As you probably know, my words for this A-Z Challenge are coming at random from my thesaurus. I’m absolutely committed to sticking to the rule I set for myself to take whatever word I open the book to that is the second from the bottom on the left-hand page. This will not, by the way, apply to the letters X and Y and Z- there aren’t enough pages for those letters. But I digress. My main concern today for the letter C was one particular entry that just happens to be the second-last letter in the left hand column on page 104:
Yes, this could have been the word of the day. It was with a grimace and a prayer to the word gods of the planet Thesauri that I gingerly parted the pages of my big red book and believe me, it was with a sigh of relief that I discovered I wouldn’t have to talk about cocks. Luck was on my side; I landed instead on page 108 and the word “commit.”
I think to a certain extent we all have things that we’re compulsive over. One of my biggest compulsions is that I must stick to a commitment. I may even be worse–more determined–with the commitments I make to myself, though I’m pretty fierce when it comes to doing whatever I promised someone else I’d do. Which is why it just about kills me when I can’t keep up with these challenges I set for myself.
One of the synonyms for “commit” is “imprison.” I do, in a way, imprison myself when I dedicate myself to something. I box myself in but that’s really not all that bad. For an unemployed (at least in a 9-5 sense) woman, structure isn’t something my days are filled with. Yes, I have to get up when the rooster crows (see what I did there?) for my kids, and I have to be here when they come home, but what of the space in between when they’re at school? A commitment to something consigns me to a task. In the case of this particular commitment–blogging–you, my friends, are my overseers.
I wouldn’t let us down unless under duress.
What, apart from your family and your job are you committed to? And how far would you go to honour your commitment? I’d love to know.
April 4, 2015 at 12:24 pm
I have committed to doing the SoCS prompt every weekend now and I love it. I usually give some sort of thought into my posts on my blog, but with this one I live in the moment and I wing it.
🙂
As for A to Z..well, let’s just say I am watching from the sidelines and admiring everyone’s commitment to the challenge and some people’s commitments to read through as many of the AtoZ posts as they can.
I am committed to compiling a list, my favourite from each letter, which I will post on May 1st. That is all the AtoZ commitment I can make this year.
My blog has given me the will to commit to my writing and I love it for that.
Great AtoZ topic you have here and glad you got this C word over others.
🙂
Happy Easter to you.
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April 6, 2015 at 2:28 pm
SoCS is great for just winging it, isn’t it? Thanks so much for participating! And what a wonderful idea to compile a list of favourites! Thanks so much for commenting and I hope you’re having a wonderful Easter Monday. 🙂
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April 4, 2015 at 7:11 am
Besides family, I’m committed to my faith, singing in my chorus, and, increasingly, writing poetry. Wasn’t quite expecting that last one, but surprises do happen…
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April 6, 2015 at 2:18 pm
Pleasant surprises are sometimes what keep us going, aren’t they? 🙂
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April 4, 2015 at 1:38 am
I’ve stayed up all night long, no sleep and straight to work, so that I could write 🙂
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April 6, 2015 at 2:16 pm
Yep, that’s commitment all right! I’m usually up late with my writing, but I don’t think I’ve gone that far… yet.
Thanks for your comment! 🙂
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April 3, 2015 at 3:45 pm
A happy prison, perhaps? Commitment is such a valuable trait. Love your banner photo by the way.
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April 6, 2015 at 2:13 pm
It is a happy prison, most of the time. 🙂 Thanks very much, Beth! The picture is a year old – still waiting for the budding leaves this year!
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April 3, 2015 at 3:38 pm
Another excellent post, Linda. I made a commitment to myself to make 2015 a year of writing. So far, I am keeping. This month I am doing a poetry challenge, the A2Z, and another 30 day challenge. In May, I am doing the StoryADay In May challenge. I tried to do it last year, but was sick most of the month (was just getting over chemo). So this is my year! I try to honor commitments because they show what material I am really made of.. Happy Easter!
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April 6, 2015 at 2:06 pm
Good for you, Lori! I love your ambition. 😀 Happy Easter Monday!
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April 3, 2015 at 3:31 pm
there is a common definition of commitment that i love that says commitment is your resolve to do the thing you say you would do long after the mood you were in when you said you would do it changed
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April 6, 2015 at 2:02 pm
Yes, that’s the difference between good intentions and honest ones, isn’t it? Thanks for this, Lewin. 🙂
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April 12, 2015 at 6:10 am
it really is
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April 3, 2015 at 3:13 pm
I’m glad you said apart from family and work as my work is a labour of love; but writing has also always been but I never committed to it enough…blogging as given me that structure and meeting amazing folks like you who inspire me to keep on writing. Incidentally A – Z challenge was inspired by you too:)
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April 6, 2015 at 2:00 pm
Wow, cool! I really need to get caught up with your blog my dear. Blogging certainly does provide the push to keep going, doesn’t it? It’s one of the things I love about it. 🙂
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April 3, 2015 at 3:07 pm
Lovely post! So much to onder in it.
What am I committed to? The short answer is joy, unschooling, and writing, in that order, more or less…they kind of get all intertwined, most of the time.
The long answer is a blog post of its own – or maybe even a series of them. It may be a few weeks, but I’m keeping this post, and I’ll ping you when I have a better answer. =)
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April 6, 2015 at 1:57 pm
Cool – I’ll look forward to it. Thanks Shan! 🙂
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April 3, 2015 at 1:05 pm
Commitments are serious things. I am very careful about them because I do work hard to satisfy the ones I make.
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April 3, 2015 at 2:17 pm
Yep, me too Dan. I try my best not to overextend myself because when I do, I end up being good for nothing at all. 😛
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April 3, 2015 at 12:55 pm
I’m committed to trying to read my way through all the BATZAM posts flooding into my reader. ha!
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April 3, 2015 at 2:15 pm
There are so many this year! I’m inundated! I don’t remember if you were around for last year’s A-Z or if you showed up after…
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April 5, 2015 at 11:19 pm
just as it was happening I think
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April 3, 2015 at 12:27 pm
I’m committed to reading every one of your posts as soon as they appear in my WP Reader.
Have a Happy Easter, Linda.
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April 3, 2015 at 2:14 pm
Aww… thank you CM! Happy Easter to you too! 😀
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April 3, 2015 at 11:59 am
I’m not fond of commitment, but when I do commit, I’m all in.
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April 3, 2015 at 2:13 pm
I’ve noticed that about you. 🙂 You hesitate for a while and then say, oh what the hell, and go for it.
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April 3, 2015 at 2:19 pm
Thank you for noticin! I do do that. Because I like choices. ALAWT. lol
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April 3, 2015 at 2:28 pm
Choices are good. Always.
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April 3, 2015 at 11:48 am
I, too, have found that blogging has led me to being committed.
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April 3, 2015 at 2:12 pm
Blogaholics Anonymous just didn’t cut it, eh? 😉
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April 3, 2015 at 2:56 pm
We try very hard. A problem arises when we’re successful, because then we start posting progress reports.
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April 3, 2015 at 3:08 pm
It’s a vicious circle my dear. Leap out! Leap out!
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April 3, 2015 at 11:32 am
I take commitment seriously too. If I commit to doing something (a favour) or similar, I will do my utmost to honour it. The same with blogging, work, anything really! 🙂
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April 3, 2015 at 11:48 am
There’s a certain sense of self-satisfaction in completing something we’re committed to, isn’t there?
Thanks for your comment, Edwina. 🙂
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April 3, 2015 at 11:56 am
Yes, I agree. Just as on the clip side, there is that awful feeling of guilt when you haven’t been able to fulfil it for some reason. 🙂
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April 3, 2015 at 12:07 pm
Precisely.
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