And I want to sing just like the birds who are so vocal as the sun begins to touch the dark morning sky. It’s noisy just before dawn, and I love to whistle back to the owls, mourning doves, cardinals, bluebirds, and mockingbirds as best I can. They know I’m not really a bird. But it’s fun to join in their antiphonal call and response.

I also notice things. Birds are always watching. Their heads turn to watch me, notice me, and fly if I get too close. I like to watch. Observe. See who’s around. Notice what’s there and what’s not in the picture. Move from place to place. Watching. Singing. Flying.

And soaring. I don’t relate to just be any bird. Hawks and eagles circle from above and get to see everything below. What a vantage point! I could see so much from up there. I would love to ride the updrafts with them.

I love dogs. And I would be a good dog. But I’m more like a bird. Does that count as an animal?

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

I’d try a little bit of everything

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Daily writing prompt
Where would you go on a shopping spree?
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I’m not much of a shopper. I’m more of a buyer. When I walk into a store, I’m on a mission. I have a list. I get what’s on my list. I check out. And then I go home.

However, I can see myself “spreeing” in a place with a vast assortment of food and drinks. (Is that even a word?) It could be a row of food trucks, vendors booths, or free samples at Costco. That’s where I would spend a lot of time and money.

I can picture myself wandering from barbecue to pizza, asian and creole, and then to baked goods and ice cream. In between, how about a soft pretzel or nachos? Sample craft beers and whiskey. No huge platters or meals. Let’s do small portions of many different tastes.

Posted in Life

No middle name

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Daily writing prompt
What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?
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I do not have a middle name.

Instead, I have a suffix. I am the third, named after my father and my grandfather. Since

The absence of a middle name causes plenty of consternation among those who like to fill in all the boxes. Some have filled in III as my middle name. I once used Q as a middle initial when I needed three letters for a login. NMI is another popular choice.

Since my dad died, I don’t use III after my name very often. It still shows up on tax forms and passports. But it’s not on my driver’s license. Some like to include it on certificates. They can’t spell or pronounce my last name, but they love the suffix.

I do not meet many who share my lack of a middle name. Many even give their pets middle names. I enjoy that uniqueness. I also love to ask those who like my suffix, “What was my father’s name?” And then, “What was my grandfather’s name?” Some get it. Others are confused. I just chuckle.

Posted in minimalism

The oldest thing: my bedroom dresser

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Yesterday’s WordPress prompt asked the question, “What’s the oldest thing you own that you still use daily?”

That question required some thought. I’ve actually got two answers. The first is my antique dresser in our bedroom. We bought these at an antique shop in Connecticut shortly after we moved there in 1991. It was my first call, and we brought a bed, a crib, and a table with chairs when we moved into the 2,700 sq. ft. church parsonage.

We purchased two antique dressers and still use them today. They have to be at least seventy-five years old. Made of real wood, they have dovetail joints.

A second answer to the question could be the Revere Ware mixing bowls in the kitchen. My mom gave me a set of Revere Ware in 1979 when I graduated from college and headed off to my first job and apartment. I still have one small saucepan and three stainless mixing bowls from that set. They’ve served me well for over forty-five years.

A runner-up answer would be my trumpet. It’s a silver-plated Bach Stradivarius 43 I purchased brand new in 1979 from Red Bank Music in New Jersey for $600. I had to go trumpet shopping when my old one, a lacquered model, was stolen from my car in West Long Branch. I still play it, although not every day.

We decluttered our house when we remodeled it six years ago, so we don’t have a lot of old things around. If we weren’t wearing it or using it, we sold it or gave it away. It’s just about time to do that again. Funny how stuff accumulates on shelves and in drawers.

Posted in Dad

Hamburger Helper

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Daily writing prompt
Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?
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I can’t remember the last I ate it, but Hamburger Helper transports me to my childhood.

General Mills introduced Hamburger Helper in 1971, and our family was immediately on board. I was in middle school that year, and my younger sister and brother were both in elementary school. We were all old enough for my mom, a nurse, to go back to work on weekends. That meant Dad was in charge of making supper.

It’s not that Dad was a bad cook. He just had a limited repertoire.

  • Beef Noodle Hamburger Helper
  • Potato Stroganoff Hamburger Helper
  • Cheeseburger Macaroni Hamburger Helper
  • Hash Hamburger Helper
  • Chili Tomato Hamburger Helper
  • Rice Oriental Hamburger Helper

From time to time, there was no Hamburger Helper in the pantry. No problem. Dad browned hamburger, mixed it with brown gravy made from a packet of gravy mix, and serve it over reconstituted freeze-dried mashed potatoes.

Plus, it was cheap. The original price of a box of Hamburger Helper was 65 cents. A pound of hamburger was about the same. Feed the family for $1.30? Nice.

We did try Tuna Helper. It was the same concept, substituting a can of tuna for the pound of hamburger. We only tried it once.

Not only is Hamburger Helper the food that instantly transports me to my childhood, but it is the top memory I have of my Dad.

“Hamburger Helper helps her hamburger help her make a great meal!”

Posted in running, seasons

It has to be summer

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Herbert Goetsch on Unsplash
Daily writing prompt
What is your favorite season of year? Why?
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When I used to run a lot, it felt so good to simply pull on shorts, socks, and shoes and hit the road on a summer day. Within half a mile, I had my rhythm, a little sweat covered my body, and my muscles felt nice and loose.

In the summer, you don’t have to worry about hats, gloves, or layers of clothing. The days are long, so it’s light out for an early morning run. I can feel the slightest breeze on all my exposed skin. I chuckle as random passersby comment, “It’s too hot to run!”

I really like summer. I like the heat and the humidity. Even though I use lots of sunblock now, I love to feel the sun’s heat on my skin. I love the feeling of sweat cooling my body. I appreciate the longer hours of daylight, love the early sunrise, and look forward to a late sunset.

Summer meant no school. Although, I kind of enjoyed school. Summer meant baseball, and a job at a major league stadium. Summer meant cutting the lawn weekly, a pleasant chore for me. Summer meant tomatoes and sweet corn from south Jersey, the Mr. Softie ice cream truck, Monday night 5K races at Lake Takanassee (NJ), my July birthday, and Vacation Bible School.

Now, summer means hurricane season in Florida. Summer means sporadic, hard-to-predict thundershowers. Summer is the season between the spring and fall gardening seasons in Florida. Summer means “I hope you had your AC serviced recently.” Summer means wear a hat, bring sunblock, and rent a cabin in North Carolina for a few weeks,

Summer is my favorite season of the year. Just about everyone else I know thinks I’m a little unbalanced to think so. You may be right. I might be crazy.

Posted in Life

Don’t take yourself too seriously

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Irene Strong on Unsplash
Daily writing prompt
If humans had taglines, what would yours be?
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My tagline would be “Don’t take yourself too seriously.” It’s been my mantra for a while. One could paraphrase that as “Lighten up,” “It’s not about you,” or “Just relax.”

My tagline helped me keep perspective during my career in full-time pastoral ministry. The church was there before me and it’ll be there when I’m gone. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Believe it or not, there are a lot of unhappy people who go to church. I would wonder, “Was it something I said or didn’t say?” Or, “Was it something I did or didn’t do?” Most of the time it wasn’t even about me. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Knowing how fragile memory is, I knew that within months of my retirement, some would mention, “The pastor who was here before…what was his name?” I know that because they forgot my predecessor’s name a few months after I started preaching. So, don’t take yourself too seriously.

On one occasion, I was at the church and dressed in a black clerical shirt. Someone walked in and asked me, “Are you the pastor?” I chuckled then and I’m chuckling now. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Much of the time, people aren’t really paying attention. They aren’t listening to you. They’re thinking about themselves. They tell you what they think you want to hear.

In response to all of that, I try to pay attention to what’s going on around me. I work hard to listen. I try to express myself in a sincere, positive way.

And I don’t take myself too seriously.

Posted in books

A favorite book: Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Daily writing prompt
Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?
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I was just thinking about childhood books a few days ago. One of my grandsons asked, “Can we go to ‘Ripley’s Believe it or Not!’ again?” My wife and I took them to the first permanent odditorium in St. Augustine last summer. The older boy loved it. The younger was too weirded out to make it through the whole museum.

When he asked his question, I had a flashback to my childhood. Some of my favorite books were the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! paperbacks. I think my mom bought me a couple of them at a church rummage sale. I would lay on my bed and read those books over and over again, long before that first attraction opened. I was fascinated by drawings of the world’s tallest man, a goat with two heads, a tree growing through a house, and pages of amazing things.

A close second would be a World War two comic book about air battles in the south Pacific. The only thing I remember is the words used for the sound of the guns: “budda-budda-budda!” So my brother, sister, and I would call this the budda-budda book.

I must have really liked Hardy Boys mysteries, too. I remember checking them all out one at a time from the library.

Posted in Life, memories

My first grade broken ankle

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Daily writing prompt
Have you ever broken a bone?
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I don’t have a lot of memories from first grade, but I do remember breaking my ankle at the end of that school year.

Some friends and I were playing on a swing set that included a two person glider. For some reason I put my right foot down as the glider came back, making my foot twist backwards at a painful angle. I hobbled home and my mom, a nurse, looked at the swelling, wasn’t too concerned, and had me put some ice on it.

I went to school the next day and hobbled around as the pain got worse and worse. When I got home, it was more swollen than the day before, so my mom took me to the doctor. This was 1964, so the family doctor was your one stop shop for medical care. The doctor took an x-ray, saw the fracture, and wrapped my ankle up in a heavy plaster cast. For the next four weeks, I hopped around school on crutches as the ankle healed.

Finally, the four weeks were up, and it was time to remove the cast. The doctor used a special circular saw designed to cut only the cast and not the skin beneath. Once he took it off, I remember my right leg floated up as if it were weightless. But just for a moment. Then I was back to normal, assured that an ankle with a healed fracture was stronger than one without.

I found one picture from my dad’s old slides of me in the cast. Looks like I’m having a good time!