Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is LANDSCAPES.
In addition, Marylin Warner over at Things I Want to Tell My Mother is having a February Poetry Contest
The Rules:
“Be a rebel with a writing cause; break away from the expected February verses and write a poem about a date or an activity or adventure that WASN’T what you (or your mother) wanted to do…and how it ended.
You choose: rhymed, free verse, a sonnet or a series of Haikus or even non-bawdy limericks, etc. Just keep your poem to a maximum of 50 words (not counting the words of the title–and please have a title). JOIN THE FUN!”
I began to wonder how I could combine these two seemingly unrelated ideas into one post.
And then I had an idea!
According to the dictionary, a landscape is a picture representing a view or expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view.
My poem, Fears of the Inner Child, is really a landscape of my life. I hope you enjoy reading it.
FEARS OF THE INNER CHILD
Childhood often invades adult life.
Fears laid down early create later strife.
Afraid of adventure and trying new things,
Mom constantly cautioned: Be careful! Life stings!
To conquer that panic is my fervent wish.
I’ve parasailed, skydived and swum with the fish.
If you have the time and want to see the sky-dive I did with my son in the summer of 2010, you can go here.
It was an amazing adventure…and a wonderful bonding experience to have with an adult son. With my book, Show Me How! and my school programs and workshops, I encourage parents to spend time with their young children…reading, crafting and cooking or doing anything positive. “Raising the Next Steve Jobs”, the cover story in the February issue of Parenting Magazine, offered parents some simple advice: read with your children, talk with your children, participate with your children. I was quoted in that article…and my book was mentioned. You know that if want to be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you need to be in their lives today. The fantastic skydive I did with my son only strengthened the connection we forged over thirty years ago when he was a little boy…believe me, those early years are so very important!
If you’d like more information about Jake’s Sunday Post:
http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/ 
And here are a few of the posts from other participants in Jake’s Sunday Post:
http://imagesoftheheart.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/sunday-post-landscape/
http://reflectionsinapuddle.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/sunday-post-landscape/
http://truthaboveallreligions.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/sunday-post-landscape/
http://orples.wordpress.com/2012/02/26/sunday-photo-challenge-landscapes/
http://thismansjourney.net/2012/03/04/sunday-post-landscape/#comments
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 
That is amazing! You’re braver than I am. I won’t be jumping out of a plane anytime soon. 🙂 I think it’s great that you and your son have such a good relationship.
LikeLike
Hahaha…and I won’t be doing it again soon either. 🙂 But I am truly happy I did it…it definitely made me stronger and gave me more confidence in myself…if I could do that…I guess I could do anything. 🙂 Thank you so much for stopping by.
LikeLike
You are so brave!! I am not sure that I would have been able to jump 🙂
LikeLike
To be honest…when you skydive in tandem with the instructor, you really don’t have a choice. 🙂 You are strapped together, like peas in a pod, and when he jumps out of the airplane, he takes you with him. 🙂 It was an amazing experience…I’m so glad I did it,especially because I shared the time with my son!
LikeLike
You sound like a good mom 🙂 It is good to communicate your love. It will build a bond and memories that will help them throughout life. 🙂 Have a great day.
LikeLike
Thank you for stopping by…yes, we need to let our family know we love them…every day and in many ways. 🙂
LikeLike
Wonderful poem and wonderful outlook! I went skydiving when I was 30 and I loved it. it is great to challenge yourself!
LikeLike
Love your poem! Skydiving! I would have done it once, but now as a mom I’ve become so much more cautious! I hope I get to a time in my life when I would be willing again to do it. My aunt’s parents sky-dived together for their 50th anniversary!
LikeLike
Thank you so much…glad you liked the poem!
WOW…skydiving for a 50th anniversary…now that is bravery…and togetherness…quite special…these days, some married couples barely want to sit next to each other at the movies.:)
LikeLike
What a wonderful talent you have! Good thing I have awhile until my oldest is grown, so I can get up the nerve to be adverturous and brave like you!
LikeLike
Just being a parent is a courageous act!!!!
Glad you stopped by. 🙂
LikeLike
I’ve done some pretty Brave things in my life – and I was a Flight Attendant for several years in the ’70s – but jumping out of planes…???!!! Not so much!! Good for You though – and liked your poems, too – ;-}
Lynden
http://aneleganttouch-lynden.blogspot.com/2012/02/100-comments-event-wwwblogelinacom.html
https://www.facebook.com/pages/An-Elegant-Touch-/162889457132788
LikeLike
So nice to have you stop by. 🙂 You are very brave to have been a flight attendant…you went up in the air every day…I only jumped out once. 🙂 Glad you liked the poem…I think many of us carry feelings from childhood into our adult lives.
LikeLike
I’m not big into poetry. Skydiving is too scary. Yes, I’m a boring chicken. I
LikeLike
Hi Tami,
I’m glad you stopped by…we all have unique gifts and talents…I probably can’t do the things you can. 🙂
LikeLike
How wonderful that you are able to write in multiple media- the power of the internet, huh? I love the poetry and the heartfelt help you’re pouring out to parents to encourage them to improve their parenting, and thereby their lives. Beautiful.
LikeLike
Hi Emily,
Thanks so much for stopping by and for the kind words. I love what I do..but I do get overwhelmed with the internet stuff sometimes. 🙂
LikeLike
Skydiving, huh? You’re much braver than I am! Sounds like you and you’re son had a good time though!
LikeLike
It was really so much fun! Thanks for stopping by…I enjoyed your blog of meal ideas for the person living alone.
LikeLike
Wow! I would love to go parasailing. I love the way you combined the two ideas into one poem.
LikeLike
Thanks for stopping by, Mona! Yes, you are right…just think of Thanksgiving, Christmas and so many other “family” holidays where food is one of the main components. 🙂
LikeLike
Sounds like a wonderful book! I’ll check it out.
LikeLike
I hope you like it, Amy.:) I met a preschool teacher the other day and we began talking about reading picture books and doing activities. I gave her a bookmark…and she said, “Oh, I have this book…I love it…I almost don’t have to make lesson plans anymore…everything is right here. 🙂
LikeLike
Great piece! You get the gold star for courage–I daydream about skydiving someday but I don’t think I’d every have the guts to go through with it. Having kids made me a weenie lol.
Christy
http://www.alivinghomeschool.com
LikeLike
Thank you for the gold star. 🙂 You get one for homeschooling! 🙂
Perhaps when your children are older, you will decide to do some of the things that you steop back from now…or maybe not. 🙂 If you are happy and fulfilled in what you are doing, you are doing the right thing for you!
LikeLike
Skydiving! I’d be scared to death and would never follow through. Nice poem too.
LikeLike
We all do things that others wouldn’t. 🙂 I’m sure there might be things that you do that I would not attempt. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by…hope you come again.
LikeLike
I wanna try skydiving but it’s scary! I’m impressed!
LikeLike
Thanks for stopping by…it was a great experience and I’m so happy I did it. 🙂
LikeLike
Wow! Love the landscape picture. That is so cool you got to sky-dive with your son. That must have been quite the experience!
LikeLike
Hi Betsy,
Glad you came by…the skydive was a surprise for me. 🙂 Years before, my son had done it and I had commented, “Oh, that looks like fun..I’d love to do it.” When I visited him in Chicago, he announced that we would be going skydiving the next day. I guess that proves that we need to always think before we talk. 🙂 🙂 It turned out to be an amazing day…and our bond is stonger than ever before. 🙂
LikeLike
I love this post. You are so brave. I have never skydived or parasailed because of fear. Thanks for the inspiration.
LikeLike
It’s funny, because I’ve never thought of myself as brave…in fact…quite the opposite. 🙂 However, I’ve always known I have an iron will…ironically I am also the most flexible and tolerant person you could even meet.:) I guess we are all very complex people.
The skydive was exciting and fun and all the more special because I did it with my son. 🙂
LikeLike
How amazing to have the courage to go sky diving,
LikeLike
Hi Stacy,
Thank you for stopping by. We all have hidden reserves of courage, I think, that get activated as needed. 🙂 A positive self-image is needed to look forward to the challenges in our lives…we can be afraid of something…that doesn’t mean we are cowardly…sometimes it just means we are thoughtfully cautious. 🙂 But that is why I think it is so very important to lay the foundations for high self-esteem early on. Those children will be eager learners.
LikeLike
Sky diving sounds interesting. I love it when there are many people who sky dive all at once and make formations in the sky. 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you so much for stopping by! I’ve seen videos of skydivers performing like that…they are amazing…kind of like synchronized swimmers. 🙂
LikeLike