A fictional character

 The Wordpress writing prompt for today 9/18 is weird and interesting. I decided to take a stab at it. The prompt:

If you had to switch lives with a fictional character for a week, who would you choose?

I selected Spiderman as the fictional character I would want to be based on what I read in this movie review: https://johnaugust.com/2007/perils-of-coincidence. The reviewer was unhappy about the unlikely coincidences in the movie. But you expect that sort of thing in a movie. It is for entertainment. I am known for weird coincidences but they are all true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uncertain times

Wordpress writing prompt for 8/17/2026: How do you deal with uncertainty?

 Everyone likes and wants a sure thing. I would like to know that I will get that job I applied for with certainty, perhaps within one month. People like to know the highest offer on a home so they are sure their offer will be better and will be accepted. People like that the job they have will pay them for the next year with certainty. However, there are usually no sure things. I like to give myself more time for important things. I also like to obtain as much information as possible so I am informed of potential issues and risky behaviors. Praying helps.

This all makes me think of the contractor job I held at the FAA. Those were uncertain times (on the job). I didn't want to ruffle feathers or stand out in a negative way. I remember at one point, the solution did not meet expectations. Change was needed. I understand why I wanted to be known as good. I balked at certain assignments. I ensured I did well. I did not ask for too much. You should know that I am very happy I worked there. I am happy I was a part of a complicated structure. I figured out the FAA used ambidexterity, the example mentioned in my org structure paper.  

Writing prompt

 Writing prompt: What do you love now, that you hated when you were younger?

I do a lot of the same things I did when I was young. For example, I still wash and take care of my face. I remember I used a lot of Noxzema during high school. I still like to read a lot, and so on. One thing I didn't like when I was young was the potato. Sometimes my father included potatoes with Guyanese "ground provisions" in his metemgee. I didn't like the eddoe or the potato. I went for the sweet potato (which was really sweet) and cassava.* These are like substitutes for the potato. I never had fries (I do recall having fish and chips made from plantain). I now enjoy fries and mashed potatoes.

*I also liked half-ripe plaintains in metemgee. I was known for eating the "duff".

Writing prompt

I am writing this over a cup of tea. 

Wordpress prompt for today 6/23/2026: What’s the best advice you’d give to someone younger than you?

There are lots of advice out there based on good and bad experiences in life (lessons learned). One of the lessons I would like to share is: you can accomplish significant goals (great things) if you take things step by step. This is the same as saying 'Rome wasn't built in a day.' Not so long ago, I decided that a professor/research job would be better for me. I thought through the steps/tasks needed to obtain my desired position ("reach for the stars") and completed task after task in pursuit of the goal.

 

Testing honesty

 I found an interesting writing prompt in X:

 

 

 

 

 

 If I became invisible for a day, I would first want to ensure/confirm that I am invisible to the average person. That would be interesting to do. I also thought of what I would want to do with the "power." I would want to test the honesty or trustworthiness of people I know. I could invite the carpenter or plumber over to see what they would do. I would leave the door open for the worker to come in to fix a problem/issue. It would be nice to be invisible. I would not have to worry about him or her attacking me.

 

Power

 Wordpress prompt for today 5/6/2026: What super power do you wish you had and why?

I thought this question was very interesting. We are born with talents and need to figure out what we are good at, what work makes us happy, and so on. Some excel at math, some excel at literature, and so on. Most people don't think of their talents as super powers. When we think of super power, we think of super heroes such as Captain America, Superman, and Spiderman. For me, a super power could be some talent or ability that is "out of this world" such as the ability to become invisible, control minds, look like someone else in a flash or cross great distances (get to different places) in a jiffy. These super powers would provide all sort of advantages. They would likely lead to a better life.

Pet

 Wordpress prompt for today 1/22/2026: If you could make your pet understand one thing, what would it be?

I don't have a pet but I decided to respond to this prompt nevertheless. There were pets around the house when I was a child. I remember my mother had a black cat when I was about 7 years old. I remember that cat was quite intelligent. It would rub itself against your legs when it wanted something. I remember the cat liked the kittens to be in the bathroom sink area maybe because it was a nice area in secret. I would want that cat to learn tricks or enough to put on a performance in the circus. 

Better today

 I decided to respond to the Wordpress prompt for today 10/18/2025. The writing prompt is: What's something most people don't know about you?

Most people don't know that I started wearing glasses because I needed it for driving. I was around 24 years old. I am not certain how and why my vision declined. I am certain that my eyesight was normal when I was a little girl. I actually remember being able to tell what was displayed on the front of a bus from a distance when I was about 7 years old. I could tell what was on the blackboard in school even though I was not at the front of the class. I did not have pre-diabetes then or some degenerative eye disease.

I am feeling better mostly because of the breakfast I had. I had the McDonald's big breakfast. My sister had it delivered.

I need to walk

 Wordpress prompt for today: How often do you walk or run?

My response:

These days I don't walk a lot outdoors. My neighborhood is very hilly so it takes a lot to walk a short distance from my home. I am unable to drive to another location or to the gym to walk. I do walk a lot when I go shopping at stores like Costco (and that is not very often). A treadmill would be good for exercising indoors.

Starting a few years ago, I had problems with my legs. I was even in rehab to get back to normal walking. Walking isn't the same today. I need to exercise. I don't want the walking to perform daily/typical activities to be difficult. I recall I had trouble walking in the airport the last time I left the U.S. (see my previous post: https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/2024/03/feeling-good.html).

Admirable Professions

 Today's Wordpress writing prompt: What profession do you admire most and why?

My response:

I thought of professors right away. I admire the work professors do. I hope to be a professor one day. The motivation project I prepared for my PhD program provided examples of professors that do good work and similar positions I would like to fill.

I do admire other professions such as doctors, police officers, and people in international affairs. Doctors are in the healing business. They help people to live better lives. Police officers help people to live more law-abiding lives. They maintain order in society. Both of these professions are needed and important. 

Professions are admirable but the more I think about it, the people in the positions also have something to do with it. When the right person is in a job, the job he/she does rises to another level. For example, the person may interact better with individuals.

People should enter professions that are a good match for them.

Current Dream Job

 Wordpress writing prompt for today 1/20: What is your dream job?

In recent years, I have been working towards a professor position (it was my stated goal). However, when I think of dream job, another position comes to mind. My current dream job is a top management position at a major international company. In such a position, I will oversee thousands of employees. I imagine I would travel a lot to conduct the business of the company. I would prefer a service business but would also be excited about the job at a company that produces products. I would not mind if I had to relocate. This position trumps a professor position.

Wishes

 Wordpress writing prompt for 10/28/2024: You have three magic genie wishes, what are you asking for?

I remember reading stories about the granting of wishes when I was a little girl. I always read the things wished for with interest. But, I always wondered why the person didn't use one wish to ask for more wishes so that he/she could wish for more things. So, that would be my first wish - to wish I could have more wishes that would work to get me what I want in the future. I don't know what is a reasonable number to ask for though. Would 3 more wishes be reasonable - to double the original number of wishes? Or 10 more? Or even a 100 more wishes?

The second thing I would wish for is to live forever. I assume anything is possible. With the magic wish, I could live for over a 1,000 years in a world that would continue on unaffected by the wish.

Third, I would wish for lots of happiness and joy in my life. That could come from love, lots of achievement, and making a difference in the world.

Wishes to assist my family and better the world would come later. And, I will have more time to think those wishes through.

Career Paths

Wordpress Writing prompt for 10/24/2024: What alternative career paths have you considered or are interested in.

Some people are interested in different career paths and somehow end up staying in one line of work their entire career. That is not my story. During my career, I have gone down at least three different career paths. When I started my career I was a finance professional. I had finance jobs such as Financial Analyst and Financial Auditor. Then, I was lucky to get into an Analyst training program to become an IT Business Analyst. It was another career path from finance - a career in information technology (IT). I worked in IT for many years. I was exposed to user interface (UI) design, technical writing, and training. These were all areas I found interesting and are separate paths I could have gone into as there are separate positions for these areas. I stuck with my IT Business Analyst job for a while until years later when I decided to enroll in a PhD program to pursue a career as a professor. I saw it as selecting training and research as my new career path. I also try to use my UI and technical writing skills when I can.

Grown up

Wordpress prompt for 10/11/2024: When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?

I was in my early twenties when I moved to Baltimore from my mother's house. I took care of everything concerning my move. I viewed apartments, selected the apartment I would live in, and provided the required information for the rental application. I organized my move and bought furniture for my new place. I lived alone in a one-bedroom apartment and I enjoyed it. I was responsible. I went to work everyday and I took care of myself. It was the first time I really felt like a grown up.

Favorite Word

 Writing prompt for today 9/11/2024 from Wordpress: What's your favorite word?

My response:

There are literally more than 1 million words in the English language. It is hard to have just one favorite. There are several words that I like: uncouth, chaos, queue, laurel, to name a few. I tend to like words that have a unique sound or a positive meaning. If I had to pick one favorite, I would go with serendipity. Just mention of the word makes me smile.

My Last Search

 The Wordpress prompt for today 8/27/2024 is:  What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it?

My response:

I use Google search fairly regularly. I search for such things as: articles/papers, lyrics to songs, and people. I tend to use keyword searches (rather than full sentences or questions) and usually get good results.

My last search was 'haiku meaning.' I entered those keywords in the search bar because I wanted to learn more about haiku poetry. The term was new to me. I stumbled upon it when reading about poetry. 

The search provided good information on the Japanese short form poetry. I ended up clicking on 'What is haiku with an example' in the 'People also ask' section for additional information. I like to review the information on what other people searched for that Google provides.

Board Games

Response to today's Wordpress writing prompt: What's your favorite game (card, board, video, etc.)? Why?

I chose to focus on board games.

I learned to play lots of board games from about age 8. One of the first board games I learned was Checkers (called Draughts) from my father. My father loved the game and played it quite often. I learned by watching him closely and asking questions. My aunt introduced me to chess. I learned a whole lot more about chess much later and learned to play much better. I also played monopoly with family members. I love to play Monopoly and am usually ecstatic when I win. I learned to play chinese checkers on the computer. I love the game. It is probably my favorite game. When I play, I usually win. Some board games I learned to play at school. The Game of Life is an example. I learned to play the game at President's College. I find that some board games involve more strategy (or strategic thinking) than others. I prefer the games the require more strategic thinking. I don't mind that they may take a little longer to play.

What bothers me

 The Wordpress writing prompt for today is: What bothers you and why? After much thought, I decided to write about competitive behaviors that bother me. Competition is all around - we compete for jobs, for promotions, and so on. Some people go overboard during a competition. I am usually put off by "extreme" competitive behavior. This includes things like trying to harm someone to win and spreading vicious rumors about someone they are competing against. I think people are just wrong to behave this way. When someone I am competing against behaves badly, a part of me wants to just hand over the prize because he/she wants it so badly. It would mean giving up easily and I am aware giving up easily is not the way to do it.

Technology Affects Jobs

 Response to the WordPress prompt for 3/26/2024:

Technology has affected people's jobs in a myriad of ways. I found some posts in Twitter/X that provide examples. Some jobs are enhanced by technology, some lose jobs because of technology, employees are more productive because of technology (electronic monitoring), and so on.

A question I don't like to be asked

 I continue to receive good feedback when I respond to prompts. I will continue to respond to them.

Responding to the WordPress prompt for today 3/6/2024: 

I was always known as inquisitive. I usually ask a lot of questions. People ask me a lot of questions also. In the United States, people like to ask me where I am from. They also ask about my parents, my background, where I am working, and so on. The questions I don't like to be asked begin with: Are you really .......? Examples are: Are you really X years old? Are you really going to do X? I generally don't like these questions because the questioner already has an opinion (i.e. there is disbelief about what they are asking) and wants me to present an argument for my view of the truth.