Elaine’s Blog
I hope you enjoy these ramblings
How to Get Out of the Flames if You’re in Hell on Earth
In 2016 a Michigan pastor called Gerald Johnson had a heart attack and claimed he died when his ‘spirit left my physical body.’ I’m fascinated with near-death experiences. I was riveted by Anita Moorjani’s account in her book, Dying To Be Me, but this one confused me....
What Kind of World Do You Believe In?
The World We Believe In Becomes The World We Live In Buddha This is so true. Unless you don’t believe it. I mean, the world is just the world, isn’t it? But your world might not be my world. And do you only inhabit one world? How about the leagues of people that love...
Is Seeing With Your Head More Fun Than Seeing With Your Eyes?
'Make a place available to the eyes, and in certain ways, it is no longer available to the imagination' Joan Didion Picture this. Pompeii. ‘I’d like to invite you to use your imagination; the tour guide told us as he let us around the ruins. And oh, my imagination...
You Don’t Have to Catch the Ball
Maybe I’m a year-round grinch, but when I worked in any organisation, I hated the smiley, fakey, irritating team-building exercises that companies feel they have to put on for their staff. Especially the ice-breaking part where people would sit in a circle and the...
Stop Trying to Be the Hero in Someone Else’s Story
Who doesn’t like a hero? Someone to take charge and make things better. Someone to rely on and trust that they catch you if you fall. My dad was my hero when I was young. I thought he knew everything and everyone. It didn’t occur to me that the men he called by name...
It’s About Time You Heard a Home Truth
The fact that a great many people believe something is no guarantee of its truth - W Somerset Maugham I overheard someone saying recently, ‘well, she needs to hear a few home truths’ and, even though I’ve heard the term ‘home truths’ many times, it made me smile. I’m...
Show Me, Don’t Tell Me
‘Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass,’ Anton Chekhov. Writers are constantly told to show, not tell, aren’t they? Instead of telling the reader what happens, show them through action and dialogue. This is easier said than...
Be More Dog
Do you neglect your dog? I’ll bet you don’t. I’ll bet my last chocolate in the box that you look after your dog. I’ll bet you worry about time when you’re out as you have to get back for the dog. You walk your dog regularly and only feed it the best food. You’ve...
Do You Deserve a Second Chance?
‘“I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. I’ve learned that life always offers us a second chance to prove ourselves.” Maya Angelou. People often talk about getting or wanting a second chance. But to do what? Why will a second chance...