Friday 19 January 2018

MEETINGS SCHEDULE 2018 - The Grind Writers Group

Before you attend, please email grindwriters@gmail.com.
Sometimes we meet at other places, sometimes meetings are cancelled.


2018 Grind Writers schedule
skips holiday weekends
Sat Jan 20
Sun July 8
Sat Feb 10
Sun July 22
Sun Feb 25
Sun Aug 12
Sun Mar 11
Sun Aug 26
Sun Mar 25
Sun Sept 9
Sun Apr 8
Sun Sept 23
Sun Apr 22
Sun Oct 14
Sun May 6
Sun Oct 28
Sun May 27
Sun Nov 18
Sun June 10
Sun Dec 9
Sun June 24



Look for us on Facebook. Search "The Grind Writers." (there are two pages - make sure you put the "the" in your search words)

Monday 15 January 2018

What question would you ask a psychic?

10 Min. Free-write Prompt:  What question would you ask a psychic about the future?

Do they remove Mr. Trump before his term is done? And is Mr. Pence even worse?

I’d also like to know about that “void” area archaeologists have just found in the Great Pyramid at Giza – a void the archaeology establishment seems to be going to great lengths to stress is not a “chamber.” Oh, why stop there: I could ask the psychic a lot about that because a good psychic should be able to go back and forth—way back and forth—in time. So I’d ask who built the Great Pyramid and how’d they get all those blocks…….
My issue around psychics is this: if I ask about a prediction of some future event and they say “X will happen” to me—that says something I may not be too happy with about Fate or Destiny. I don’t like the idea that our fate is absolutely fixed.

If the psychic tells me X is going to happen, then that means fate is fixed. Doesn't matter what I say or do. Doesn't matter what decision I make. Like the way Sleeping Beauty gets the puncture by spinning wheel thingie no matter that her father banned all spinning wheels from the kingdom for her entire life previously.  
I like to think there may be a kind of karmic template, but that we can add our own embellishments, that we perhaps can temper things a little by our actions. 

The concept of karma seems to say that. In a way. But then, if you experience karmic events as they say we do—then those may be fixed. Or… are they? It gets very complicated very fast. Are you predestined to have Experience Y to work on some past karmic issue, well then what’s the point of things like Buddhist “right action” if it’s already set in stone? How can you change anything by your actions; or is that only for the next life? Does the Christian concept of free will factor in?  
Another problem with consulting psychics and oracles was related by the ancient Father of History (or "Father of Lies"--take your pick) Herodotus centuries ago about that  time when King Croesus consulted the oracle at Delphi before an important upcoming battle against the Persians. 
Delphic oracle

“One ruler who consulted the oracle was Croesus, whose kingdom, Lydia, was located in an area that is now part of the nation of Turkey. 

Croesus was worried that his rival, Cyrus of Persia, was a threat to  him, and he sent messengers to Delphi to ask the oracle for guidance.

The oracle said that crossing the river Halys and battling Cyrus would  cause a great empire to be destroyed. Croesus wrongly assumed that the "great empire" which would fall would be that of his enemy.”

(from this forum


Oops.
As the writer points out, contacting the psychic realms can be rather unreliable: ”The word "delphic," meaning "ambiguous or obscure," is a reference to the often enigmatic prophecies of the Delphic Oracle.”

No, it’s too too complicated. I’ll just ask the psychic about the 649 lotto. I'm only out three bucks if it’s wrong.
Margo Lamont
______________


Saturday 13 January 2018

Christmas - A Writing Prompt

At our last Grind Writers Group meeting before Christmas, "Christmas" was the season's organic prompt and I want to share the Christmas card I wrote to our members.
_______________________

Grind Writers – December 17, 2017

Prompt:  Christmas 


Christmas is not all about presents. It’s also about presence. 

In this group it’s about your managing to get yourself here—putting it in your calendar; getting your writing gear out, maybe a piece printed to share; and getting here by whatever way you travel. Some of you come by car, some by bus, others cycle here, others walk. One of you comes all the way rom Surrey, another from UBC, another the West End. We draw together for this endeavour of writing, whatever it is. 
Christmas—the giving part—the sharing part Christ taught: “Do Unto Others” – is about you sharing your time to be here, sharing your work, trusting us to be supportive (there’s that “Do Unto Others” thing again), and being supportive yourself. 

Supportive isn’t just saying, “Oh, that was nice” or “That was good.” It’s really listening to a piece and trying to be that writer’s ideal reader. It’s trying to see where they are coming from—and doing what 
you can to help them get there through your feedback ("Love One Another”?) and via your encouragement, your cheering on the sidelines.  

It’s about making that effort to turn out to others’ readings. About taking the time to give them a boost review on Amazon or the VPL. About sometimes being their beta reader. All of which take time and give of yourself and your energy. 

So – thank you all for giving us all the gift of 
you all year as the we head into our 12th year in 2018. 


Merry Christmas! 

______________________________ 

Margo Lamont