Category: Writers Quote Challenge

Writers Quote Challenge

Prompt – Writers Quote Challenge

jacquelineobyikocha24 Comments

Bernadette, Joan, and I invite you to join in on our blogging event called The Writer’s Quote Challenge.  We are looking for one more host/hostess to join in the fun.  So if you would like to pick up the challenge of hosting, just let one of us know.invitation-shel-silverstein

For this week’s prompt, here’s my offering:

The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking. Robert H Schuller

Never let the sun set on those dreams

even in the twilight of your days,

rather, let the moon shine on them,

casting them into beautiful pearls;

for your vintage collection.

I had a conversation last week with a friend who’s clocking 50 next month and during our talk, she expressed some disappointment for not having pursued her academics a bit further.

Now she just feels that she’s too old (especially back home in Nigeria) where she laughingly said that she would probably end up being the grandma of the class of young adults.

I told her that if she really wanted to do so, irrespective of age, she should go ahead and find something suitable to do at her own pace, after all, she’s not in competition with anyone.

Besides, the older she gets the more likely it is that her regrets will grow deeper.

I ruminated over this conversation for several days because as I spoke to her, my mind centered on some aspirations of mine that have been in the cooler for a bit due to family exigencies.

Am I ready to toss them over because I feel that I’m getting too old to go back to school? I don’t think so.

Those dreams that are within our reach should not be left to die irrespective of age because age is simply a convenient and lame excuse.

I look forward to reading your contributions.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Writers Quote Challenge

Emulation – Writers Quote Challenge

jacquelineobyikocha9 Comments

Image result for images of nanny goat and kid

‘When the nanny goat eats grass, her kid watches her mouth.’ African Proverb

I heard this proverb over and over as a child that I have no atom of an idea how many times that could possibly be, but even as a child, I knew my parents meant that I should emulate them by watching what they did.invitation-shel-silverstein

In essence, it’s not just what they said that I should look at but at the examples that they set.

Of course, believe me when I say that I fell flat millions of times in emulating their examples, not due to any fault of theirs but due to stubborn individuality and sometimes outright foolishness.

It took Higher Grace not to have killed myself with my own foolishness despite all the words of correction and examples set by my parents.

The interesting thing is that now as an adult and parent, I catch myself sounding just like my own parents to my children, repeating the same words of wisdom that they drummed into my ears and hopefully portraying some sensible and responsible behaviour for my ‘kids’ to emulate.

Then again, kids will be kids after all. However, with sustained repetition and the right examples, the lessons planted will be retained and eventually mature with them as they grow and hopefully, their ears will turn out to be more than fancy bits of their body.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Written for the Writers’ Quote Weekly challenge prompt from Joan “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”
― James Baldwin

Writers Quote Challenge

Prompt – All New Writers Quote Challenge

jacquelineobyikocha3 Comments

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Bernadette at http://www.HaddonMusings.com and I invite you to join in on our blogging event called The Writer’s Quote Challenge.

For this week, here’s my prompt below. I believe this quote might have come out based on recent reflections that I’ve been having which I would call personal accountability and stock-taking.

Let me share some of my thoughts with you.

“We are all vessels. The question is what are the contents of your vessel?” Jacqueline

Each day I wake up, I know that my life is not about finding myself since I already exist, but about creating myself out of the ‘me’ that I’ve been given, thus, I endeavour to create a me that I would look back at years later and find that I still like her.

If your body is a canvas
and all your thoughts are etched on it
would it be beautiful to see
or, would it make us cringe in fear and shame?

If your thoughts are an artwork
moulded for all to see
would it stand on a mantle
or, hidden away in the attic for no eyes’ to see?

If your words are droplets
shared with all around you
would it cleanse and refresh the listener
or, would it be corrosive like acid and burn their ears?

If our whole life is a cup
tipped over when it is full
would some smidgen of beautiful things come out
or, would ugliness pour out in generous quantity?

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

P.S. We are continuing the same format and here that is: there are no rules to follow. Either make up your own sayings or use a quote from a famous author that you find gives you inspiration.

Each Thursday, we will post the prompt and all you have to do is participate!

On your own blog post do a pingback to this post and make sure to “like” or “comment” on everyone else’s post. A pingback is when you embed (or copy) the URL of my weekly prompt into your own blog post.

Make sure to check our weekly prompt to see if your entry is there. You can copy URL of your blog post and include it in the comments section of my original weekly prompt if that works better for you.

Copy the badge above and include it in your own post. Tag your post on your own blog as “The Writer’s Quote Challenge,” so we can find the posts in the reader.

We are looking for more hosts to join in the fun.  So if you would like to pick up the challenge of hosting, just let one of us know.

For last week’s postings, you can check this link.

Thank you for participating and compliments of this season once again.

 

Writers Quote Challenge

Prompt – All New Writers’ Quote Challenge

jacquelineobyikocha10 Comments

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Here’s my weeks’ prompt for writers’ quote.

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Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations – Author unknown

When I want to clear my head, I either take a long walk or a long drive and just admire my surroundings. It gives me room to be by myself, to mull over things and to return with a clearer perspective. It’s actually an indulgence and a source of rejuvenation for me, just to go off and wander.

Most times, my wandering yields total satisfaction.  Issues that appeared so difficult earlier becomes less burdensome by the time I’ve taken them apart piece by piece and I am equally rewarded by the sights, sounds and total experience of being out and about.

I’ve literally stumbled on beautiful destinations while trying to navigate unknown routes during my walkabouts or should I say drive about.

Just on Saturday, I took off to somewhere and got lost, in trying to navigate my way back to the right route, I stumbled across this beautiful waterside with loads of lovely boats and yachts. I parked my car, took several photos, enjoyed the sights and was thankful I’d missed my way 🙂

I’ve equally experienced lots of beautiful results that are the culmination of things that appeared difficult at the onset and the lesson that I take from these experiences is not to be misled by a tough beginning because the situation can turn around and it would end with praise.

The Sojourn

I’ve walked many miles on these feet of mine,

my knapsack strapped on my back and

my hope held within my heart.

Many times, I have no idea where my steps would lead,

most times the terrain has been difficult to navigate.

Countless times I’ve stubbed my toes and fallen to the ground,

bled through my sole, blisters, corns and callous decorate my feet,

But, I can’t, I don’t and I won’t stop going,

for the rainbow in the horizon keeps beckoning and

the breathtaking beauty ahead makes the sojourn worthwhile.

Jacqueline

Bernadette at www.HaddonMusings.com

Jacqueline at www.Acookingpotandtwistedtales.com

Bernadette and I invite you to join in on our blogging event called The Writer’s Quote Challenge. We have decided to pick up the baton that Colleen and Ronovan have handed off.

We are continuing the same format and here that is: there are no rules to follow. Either make up your own sayings or use a quote from a famous author that you find gives you inspiration.

Each Thursday, we will post the prompt and all you have to do is participate!

On your own blog post do a pingback to this post and make sure to “like” pingback” on everyone else’s post. A pingback is when you embed (or copy) the URL of my weekly prompt into your own blog post.

Make sure to check our weekly prompt to see if your entry is there. You can copy URL of your blog post and include it in the comments section of my original weekly prompt if that works better for you.

Copy the badge above and include it in your own post. Tag your post on your own blog as “The Writer’s Quote Challenge,” so we can find the posts in the reader.

Writers Quote Challenge

Time will tell…

jacquelineobyikocha11 Comments

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Here is my offering for Bernadette’s quote:

“I can’t think about that right now. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll think about that tomorrow.”

— Gone with the Wind – Margaret Mitchell.

Time will tell

Sending personalized greeting cards,

shopping for little Christmas gifts for family and friends…

I notice that as the years go by Christmas becomes more and more low key.

The plethora of traditional greeting cards to choose from has dwindled,

giving way to people sending emails and text messages to each other,

or maybe it’s because of where I am living right now?

The Christmas cheer is down by several notches,

though we have paraphernalia of decorations hanging here and there

There’s such a wide gap between my childhood Christmas experience

To what is obtainable today.

I must tell you that I certainly miss the old experience and the sentiments,

and can’t even bear to think of what future years would bring…

Will there even be handwritten greeting cards to offer each other?

Time will tell…

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things – not the great occasions – give off the greatest glow of happiness – Bob Hope

Would you like to join us for the All New Writers’ Quote Challenge?

Writers Quote Challenge

Prompt – All New Writers’ Quote Challenge

jacquelineobyikocha12 Comments

For this week’s prompt, I choose this simple quote of peace below.

We all want peace in our lives, but how much peace do we contribute to others in our own little ways?

Be the peace that you seek – Fil Tribble

Please check these links for individual posts on last week’s prompt.

Ramblings of a writer

Brew N Spew

The Black Wall Blog

Stevie Turner

Janmalique

Haddons Musings

Here’s my contribution to the quote above

The entirety of mankind

is one Nation under the blue sky.

For the stars do not know us as different,

they count us as one.

The peace we deny each other,

is the trouble that we stoke for ourselves.

For you to have peace indeed,

you must offer the same to your neighbour.

When you remember that you are one,

the journey to find peace is far easier.

I am your other self.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

 

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Bernadette at www.HaddonMusings.com

Jacqueline at www.Acookingpotandtwistedtales.com

Bernadette and I invite you to join in on our blogging event called The Writer’s Quote Challenge. We have decided to pick up the baton that Colleen and Ronovan have handed off.

We are continuing the same format and here that is: there are no rules to follow. Either make up your own sayings  or use a quote from a famous author that you find gives you inspiration.

Each Thursday, we will post the prompt and all you have to do is participate!

On your own blog post do a pingback to this post and make sure to “like”pingback” on everyone else’s post. A pingback is when you embed (or copy) the URL of my weekly prompt into your own blog post.

Make sure to check our weekly prompt to see if your entry is there. You can copy URL of your blog post and include it in the comments section of my original weekly prompt if that works better for you.

Copy the badge above and include it on your own post. Tag your post on your own blog as “The Writer’s Quote Challenge,” so we can find the posts in the reader.

We are looking for more hosts to join in the fun.  So if you would like to pick up the challenge of hosting, just let one of us know.

Writers Quote Challenge

So, what is the alternative? Personal – Writers Quote Challenge

jacquelineobyikocha21 Comments

If the truth is to be told, it is hard to stay thankful and grateful in the face of suffering and sometimes I silently question how Job withstood his painful ordeals without grumbling. Didn’t his heart even murmur a bit?invitation-shel-silverstein

For many months I’ve tried not to dwell on negativity, to remain thankful in everything because the truth is that the alternative to ingratitude sows bitter seeds of discord and cynicism, but in the past few weeks it’s been a struggle to stay upbeat and sometimes I feel as if I am a fraud spouting thankful words that are not deep-seated within my soul.

My rancour comes from watching a beloved young family member deteriorate healthwise – my younger sisters husband is battling an invasive brain tumour and sometimes I feel so afraid that we are fighting a losing battle. Such thoughts simply make my heart stop in fear and my prayers clog my throat. It is hard!

I remember watching my father decline from Cancer and the pain of watching his pain broke my heart many times over. Yet, through all his struggles, he remained stoic, never voicing a word of grumble and held his Faith through it all.

Sometimes, I wondered where he got such grace in the face of such adversity and I remember this quote that he shared with me,

I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn’t, than live as if there isn’t and to die to find out that there is – Albert Camus

This quote has stuck in my head and always comes up when I’m between the hard rocks of fear, doubt and dwindling faith. It reminds me, that during the times of tribulation, are the times to hold on tighter. Though the difficult season may seem insurmountable, thankfulness lightens the burden of one’s load and I remind myself not to let go of gratitude especially when troubled.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Please join us for the reconvened Writer’s Quote Challenge that Bernadette, Haddons Musings and I have started. We would love to have you with us. Check this link for details.

Writers Quote Challenge · Writing

The Bitter Truth…Writer’s Quote Challenge

jacquelineobyikocha29 Comments

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“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” Seneca

I’ve written and deleted my post many times, not because I’m at loss for words but because the spurious well of churning words seeking to escape my thoughts are so disjointed that I don’t even know how to bridle them.

I will borrow the quote Bernadette gave for the writer’s quote inaugural week to try and cobble my words together. How apt this quote is for this tumultous week of new beginning. Is this the beginning to the end of things? Only time will tell.

 

You feign that you care about others

while in the secrecy of your dark soul

you wish to take away the rights of other living souls

You feign that you are a free world

while in the darkness of your fields

lie the spirits of broken men

You ache to regain toe hold

over your reign of terror on people’s lives

when you could whip them into submission to your will

You ache that things should be 

the way they were before

when others had to cower before you in fear

You remember your days of old glory

your days of supremacy 

and you want to reconstitute your free lynching 

 

The truth is that

you will never gain back that 

which your hateful soul desperately seeks

The truth is that

times have moved on and so will it remain

‘cos no one is going to cower in fear of your bullying and cowardice

The truth is that

no one is going to stay at the back of the bus any more

while old men steer us to destruction

The truth is that 

this is the dawn of a new beginning

and may well be the start of a revolution.

The truth is that 

no matter how you strive to keep others down

the fighting spirit of a free soul will always rise against you.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Please join us for the reconvened Writer’s Quote Challenge that Bernadette, Haddons Musings and I have started. We would love to have you with us. Check this link for details.