Family

From Zero to Hero: Titles of the Chapters in My Autobiography #bloganuary

What would you do if you won the lottery?

Wondering what life has been up to and if there have been enough strange experiences that an autobiography would be interesting? Drawing on decades of a blog that details my life, let’s take a look at the different chapters we could create and delve into the scrapbook of memories that make me who I am.

Share the chapters of an entrepreneur’s autobiography with readers in an inspiring blog post: from how they went from zero to hero, and what lessons we can all learn from their journey!

  1. EARLY YEARS 2.ADVENTURES ABROAD 3. FAMILY 4. PHILOSOPHIES 5.PURSUITS AND INTERESTS 6.RELATIONS 7.REFLECTION

I see it. Bloganuary is the name for the January writing prompts that help bloggers celebrate the month of January.

I guess I’ve done it three years in a row now.

My attitude toward it has changed a lot this year. If I didn’t feel like the prompt was a good shape for me, I didn’t do it. I still got in many posts.

The #bloganuary team deserves words of thanks for everything they put together again this year. It was fun.

It probably takes a certain kind of person to want to do a personal blog. Many people do it, but I’m attracted to that kind of hobby. As a blogger, I don’t think I would ever want to make it “work,” but you probably know that some bloggers make money from their blogs.

That’s just not what I’m doing.

I work for my father’s business, the business he ran in his golden years, at an operations level. You can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/LouthUnited/

He’s been supportive of my efforts with this blog most of the time. I’m not sure that he reads it, but I think he’s seen that it has some worthwhile aspects to it.

You can like, follow and comment if you’re so inclined.

Tracing Your Family History: Unearthing Your Deepest Roots #bloganuary

On my father’s side, we’re Welsh, and on my mother’s side, we’re Irish.

On both sides, we’ve retraced my family history with quite a bit of detail. Her cousins and first cousins researched my mother’s family history, tracing it back to when the Edgars lived in Derry, Ireland. A kind of Edgar family “event” went on in recent months and years when the family used Facebook to celebrate their family history.

It may have been Sammy Edgar who wrote the full account of the Edgars’ immigration to Canada.

The hit Netflix series Derry Girls, about growing up in Derry in the nineties, is a worthy tribute to a fascinating land. It’s great that Derry, Ireland inspired it.

Obviously, the title is reminiscent, in my humble opinion, of Canada’s Trailer Park Boys show of the 2000s. In spite of this, I have family in Moncton, New Brunswick, which is a funny irony. That’s my father’s side, however.

An alcoholic is thought to be one of my forefathers who left Ireland and immigrated to Canada in order to escape creditors. I live on the same street in St. Catharines where my mother played as a child, as she spent some of her childhood a stone’s throw away from this apartment building.

Likewise, my godfather’s mother lived just up the street. On the outskirts of St. Catharines, my dad owns a cemetery, and my godfather grew up on adjacent land. https://www.facebook.com/LouthUnited/

They became Americans after my godfather married my father’s only sister. He has penned several books. The family has a bonafide writer, so I have to be careful about what I write.

As on the Edgar side of the family, my godfather has written the story of the Olivers’ family history.

Exploring My Earliest Memories: A Personal Reflection #bloganuary

Do you remember your earliest memories vividly? Even if they’re few and far between, these memories can sometimes feel like a time capsule that transports us back to the times of our youth. For many of us, this feeling of reliving every single detail is incredibly vivid and clear in our minds. What’s the earliest memory you have? Let’s take a journey into remembering those moments as we explore what it takes to recall childhood memories.

A few years ago, it was my girlfriend who drove me to remember being a young child in my bedroom. It was like I was there. On top of my bed were stuffed animals that were my friends.

I’d forgotten that I had that collection of stuffed toys. My best friend was a toy puppy I named “Snuffy,” inspired, most likely, by TV’s Muppet character Mister Snuffleupagus. Mister Snuffleupagus is like a furry mammoth elephant who lives on Sesame Street, a friend to Big Bird.

I could see my bookshelves on the opposite wall. It was like being a child again. I frequently played sitting on that bed when I was a small child.

My stuffed toys sat at the head of the bed. I’d forgotten that was a habit of mine until the time with my girlfriend reminded me.

I woke up from what was like a trance believing I was waking up in that house’s bedroom. It happens once in a blue moon that I awaken from sleep wondering where I am or thinking I am somewhere else. Even if it’s my own home.

“Read an old letter, personal journal, or newspaper article. Listen to an old song that you or someone in your family loved. Cook a meal your mom or dad used to make for you.

April 1, 2021, April Fools’ Day—celebrated on April 1 each year. Smell something that may prompt your memory. 160,000,000 results

Political Insight

How have your political views changed over time?

My dad decided he’d like a business after he retired from his career with the municipality. A Facebook page for the business that he wanted for his retirement years was one of the things he asked me to help him with. We had a supporter for quite some time, before she passed, Marilyn.

Marilyn helped me out quite a lot with tips on how to shape the page. In the area of politics, Marilyn’s perspective proved vastly useful. She expressed surprise that I would do something so amateurish as to make a political post on the page, which could cause arguments.

www.facebook.com/LouthUnited

I realized that I should not do anything like tear people down with political rhetoric. I used the impetus to make an opportunity to learn more about politics, which was interesting as there can be a lot to criticize about political figures. In the first place, Marilyn showed me the problem: there was a lot to say about Trump.

It is now time to consider Trudeau’s problematic administration here in Canada. I don’t know yet all what I might do, considering especially that my dad, although he would not like me to publish this, does not support liberal politics. Even my younger brother, although he doesn’t claim to know all that much about the political scene in Canada, does not take a sharp tongue when politics are the subject of conversation.

Playing the role of an educator requires modesty and humility. With a content aggregator website and tried-and-true RSS feeds, I do some research and call myself a writer.

As part of yesterday’s podcast episode, Russell Brand interviewed a guest, BJ Dichter. He observed that if friends do become divided in a political argument, it is imperative they want to but ultimately agree not to let that end the friendship. Viewers were reminded that no matter what our political views are, we need to live in the same world.

BJ Dichter how to unite together against centralised power

Write about what motivates you. #bloganuary

Since I understand that social media is the reality for most of the first world, I am reasonably immersed in social media. My favourite YouTubers, whether they’re creating content specifically for YouTube or bands who are bringing out new material or old material from the old days when people like that did something fantastic, make me feel strong. The love for tech is naively formed, perhaps, but keeping in mind that the biggest firms, like Meta and Alphabet, would like your data, if not every single tech company, watching favourite creators become YouTube stars makes me feel strong most of the time.

I feel strong when a savvy TikTokker post turns out to be a great video, scored with some piece of music I’ve often enjoyed.

I feel solid when a companion or relative accomplishes something advantageous, since I like great choices, and not terrible. I can be a useful individual.

I feel strong when nations and their people stand together. Although I usually feel as though I am the spy in the back of the meeting of revolutionaries, heading for the gallows if I am caught redhanded for my true allegiance, I do enjoy when people with a common background come together. That can make for an extremely strong encounter.

A smart piece of writing, or other great content, makes me feel strong. It feels good to share trending web pages to Twitter and Facebook when I think they can provide food for thought. I feel strongly about posting on the Maple Lawn Facebook page for my father’s business.

Hi, it’s Patrick, Maple Lawn Cemetery’s Facebook page operator.

Wednesday‎, ‎January‎ ‎19‎, ‎2022 12:06 PM

I feel strong being with my girlfriend when she is happy with me. A relationship like our own strength is the main strength I have, considering that life is not a practice run. I would rather not hazard losing her warmth and care.

Taking part in a blogging challenge like WordPress’ bloganuary makes me feel strong 🙂

How would you describe your favorite photo? #bloganuary

When I was young, when a girlfriend and I went to the regional butterfly conservatory, I took a photo of her smiling and seeming happy while seated in the semi-tropical environment. I took it with an old-fashioned camera. The negative is likely lost, and the photo has begun to curl. I was happy to think of it, though, when I read the prompt from WordPress.

Nowadays, I have a Sony camera that I take pictures with, from the time of Windows 8. Looking through the photos app on my desktop, I remember a photo dated the afternoon of one Wednesday in September 2014. It’s a photo of the field near the building that used to be a church, and which belongs to my dad, most of it being maintained by him and a few others. I had a FinePix Z1, and it was easy to get the photo. You can see the clouds peeking through the trees are a little bright, and the sunlit grass of the field is a little bright too. By then, I’d had a couple of years’ experience of being self-employed. The riding mower in the background is how I cut the grass every week.

Wednesday‎, ‎September‎ ‎3‎, ‎2014 1:59 PM

It meant a great deal to me, and I’m afraid some of my enthusiasm has waned. I surmise I’ve run into burnout. I do enjoy maintaining a tiny presence on Facebook for the cemetery. It’s the core of my dad’s business, and I do a lot of other social media that isn’t all geared to Maple Lawn Cemetery, which is our cemetery, or about Catholicism, or anything else like that. For example, I am participating in these January writing prompts because they are fun for me, and they are making January more fun than it would have been.

My better half nowadays is magnificent. It’s not the girl from the butterfly conservatory, but what can you do? I don’t think she characteristically wants her photo taken, but maybe I’ll ask her again.

I hope you like the photo.

https://www.facebook.com/LouthUnited/
https://www.maplelawncemetery.org/24701.html
https://vymaps.com/CA/Louth-United-Church-And-Maple-Lawn-Cemetery-106942219457401/

Which book are you going to read next? #bloganuary

My mother once picked up a book called From a Certain Point of View, as a Christmas gift for me. It’s a collection of short stories set in the Star Wars universe. The book’s short stories tell the plot of Star Wars from the point of view of minor characters. For example, in the first story in the book, the captain of the escape brigade gets the point of view, which is neither the droids C-3P0’s or R2-D2’s, nor Princess Leia’s. It is the same plot as the first scene of the film.

The book is celebrating Star Wars‘ fortieth anniversary, so I am taking the understanding that the book is a 2017 volume. 2017 was the year of Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.

Photo by Matt Bango on StockSnap

The Last Jedi took a different point of view that was a departure from styles of the previous Star Wars films. It recreated Luke Skywalker as a figure afflicted with existential angst. The book only contains scenes from the 1977 Star Wars film with a yowl from Rogue One to begin the book.

I don’t know why I haven’t read it sooner. I think the interest in Star Wars for me returned with the Disney+ series The Book of Boba Fett. Thinking about the desert planet of Tatooine through the eyes of Boba Fett got me feeling good again about Star Wars. Boba Fett’s the character whom Lord Vader used to freeze and transport Han Solo back to Tatooine, to the palace of Jabba the Hutt in the second and third movies of the original trilogy.

Star Wars is an unusual fantasy. With the film, picturing each second from these brief tales ought to be a breeze.

Are there any causes you’re passionate about and why? #bloganuary

It wasn’t until I wrote the bloganuary writing prompt for January about being inspired by someone that I realized how highly I regard Russell Brand’s social criticism on YouTube.

https://findingenvirons1.blog/2022/01/05/who-is-someone-that-inspires-you-and-why-bloganuary/
Who is someone that inspires you and why? #bloganuary

Writing my viewpoint made me see that some of Brand’s observations are making sense, and must be to a lot more people, too.

I think Russell Brand sees a transition to a world of smaller and better-knit communities, a more ideal world where the individual flourishes and the community meets the needs of all. When Brand refers to his understanding of how such a world might look, I start to think he’s onto something.

Brand’s other channel, Awakening with Russell, is geared to meditation and devoted to helping people look inward at themselves to begin to recognize what’s there.

It would be perfect if we lived in small communities where our wants were satisfied, yet we could rest assured that people everywhere else likewise have what they need. There would be no warfare. The world is a little like John Lennon described in the lyrics to his song Imagine.

I don’t think Brand wants a tough commute and a grind behind a desk with only hazelnut coffee or the like and a donut or danish to start the day. I’m sure he doesn’t.

It seems like his values are that of a gentleman who holds others in high regard. His videos praise his viewers, and he makes fun of concepts like the metaverse, Mark Zuckerberg’s creation for remote workers. Brand doesn’t think that’s the right direction for people to go in.

Oftentimes, Brand pokes fun at established institutions and is cautious of totalitarian-leaning change that right-wing speakers employ in an attempt to control individuals more efficiently.

I think Russell Brand represents a cause I could get passionate about.

Share how you overcame a challenge. #bloganuary

Photo by Words as Pictures on StockSnap

A difficult challenge for me to face was smoking grass. I started smoking pot with my friends when I turned eighteen. We had a lot of fun putting on the tunes and lighting up.

I was mostly in it for a good time, but it upset my mother. At the time, it was illegal. When it came time to go to college, I stopped, but I missed it.

In fact, I missed my friends–I was away from my home at school. I thought I would feel better. My first semester of college was challenging because I lived in a dormitory, and my friends got drunk often.

On the weekend, they would go out to the bars in packs, and while I was smart, I lacked study skills. I spent a lot of those weekends reading and writing for school. I felt left out and lonely.

In fact, it became hard for me to stay sober–I had to work at it. I was a little scared of ruining my chances for a career. While I had a general art & science diploma from college, I had emotional difficulties–back home in my parents’ house, the best work I could find was telephone sales work, which was disappointing after putting so much effort into earning a college diploma.

The jobs I got were boring and eventually disappeared in favour of lounging about, back on the reefer. While I made the decision to quit, I actually had to count the days until the habit dispersed. It’s said that it’s not a physical addiction, but I had trouble putting an end to it.

Smoking pot was one challenge I overcame–I liked partying with my friends, but no one stays young forever. I don’t have those same friends, as they went their separate ways. I can kind of guess the element that was the bond for all of us to keep thick as thieves.