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SHARING MY WORLD – Marilyn Armstrong

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From Melanie, these are the second set of her questions. I feel like I should copy Fandango’s answers because basically, they are my answers. However, I’ll try to say something original.

Original. Hmm.

Okay, at least not exactly the same.

This Week’s Questions:

Are you a better listener or speaker?

I am probably a better speaker, but I listen. And I hear not only what someone says to me, but what they didn’t say.

Photo: Garry Armstrong – Chatting about flowers

You might say I hear between the lines.

If you were asked to design a warning label that would be tattooed on your skin, what would it say? 

I have a tattoo. It’s a Phoenix. I got it after I survived my third near-death experience.

I didn’t know I had a couple more to come. I actually (haha) thought I was done.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about writing. Blogging is what I’m doing this time, but I have always written, professionally and just because. Even when I was earning my living as a technical writer, I also wrote funny stuff and free-lance news pieces … and some really good letters.

You could say I’m also passionate about taking pictures, but that has more of a hobby/enthusiast status.

Really, though I am most passionate about learning. I’m a born-again researcher. I will track an idea as far as I can until I’m satisfied that I’ve learned either 1) everything I want to know about it, or 2) I’ve learned everything there is to know about it. For now.

Whatever “it” might be. I do not understand people who lack the curiosity to discover what is going on in the world.

I suppose one of the things that upset me about younger gens is their lack of interest in concepts and ideas. Philosophy. Their minds do not seem to wander into strange and wondrous places. I hope there are some —  hopefully many — who do wander because they will save us all

If you could change one thing about your world, what would it be?

No Trump presidency.

What gave you a reason to smile this past week?   

I think the Red Sox have the Eastern Division in the bag. It doesn’t mean we will win the post-season games. Post-season is another season, but at least it means we’ll get to the post-season.

When life otherwise sucks, there are sports.

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32 replies

  1. Melanie B Cee
    09/12/2018 • 15:21

    Thanks for ‘Sharing Your World’! I’d have guessed that you were a ‘listener between the lines’ sort of woman, don’t know why exactly, I just have had that impression since we ‘met’ here. And go Red Sox (hmm.) My brother in Idaho is a big fan as well. Me? I’ll stick with Utah’s minor league “Bees” IF I follow baseball at all. Go Bees! 😉 (the Sox would obviously wipe the baseline with the Bees, but it’d still be a fun game to watch!)

    Liked by 1 person

  2. jcalberta
    09/12/2018 • 11:17

    It’s surprising how smart people think you are if you listen to them. (I didn’t make that up. Sadly)
    You’d be surprised how many come into my workplace who are just lonely and need somebody to listen to them. They aren’t there to buy anything at all. It’s my privilege and joy to provide that simple service.
    That makes me ‘Smile’.

    Like

    • Marilyn Armstrong
      09/12/2018 • 13:10

      Garry has always said his strongest feature as a reporter was that he really LISTENED. Apparently, if you want the whole scoop, ask and when they say they don’t have anything, nod with understanding. Keep showing up. Look sensitive and interested — which for Garry wasn’t hard because he IS sensitive and interested. Eventually, they will show you everything. Because they trust you. So all those listening hours are not necessarily wasted. When they ARE ready to buy, they will remember you and how you listened.

      Liked by 2 people

  3. swo8
    09/12/2018 • 10:49

    Sports are a good diversion except if you’re a Blue Jays fan…. 😦
    Leslie

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Covert Novelist
    09/12/2018 • 10:19

    That is a great picture of Garry to be sure. I also have many of the same views as you!

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Kiki
    09/12/2018 • 08:36

    Oh blow the repetition of what I said before: I have the same views as you, would have the same answers more or less (except for the Red Sox obviously) and am feeling greatly privileged to ‘know’ you now from afar.
    Also love the smiling Garry pix; he seems quite a happy chappy!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. DailyMusings
    09/12/2018 • 06:13

    love that photo of Garry!! Red is his color 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Lwbut
    09/12/2018 • 03:25

    Are they Red Sox P.J’s??? 🙂

    What i’ve had to learn about hearing between the lines is that most of what i ‘heard’ was in my head but not in theirs. 😦

    Also i hear far far more than they are actually thinking or are ever aware of themselves.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marilyn Armstrong
      09/12/2018 • 13:20

      They are in first place in the Eastern Division and actually are the best team in all of baseball. I believe this is their epic year. They have beaten every record they ever set and most records everybody else has ever set as a team, Individual player stats kept separately. Whether they’ll win the entire series is a different issue. The “post-season” playoffs are a separate season. You can win all year and still lose in the playoffs. But for the year, they’ve won an incredible number of games.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Lwbut
        09/12/2018 • 23:38

        It’s always a special feeling when ‘your’ team manages to excel – and a rare one usually! and you are right – the Season games are one thing, Finals are another – but i hope they continue their great form right up to the last game of the year. 🙂

        Like

    • Garry Armstrong
      09/12/2018 • 21:32

      Bob, I believe there are Red Sox accessories for every occasion. Right now, I’m wearing my Red Sox summer pajama pants…..among other articles of clothing.

      I am a good listener (I can hear Marilyn snickering at that one). It’s a must for a TV News guy who wants information. I am also a good talker if you hand me a microphone. As Marilyn is fond of telling people, I never met a microphone I didn’t like. The Cochlear implant really is improving my ability to listen and HEAR.

      I am passionate about baseball and old movies (30’s and 40’s). I’m also passionate about “standards” music. Sinatra, Fitzgerald, etc. Ditto folkies like Baez, Collins, and Emmy Lou Harris. Dylan the lyricist not Dylan the singer. I am manly passionate about mature, well endowed Wimmen (Marilyn is exhibit A)..

      Cause for recent smile: Activation of my cochlear implant. I was very apprehensive and am still a work in progress. But, folks, I can actually HEAR! Yippy Ky Yay!

      What would I change? Delete Donzo.

      Goodnight, and good luck.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Lwbut
        09/13/2018 • 00:04

        I’m SOOOO glad you said; ” …among other items of clothing.’ 😉
        Great news you are finding the implant is working out for you – we don’t realise just what we miss when one of our senses does not work like it is supposed to (not all of which is necessarily good though!)

        I like to think i’m a good listener, but like every one of us sometimes i hear more what i think than what they said/meant. 😉

        I’m a far better writer than speaker, unless it’s a topic i am passionate about and understand well – which is not a lot! 😉

        I’ve got quite a broad taste in music, and indeed most things,: sport, arts, science, religion, etc.

        I can get quite passionate more about individual things in those categories than the generalised category. I really appreciate some songs/tunes in just about any category (except Rap) more than having one genre i prefer: From Brahms to Adele; from The Platters and Beatles to AC/DC and Guns and Roses. 🙂
        If it’s good i can appreciate it.
        As for Deleting Donzo? ( if only!) I’m trying to see him as the president you needed to have – just to remind you how important it is to have a greater involvement in the running of your country and not let the turkeys rule the barn.

        it is also a timely reminder that not everything was great for everybody under previous administrations that most thought might have been ‘Ok’?

        Just being Ok is not really good enough – we deserve better, don’t we?

        Like

        • Marilyn Armstrong
          09/13/2018 • 00:12

          Not that I’m voting for “okay,” but right now, okay would be a lot better than “up to our hips in alligators.”

          Obviously, we know not everything was great. You can’t be a mixed-race couple in the U.S. and not notice that when they say “life was so much better” they do not mean us.

          Is there any great rap? If there is, we must have missed it. Otherwise, I really like everything, though I am probably most fond of folk and classical — like Beethoven classical as opposed to Mozart classical, with a goodly dollop of Romanticism (Liszt, Rachmaninoff, et al) in there. Basically, I’m really happy if there’s a melody, words, and a rhythm I can grasp.

          Liked by 1 person

          • Lwbut
            09/13/2018 • 00:46

            I’m sure you and Garry fully understood that all was not ‘Great’ before, sadly it seems the majority (just) didn’t – or did and somehow figured DT would turn something around. Maybe they got ‘turn around’ confused with ‘turn on it’s head’? 🙂

            Like

            • Marilyn Armstrong
              09/13/2018 • 01:20

              It’s not as generalized as you may think. The U.S. is big and there are pockets of bigots and a lot of places that are pretty liberal or at least neutral. Boston gets a bad rap because it’s New England and people in this area are standoffish. People think it’s personal, but it really isn’t. They treat everybody like that. Most places are reasonably relaxed … it’s just that we have this crazed leader who is revving up the nut jobs. I’m hoping the next election fixes that.

              Liked by 1 person

              • Lwbut
                09/13/2018 • 01:22

                All generalisations can be shown to be false – especially mine! 😉

                Aus and the US are not so very different in most things – except we use the metric system now and have for a while 😉

                Like