Tag: life

Flik | The Greatest Ant that ever lived

A Bugs Life, a children’s film or something much deeper?

Daily writing prompt
When you think of the word “successful,” who’s the first person that comes to mind and why?
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This morning I have decided to take an unconventional route with the daily prompt & subsequently I’m writing about a fictional Ant, bear with me 🤭. If you have not seen the movie A Bugs Life, I would highly recommend it. It’s an animated movie from 1998 by the same people who made Toy Story. I won’t ruin the plot for you, but it is laden with deep philosophical meaning.

The protagonist Flik, although well intentioned, is a hapless liability to his Ant colony, often coming up with crazy inventions, schemes & plots to improve the lives of his fellow Ants. They are plagued by a gang of rogue Grasshoppers stealing all of their food & Flik sets out on a mission to fight back. Given that he is prone to a mishap or two, this results in a series of comical events that will have you laughing out loud.

Although it is technically a children’s fable, there are some profound quotes & lessons that can be taken from it. As Flik attempts to rally the ants to fight back against the Grasshoppers, he has to make the ants realise that although they are small individually, if they work together they are bigger & stronger than the Grasshoppers. I think the same is true of people & communities. In this crazy digital age, it’s easy to get lost in the noise of it all, making it tricky to find your place & purpose. Whilst you may feel small in amongst a population of billions of people, getting out into the community, doing volunteer work & helping people, has such a positive impact on other people but also your own sense of fulfilment. One of the things I have loved most about creating this blog, is reading other peoples & the charity/community work they do. It reminds me there are good people out there, the world needs more Fliks, lots of people pulling together & working towards common goals. Circling back to the question, without giving any spoilers, my successful person is Flik, even the smallest & clumsiest of Ants can become a hero!

Let me know who your successful person is, I will have a look on WordPress Reader later, but also happy for you to share a link in comments to your writing prompt post 😊

I shall leave you with one of my favourite Flik quotes “You’re not a tree yet, you just have to give yourself some time. You’re still a seed.”

Have a lovely day & thanks for reading ❤️

Computers | Crazy space age technology, a force for good?

I rarely write the daily prompts however this topic piqued my interest & is a subject I have spent a lot of time ruminating over recently. Computers & the internet allow you to connect with people all over the world, find communities who share similar interests & for a lot of lucky people earn a living on the move, doing things they love. Computers have been a source of immense utility both on an individual & societal basis. However, the level of integration into our every day lives is frightening & a little overwhelming.

Daily writing prompt
Your life without a computer: what does it look like?
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As a species, Human beings are incredible, with such a resilience & adaptability to survive through hundreds & thousands of years of harsh winters, wars, famines, droughts, geological, cosmological & solar events. However, the rate at which computers & the internet are changing the very nature of what it is to be human, is leaving little room for people to adapt & evolve in parallel. To me, it is insane that I am able to access an entire library’s worth of knowledge at my finger tip whilst eating a packet of Jaffa cakes on the sofa. I guess with anything, it can be a tool for good, as long as you are disciplined & using computers alongside daily life rather than outsourcing thinking & decision making to a computer or AI model.

In direct relation to what does life look like without a computer? I often find myself seeking serenity in the countryside, even if it’s only a temporary recluse. Visiting places with no internet or phone signal, really makes me appreciate the beauty in nature. Coming back from these trips, it feels like a digital detox & a fresh mindset. If you live in the UK, the Peak District is the perfect place, I am very fortunate to go regularly. If you are interested in visiting, I have some travel guides on my page (I’m not on commission or selling ads or anything like that, I just want people to experience the Peaks). You can see my posts on Grindleford (Here), New Mills (Here) & Hope/Castleton (Here).

Thanks for taking the time to read, I am really interested in what you think, so please let me know. Also if you have any tips for reducing screen time & getting a good balance of digital time vs offline, I would love to hear them. I often start out being very productive, writing for my blog & reading up on things, but then before long I am playing computer games & looking at memes. Which is fine in moderation, if you can find a balance, which I currently don’t do very well 😂. Have a wonderful weekend ❤️

Is life without music a soulless existence?

Daily writing prompt
What would your life be like without music?
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This is my first time writing for the ‘Daily prompt’, however this subject definitely caught my attention. I truly feel that music is such an integral part of what makes us human. For me, music is a sort of composition of various sounds arranged in such a way that can produce incredible sounds that can be deeply moving. There are so many different types of music, genres, sub genres & more instruments than I could ever list here. Having the fortune to listen to live music is such a profound intimate experience that I couldn’t imagine never going to see a show again.

When you visit a country, I feel like the two things that really go to the heart of a culture are the food & the music. Of course the buildings & scenery are important, but I feel everything about the history & the people is poured into the food & music. When I was recently in Finland, I sat in a bar on my own for about 2 hours listening to Finnish people sing Karaoke. I had no idea what the lyrics meant, but it was a wonderful experience. I had something similar in Egypt, having no clue what the band were singing in Arabic.

Without music, I would definitely be lost. I love food, but it doesn’t stir my soul in the same way that music can. I have a very eclectic taste & have been fortunate to have seen some incredible live performances. Some of my favourite have been to are Bruce Springsteen, Duran Duran, Oasis, Scooter, Sean Paul, JFDR, Olafur Arnalds, Ludovico Einaudi, Andre Rieu & Johann Strauss orchestra, The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Hans Zimmer, Kasabian, Gerry Cinnamon, Biffy Clyro & The Blossoms (I have been to about 100 shows in last 3/4 years).

Let me know some of your favourite music, I always love to listen to new things, so any recommendations appreciated 😊