The Mercurial Wordsmith

The changes presented slowly, at first. Nothing really raised an immediate red flag of alarm or worry. The first thing to go was my decent, consistent sleep schedule. Normally in bed by 10 (or sometimes, even earlier) and up by 6 for the work commute, the routine was clearly defined and set in place. Then, March arrived, and along with it, the shut down. We almost immediately shifted to remote work, and maintaining that sleep schedule was not only short lived, but eventually descended into a raging trash fire. What would start with staying up a little bit later each night, eventually turned into full-blown insomnia. I was noticing a pattern of pit-in-the-stomach anxiety each night, something I have never really felt before.  As the weeks and months wore on, it got to a point where I was regularly up until 3 or 4 am and still getting up to work the next day. Not an ideal way to function.  Not surprisingly, the quality of sleep was also compromised. Even when I would sleep in on...

I had my second experience with an edible this weekend. It wasn't much better than the first time I tried it, which was about a year ago.  I honestly think it's overrated. Maybe it loses the appeal and luster when you first try it in your 40s. Maybe I'm just too much of a newbie to appreciate it. Or maybe I just don't understand the so-called desired effect. Maybe all of the above? I partook of this most recent one at 5:30 pm on Friday. By 8:15, I was fast asleep. What transpired in between wasn't really all that impressive.  I really don't like the way it messes with the perception of time. Maybe I'm too much of a control freak to give that up. Forgetting why I kept going into the damn kitchen, and whatever it was I was doing there that seemingly took forever was not fun. Not at all. Kind of like a nightmare, I'd keep reminding myself that what I thought I was experiencing in terms of the time perception wasn't real. It was jarring and rather stres...

Well, dear reader, I did it! The sun is now setting on November 2020, and a new month dawns tomorrow. With today's post, I have now taken the time to sit down and write something, anything , each day in the month of November. I'm proud of myself for doing this. For someone who has always had the drive, but lacking the direction and discipline, this is no small feat! I have looked forward to sticking to my goal, and I am thrilled to report that I met that! A few observations as I close out this chapter of Non-NaNoWriMo 2020. I Kept Myself Accountable. Admittedly, it wasn't always easy. Some days I struggled with content, other days it was the mental energy. But, I persevered, even on the days when I may have cheated a little and phoned it in with a Random Things Edition or calling back a memory that was written years ago. I purposely didn't set limitations on myself with this project, as I knew those days would likely come. It's hard to write everyday, and keeping my...

  The following depicts one of the strangest encounters I've ever experienced. It happened to me a few years ago, and I all but forgot about it. But the Facebook memories tool brought me it all flooding back, as I came across it again the other day. I think it's worth sharing here again, because as I read it with again with fresh eyes, I'm even more incredulous at the occurrence. It really was like a personal trip through the Twilight Zone!  I'm still trying to process this...Long post ahead... Today I treated myself to my usual weekly-ish or so salad bar lunch at Jason's Deli. Almost immediately, I noticed an older woman (late 50s or so) who was behind me in line, but more at my side and seriously crowding my personal space...and staring very hard at me. I shrugged it off and moved along with paying and then assembling my salad. Roughly 10 minutes later, I am settled and eating, surfing on my phone, when I just feel like I am being watched. Yup. She's seated a ...

Note: This entry depicts issues surrounding menstruation and reproductive matters. If you're sensitive to any of these topics and don't wish to read further, please feel free to exit and skip this post. Two years ago today marks the day I consider my Rebirth Day. Such a strange and bewildering experience has brought me here. I could probably write a book about all that has transpired over a several month span back in 2018. So here goes the (sort of) abridged version.  My bits decided to sprout some fibroids, wreaking all sorts of havoc with various aspects of daily life. Gnarly, alien-like masses (which are rarely malignant, thankfully) invaded my womb and body, a byproduct of the natural and cyclical hormonal fluctuations. Fibroids are incredibly common and there is nothing that can be done to prevent them from growing. Simply being equipped with female parts is the only known risk factor.  My largest and most problematic fibroid was approximately the size of a (growing!) ten...

Since it's Black Friday, I decided to play around with with Canva a bit and create a holiday themed animated graphic. What do you think? The static image is posted and the animated graphic is linked.  This is just so much fun! As with writing, I've been a bit of a dabbler in the graphic design arena. It's been something more of a relaxing pleasure than anything professional.  Although, I have incorporated images and graphics for work-related newsletters and email blasts. But that was a million years ago, and this is really ust for fun.  But I think this will become a vital portion of allowing myself to display the artwork I create for the blog. It's largely been kept private and for my own creation and viewing experience. Delving into another art form as I continue to focus and grow on the writing should prove interesting.  Indeed, I've read that exposing one's self to different mediums and types of artistic expression can inspire and foster positivity in the ot...

Surprise! The Mercurial Wordsmith is an active blogger page on Facebook! As November draws to a close, I have decided to establish a new social media page in which I will continue to create, share and promote my writing process and projects for the future. This is also the perfect arena in which I can flex a bit of my design skill muscles and showcase those projects as well.  The posts I create here in Blogger will eventually be shared exclusively to that page, and will be kept separated from my personal one. I'll only keep sharing to my personal page through the end of November. The results from the poll I posted earlier this week were the main driving force behind that.  Perhaps it was the method I used that, but more people only viewed the poll in My Story than actually participated. Nevertheless, I think this is a better arena for me to continue to share my creative outlets moving forward. I want to do so freely, but at the same time, I don't want to do it in a manner th...

I have decided to stick with Blogger for now. The platform is working really well for me and for the current needs and overall purpose of the blog. If I find that I am outgrowing it or its limitations are hindering my progress in any way, I'll reconsider moving to a different platform. So with that decision made, I also went ahead and decided to purchase a custom domain for the blog. This will help shorten the URL and make it more seamless to remember and  utilize across multiple platforms, and I think it helps boost the professional appearance of it, too. www.mercurialwordsmith.com Just typing that link gave me goosebumps! I feel like I am gaining more insight and clarity in what I want to do and achieve with this blog. Less than a month ago, that vision was not yet realized. I can't wait to see where this all leads! Dare I say, it's starting to feel a bit like I am developing my own brand! I have some more ideas/plans that I am working on and that I will share before the ...

When I was 15, I moved to a another part of the county that placed me in a different school district. I handled that about as well as you'd expect any temperamental, self-absorbed teenage girl would. I was leaving behind a small circle of friends and larger orbit of friendly acquaintances, that I think deep down, I largely understood I wouldn't see again. With the exception of my best friend Susan, that premonition expectedly came true. Socializing and keeping in touch was so different than it is today. Remember, this was back when shitty dial-up was a hot commodity and the Internet was akin to the Wild West. Anyway, I digress a bit. Back on topic.  Already sullen and Hating Absolutely Everything, I arrived at my new school on the first day, almost immediately getting lost as I stepped into the building. I remember traipsing the halls trying to find my first period classroom. After a certain point, it became aimless wandering, frustration building up and holding back tears, I ...