Writing Workshop : Let's Get Lyrical

I haven't participated in the Writing Workshops over at Sleep is for the Weak for a very long time but I thought I'd give it a go this week.  If you're not familiar with the format, go check it out.

This week has a theme rather than a prompt - inspired by songs and Josie has asked us to base our writing on either the title or lyrics from the song.

I find this one a bit tricky as I love music, as you know so it's hard to pick out just one song. So I am going to pick two.  They're probably both a bit cheesy but I don't care.

Circle of Life - The Lion King

From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to be seen that can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found

Slipping Through My Fingers - Abba

Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table 

Barely awake, I let precious time go by 

Then when she's gone there's that odd melancholy feeling 

And a sense of guilt I can't deny 

What happened to the wonderful adventures 

The places I had planned for us to go 

Well, some of that we did but most we didn't 

And why I just don't know 

Both of these songs and their lyrics remind me that life really is short and the clock is ticking all the time.  It's something I think about a lot.  There is so much I want to see and do in this world and I'm afraid I won't ever get around to doing it.  Afraid that one day I'll look back and regret not doing all the things I'd hoped to with the children.  

Fortunately Mr M shares this view with me and we've had an awakening this year.  We're actively setting out to do more with our lives, go see things and try out new experiences. Okay, so we're not making a huge impact or doing anything life-changing but we getting off out bums and making an effort to do more.  We even made lists, and we've made plans. I know that old saying "life is what happens when you're busy making other plans" but that's not true for me. I find if I don't plan it, it doesn't happen - it's very easy to meander your way through life.  It's like in the film "Up" where Carl and Ellie have their savings jar for Paradise Falls and they never quite make it because other things get in the way and take precedent all the time. I've made a decision to not let that happen to us.

First thing we decided to do was stop procrastinating and worrying about cost and take the children to Florida to Disneyworld.  It's something that I wanted to do with the children whilst they were still young enough to find it magical so I am glad I took the plunge and booked it up. But it's not all big stuff - some of the items on the list are small like visit the Tower of London (done), go to see a ballet performance (done), see several different West End shows (doing). It's not all big, expensive trips and events - some of it are just places we've talked about visiting like Hampton Court Palace, Westminster Abbey, beautiful beaches, museums and restaurants.  There are of course big holidays we want to do - take the children on a road trip of the US West Coast and then on a trip to New York, Boston, Niagara Falls etc, Mr M and I want to go to Thailand, tour around Italy, go island hopping in Greece...so they need to be planned for, and then there are things like buying a VW camper, restoring an old Fiat 500, planting an orchard, building a treehouse... 

None of these things are pie in the sky, they're all realistic and achievable ambitions so there should be nothing standing in my way and these song lyrics serve as a reminder to me that the only thing stopping me is me.

I don't want to look back on my the kids childhoods in twenty years and think why didn't we do more?

love & kisses
Mrs M x