Victoria Ray's Blog, page 10

Food for Thought or “Ping-Pong” Mindset

It’s been a while… But considering that time is not fundamentally real, and everything around us is happening simultaneously, I was probably absent only for a tiny moment, a billionth of 0.0000000000000000247 second (or 247 zeptoseconds) — the period in which a single particle of light is passing through a molecule of hydrogen. I didn’t write a word all that time, too. And it felt good. ‘Cheers’ for the freedom...

Upside Down or Completely Married

(short story, written summer 2021/1498 words) When someone asks if I’m in a relationship or not, I always answer: “Of course, I am.” Usually, as a sign of acceptance, the person pats me on the shoulder with the following question: “So, how is it?” “It’s demanding,” I sigh. My understanding interlocutor winks and coughs, or sometimes an unexpected alien laugh escapes his mouth. At this moment, I lower my eyes...

An Unkempt Lawn

Hey there! 😬 ça va? Long time no see 😉 While Ray is preparing a blog post about the time off-line, she decided to post a short story – An Unkempt Lawn (satire, symbolism/written summer 2021). I hope you are fine 💙🔆📚 and see you next week, in March! An Unkempt Lawn  (1546 words)  Mrs. Dawn had a kindhearted nature: somewhat naïve, attracted to all things romantic, cheerful, and gentle. She...

Lagos – the city of Big Ambitions

written by Laolu Ogundele   What happens when you get a small-sized receptacle, throw in a dash of creativity, a mix of boisterous optimism, and more than a sprinkling of chaos? You get a city called Lagos. Occupying a combined 1400 square mile area in the southwestern geopolitical zone of Nigeria, the ancient town comprises a beautiful network of islands, lagoons and sandbars.  With its teeming 24 million inhabitants, Lagos is the...

The Story of Harmless Bullet

Day 29 Home, Sweet Home  /absurdist comedy/ The “Sierras Find & Kill Guyamas” team forced me inside the bulletproof van to deliver my body safely to the end destination. My tired bones swayed from side to side as if penetrated by the speed and annoyance of the rumbling wheels of our car. It seemed the men in black masks enjoyed their trip; they were superbly indifferent to my aches and...

The Creativity Mindset

written by Laolu Ogundele   What pops into your mind when you think about creativity? Donatello carving out David’s sculpture in a slab of marble or Leonardo Da Vinci dutifully painting the Mona Lisa? If you do, that’s fine – and correct. However, let’s bring it closer to home. What are some creative things that you have done recently? Yes, I’m asking YOU, the reader. Don’t squirm. Don’t slink into the...

The Story of Harmless Bullet

Day 28 The Wrath of Wife   /absurdist comedy/   “We are… not alone anymore,” I coughed out the words, one by one.  Ms. Sedative stood up, came closer, and stuck her perfect body out of the window. She tilted her ideal head, shook it from side to side like a wind-up toy, and, for a minute or two, blindly stared at the empty concrete steps. The Army was gone. “No one...

#takeawaykeys: “The Gift: 12 Lessons to Save Your Life” by Edith Eger

 We suffer the most when we believe that we have no efficacy in our lives, that nothing we do can improve the outcome. This book will help you understand that our feelings and thoughts create our behavior; much of our suffering stems from the misconception that we can’t be loved and genuine – that if we are to earn others’ acceptance or approval, we must deny or hide our true...

The Crime of Poison: A perfect murder weapon in the mystery books

written by Jessica Hope (guest post) Give me a decent bottle of poison and I’ll construct the perfect crime. Agatha Christie  Made famous by the likes of Agatha Christie in her captivating novels, poison has become the popular choice of weapon in mystery books. From Murder Is Easy, to Sparkling Cyanide, Christie had an incredible ability to build complex narratives around poison. As we know, this ability was born during her...

The Story of Harmless Bullet

Day 27 Beneath your feet /absurdist comedy/ I was proud of the meeting results: it seemed I was cleared, and the murderer – whoever it was – had been identified. While walking through the city, I began whistling softly to myself. Ms. Asunción watched me from her basket, which I dragged behind me on the dusty road. People looked at me – the man covered in the red mud – with...