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| tick tick tick tick |
I receive
daily writing prompts in my inbox. I go
through streaks of using them, when they intrigue me and dry spells when the
ideas bore me.
A recent
one that pricked my writing reverie was “write a list of things that tick;”
quite different from things that tick me off.
Honestly, there are days that list would be a catalog. No, this one was simply things that
tick.
I
interpreted that as a sound - a clicking or rhythmic beat; and even took it a
step further with a check mark indicating something is done. I avoided the pesky blood-sucking insect that
latches itself to you while hiking in the summer.
A few of
the words and phrases that I wrote on my list
pocket watch alarm clock time bomb my eye when I’m
stressed creepy working to clean the
pool a metronome high heels on a concrete floor Dorothy’s ruby slippers crosswalk signs a card placed in bicycle spokes
All of
items and actions denote a beat, a measure of time or an accomplishment. How many ticks and checks do I need before I’m
ticked off or calmed down? Face it, some
ticks drone on; annoying, while others are lovely repetitive reminders.
Ticks
create a cadence to our lives. Just
think about a quickly tapped pencil.
Sounds like impatience or frustration.
In contrast, the slow precision of a clock ticking sets a peaceful tone
in the quiet of the night.
I have
ticks that tick me off, occasionally ticks in my eye and fortunately no ticks
on my body. I see them all as a
necessary part of my life tempo. They
keep me steady and set my pace. When
there’s a lot to do, my ticking is rapid.
(Can you hear my heels clickety clicking?) Then comes those much anticipated moments
when the pulse is slow, like a long weekend away at a cabin on a lake. (That’s coming in a couple of weeks.)
If I had
given you the prompt to write a list of ticks…what would you have written?
Missy
If you have been mildly amused, challenged or inspired by what you have
read, please pass on my blog to a friend, colleague, family member or even random
acquaintance
very challenging..well written
ReplyDeleteThanks. It certainly challenges me to pay attention to the ticks, and to not let too many tick me off!
DeleteGood one, Missy. I have a laborious tick in my engine that needs attention. There is the ticking sound everytime a rock stuck in the tread of the tire hits the pavement or the ticking sound of water leaking from the faucet into the sink in the middle of the night. Since I no longer hear well, I rarely hear a watch ticking.
ReplyDeleteI like your "ticks." I hadn't thought of a rock stuck in the tire. My hubby and son just got back from being out in the woods, and son's tire had rocks that were driving him crazy. Maybe, there's a blessing to the hearing waning. Thanks for reading!
Delete