Monthly Archives: March 2020

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Poetry Challenge

April is National Poetry Month in the United States.  If you are a regular follower of my blog, you are aware that I write haiku poetry.  I also highlight poet’s and poetry in a special blog post each April.  This year, I wanted to do things a little differently.  I am inviting my readers to participate in a poetry challenge.

HERE ARE THE RULES:

  1. The poem must be an original creation of the person submitting it.
  2. The poem must use the word “Vicariously” as either the title or as part of the poem.
  3. The poem cannot be longer than 500 words.
  4. The poem must be sent to me via my contact page or by my personal email address, before April 1st.
  5. Please list your name or how you would like to be recognized and the name of your blog, if you have one.  I will try to add a link to all WordPress blogs for other authors on this site.
  6. Poems received will be posted on my blog in a special post celebrating poetry month.  I am anticipating publishing this blog post on April 2, 2020.

I am purposefully not giving very much time to write a poem.  To often, creatively, when we see something like this if we say to ourselves, “oh that’s cool, I’ll do it later.”  We think too long or we forget and we miss the opportunity.  But if you want to write a poem, quick write it, submit it to me via my contact page or email and it is done.  You have shared your creativity.

Disclaimer.  As author of the blog “Cats Out of the Box,” I have the right to determine if a poem is ineligible to be posted on my blog.  If that happens, I will contact the author directly.

Last and probably the most important question… why the word “vicariously?”  The definition of the word from Miriam Websters Dictionary online states that it is the “experienced or realized through imaginative or sympathetic participation in the experience of another.”  At a time in history where so many people are having to work from home, practice social distancing and participate in shelter in place, it felt appropriate that the subject of a poetry challenge be experiencing and realizing life through another person, a memory, a fictional place, dream, etc.

I am excited to see what other poets and creatives come up with!  I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Good Luck!

 

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M is for Migraine

This post is for those lucky humans out there that have never had the experience of a migraine headache.

The reason I am writing this post is because of something that was said to me recently by someone who has never had the experience of having a migraine headache.  She said, “You need to go to the doctor.  Wouldn’t it be better if you could find some medicine, or change your diet, or an exercise or something to make these ‘headaches’ go away.”

Having recently read a post about choosing to be offended, I thought long and hard about whether I was offended and whether I should be writing this post.  I am not offended by the speaker’s words.  I realize that they didn’t understand because they haven’t experienced a migraine.  It is easy to be critical of others when you don’t understand what they are experiencing.  I felt the need to write this post to help this person and others understand.

Migraines are NOT the same as headaches, a friend, who also gets migraines, reminded me recently.  Migraines can cause someone to vomit.  Smells and light can make them feel nauseous.  Some people when experiencing a migraine cannot stand any noises.  Others experience an aura.  Migraines can cause someone to be sensitive to hot or cold.  Cluster migraines are a series of migraines that can continue for several days in a row.  A migraine may have certain symptoms, but they are different for everyone who experiences them.

My typical migraine often starts with my eyes feeling weird and the onset of an aura.  Once the aura has finished, the pain and nausea begins.  I am often overly warm and need to keep cool during a migraine.  Sometimes I throw up.  I often cannot stand light, sounds or even smells. I have to lay down in a cold dark room.  This is a typical migraine for me.  However, a migraine can be different each time a person has one.

I have been to the doctor.  My migraines are triggered by excessive stress.  I have tried a couple different medications.  Ibuprofen taken at the onset of the aura often lets me manage my migraine.  But not always.  Certain types of coffee cause me to have what I call an insta-migraine.  I don’t drink them and avoid them.  Too much processed foods with dyes can cause a migraine.  I try to avoid those as well.  Linen scented candles and room sprays cause me to have a migraine.  I don’t purchase those products and try to avoid them if I smell them.

A bad migraine year for me is five to fifteen migraines.  I have been migraine free for years at a time.  I have friends who have three to five migraines a week.  For one of them, Botox injections work.  The other friend gave up dairy and grain.  That was three years ago and she has a lot fewer migraines.

Be kind to someone who is suffering from a migraine.  Depending on their symptoms, even speaking to them could be causing them pain.  Understand that having a migraine is not something they can control and their isn’t a quick fix.  They probably have been to see a doctor or doctors.  The person who is having the migraine knows what they need to help get their migraine under control.

If you do not experience migraines, I hope that you found this article helpful.  If you do and would like to add to this post, please leave a comment.