Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi...Thoughts On Flow

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience,” describes flow as “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.” Csikszentmihalyi’s ideas on flow stemmed from his attempt to discover a path to happiness. He wanted to figure out “how to live life as a work of art, rather than as a chaotic response to external events.”

Whenever I sit at my desk to compose a piece of literature for an English class, while surrounded by my treasured books, I become transported to another place. As if my mind unknowingly boarded a plane to Istanbul, while my body remands in the chair. Since time passes me by quickly like a falling star, I find myself missing where I put those lost hours. Even though I can’t remember how many hours pass my by, I’m always amazed with my finished project. My stomach does not register that I’m hungry; I only need water to maintain my consistent flow of writing.
Therefore, I’m always excited to receive writing assignments it gives me an opportunity to be in my own flow.

Absolute phrases-cause and effect:

1. The girl having lied about her criminal record, the employment application was denied. (Dishonesty lead to refusal of employment)

Prepositional phases acting as an adjective:

1. The white blouse with the pink collar was found in the trash.
2. The red envelope with the word mummy was placed on the coffin.

Gerund phrase acting as direct object:

1. Roller coaster enthusiasts enjoy the spinning rides at the Texas State Fair.
2. The storm chaser loved chasing tornados.

Present participle phrase

1. Trying to yell for help, water filling her lungs, and her body sinking, Megan was drowning in the lake. Modifying

2. Sherman Alexie, writing in his study, eventually produced a novel.
Modifying

Infinitive phrase acting as the subject of a sentence

1. To succeed takes determination, honestly, and a positive attitude.
(Infinitive phrase acting as noun and subject of the sentence)

2. Avery studied to receive an A on the grammar exam.
(Infinitive phrase acting as adverb and subject of the sentence)

3. Larry is a man to trust.
(Infinitive phrase acting as an adjective and subject of the sentence)

Adjective clause, adverbial clause, and a noun clause acting as the subject of sentence

1. The police knew the name of the man who wrote the threatening lett

The Voice You Fail To Hear.....

My iron string warned me of death and oh how I regret not listening. I should have insisted my best friend to listen to me when I asked her..

“Are you certain that your in-laws will take good care of her? Can you really trust them?”
Her reply was… “She raised two sons of her own.”

Heart racing, hands sweating, I should have canceled my return flight home from Dayton, Ohio in the sad summer of ’03 and maybe my best friend’s adorable five year old girl would live to ride her pink bike down the street one more time..If only I’d listen to my iron string…If only I insisted upon not to let Vickie’s ex-husband’s mother to watch Megan on that first Monday of June…If only I used different words and maybe with a stern voice.

I boarded the plane home and for the next three hours of my flight home, Megan’s image on her bicycle of long fancy, fabulous, full blond hair blowing freely in the wind, eyes concentrating on the street, wearing her favorite white shorts, with the word Princess written in shine silver across the front of her pink shirt, filled my thoughts..It was the last I will ever see of her!

When the plane landed and phone service was authorized by the flight crew, my cell phone lit up like a blinking Christmas tree. Hands shaking, eyes crying, head down, I knew the messages. Megan was gone…The cause of death. The foolish ex-mother-in-law allowed Megan to ride on the tractor for fun with huge sharp spinning blades attached to the back of the machine….Little Megan slipped from her seat and the door was ajar…

The coffin was light pink Megan’s favorite color…The coffin remained closed.
From that day to the present, I ALWAYS listen to the iron string!

Image I used for a class project. The title of the piece is, "The Border"

Preposition Poem

The army of ants marched up the wooden bench onto the picnic table,
once on top of the red and white box colored table cloth,
through Aunt Lucy’s homemade potato salad,
crossed over the hotdog buns,
between the condiments,
beside the Oscar Meyer winners,
to eat the yummy chocolate cake filled with swirls of strawberry filling,
topped with sweet dark chocolate frosting.