So Who Are We, Really
After reading a post, I suddenly had this urge to delve a bit into the realm of Chinese Astrology. They base the twelve signs on animals verses what we commonly refer each cycle of astrology, which under normal terms, I am a Libra/Scorpio, of that, I won’t get into, but here, according to Chinese Astrology is what I am.
I am a Pig.
2019 is the Year of the Pig. This is a Year of Earth Pig, starting from Feb. 5, 2019 and lasting to Jan. 24, 2020. (Man, that makes for a long birthday party!)
Pig is the twelfth in the 12-year cycle of Chinese zodiac sign. The Years of the Pig include 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, (2019, 2031, 2043 - people born in these years, not sure if they’ll be happy or not but by 2043 I’d be 96. Won’t matter to me one way or the other.)
Pig is not thought to be a smart animal in China. It likes sleeping and eating and becomes fat. (I am not fat.) Thus it usually features laziness and clumsiness. (I fall asleep in my office chair but I don’t trip over myself.) On the positive side, it behaves itself, has no plan to harm others, and can bring affluence to people. Consequently, it has been regarded as wealth.
People with Chinese zodiac Pig sign are considerate, responsible, independent and optimistic. They always show generousness and mercy to endure other people’s mistakes, which help them gain harmonious interpersonal relationships. However, sometimes they will behave lazy and lack actions. In addition, pure hearts would let them be cheated easily in daily life.
Strengths:
Warm-hearted, good-tempered, loyal, honest, gentle.
Weaknesses:
Naive (not hardly), gullible (have been known to fall into stupid stuff), sluggish (I get that way now and then, must be my age), short-tempered (depends of the circumstance at the time).
My Love Compatibility:
Perfect Matches: Tiger, Rabbit, Sheep.
These combinations always have a high possibility to obtain a sweet and everlasting marriage. When meeting difficulties, they can face them together. More patience and enough encouragement are keys to solve problems. They have common goals and similar values, which add more fun in daily life.
I should avoid: Snakes, and Monkeys.
Totally different personalities may lead to conflicts. They always have completely contrary opinions about one thing, and cannot reach an agreement because of their stubbornness. If getting married, one would always think about his/her own advantages and feelings, which would hurt the other.
Personality by Blood Type:
Blood Type A: Their gentle and optimistic characteristics can always influence people around. They are reliable, and always try their best to help friends who are in trouble.
According to this, there are five types of Pig. This is mine.
Fire Pig: Dependent, cooperative, owning great ambitions and good luck in wealth.
It also had Fortune for both 2018 and 2019.
According to the detailed Chinese zodiac prediction, 2018, the Year of the Dog, will bring nice fortune for Pig people. Generally speaking, they will be provided with chances to obtain success in career and wealth. Single people born with Chinese zodiac Pig sign may easily find their soul mates. As the Zodiac Year of Birth (Ben Ming Nian), 2019 could be a year full of ups and downs in all respects for them. They could receive support from their colleagues. The fortune in wealth is fair. As for love relationship, single females of Chinese zodiac Pig may start a sweet relationship in 2019.
They weren’t quite spot on about 2018, but overall, it has been a good year of possibilities carrying over into 2019.
2019 seems to suggest potential ups and downs, not sure if I’ll be happy with that, but I’ll see what I can or can do to work things in my favor from a writer’s standpoint.
Nothing in the way of a hot, tempid relationship for me, but hey, all the single women seem to have it going on in 2019!
So ... if ye be single and totally unavailable and you are either a Tiger, Rabbit or Sheep, then growl, hop, ba-ba-ba-along over my way! (Kidding!!)
To know your Chinese Sign, the link is below. To the left-hand side is a list of the animals. Click on each one until you find your corresponding bith year. The information will be underneath that.
Have fun with this and please let me know which you are! And if you decide to post one of these on your own, please tag me,
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/social_customs/zodiac/
Lazy? Must Be Crazy!
Kicking Back
A lazy day
is just another way
to procrastinate
about something that can wait.
Do as I will, do as I must,
my sense of obligation I do trust,
to settle back and do nothing at all
seems a cowards way out to take a deep fall.
Lazy days, very few found in the life of in between,
for it always seems,
something must be done,
be it twenty things or one.
I have no day to settle back and ponder nothing,
hence my mind is shuffling, and my voice will sing.
My lazy day though comes every night,
when head meets pillow and I call it a night.
Old Year Out/New Year In
Simple.
No more old ways
will be allowed to follow a path
with no future.
Not easy, but doable.
New roads to find and travel,
that lead to somewhere,
each going everywhere.
No more resolutions,
too easily forgotten.
Now is the time for facts,
as facts remain as such.
The old ways are history,
the new ways have possibilities;
it requires work,
hope, and luck.
… and prayer.
The Observationist
Every morning, Monday through Friday, I prepare myself for each day. I’m never in a big hurry as what I do would seem strange to some, frightening to others and who knows; perhaps downright scary.
But here it is, what some people call the dreaded Monday. The start of a work week for hundreds of thousands of people.
People. They are an amazing lot. Here, they are certainly the odd species. One in particular I have come to study and find infinitely wonderful in her charm, wit, personality and her above-average intelligence. I have classed her as nice-looking, fit, and outgoing.
In the next few minutes, I will be seeing her again.
__________
It is a cold Monday and to be expected for the middle of January. Here I stand at a corner waiting for a city bus. A bus that houses temporary travelers going to work or school, a doctor’s appointment or shopping. There are even a few that ride the bus all day for no other reason rather than enjoying the trip. I have classed those people as dull, unimaginative, and boring. Myself, I have found buses and shopping malls my best bets for summation and reporting the information to my superiors.
Here she comes. Her name is nothing exotic, just simply, Patti. She knows me as Richard.
She smiles and says her good morning to me and I return the favor. We discuss each other’s weekend, of which mine I fabricate to her for even though we get along extremely well, I don’t quite believe she could either handle what I really did or the truth of who I am. She is such the inquisitive one. Question after question she brings to me, and each answer is an obvious lie coming from my lips, but I have no choice, such is it my work entails, one, no one must know about.
Just before the bus arrives, the first January flakes of snow fall. And I keenly watched her expression of an honest joy that escaped through her lips, it was at that moment when the snowflake landed on her nose. All I wanted to do at that point was to reach out and touch the snowflake that melted quickly against her skin to see if in that brief second it felt her spirit, her warmth.
The bus arrived, and we boarded. Patti was on her way to work, and I, to a shopping mall, to study people as I do the same ones who ride the bus each week.
To some, it may sound like a trivial thing, perhaps even boring, but where I call home, this is vital to all those who live there.
I come from Gatarnium, not a place anyone would know of. We live in the third dimension of this planet’s galaxy and all of us are shape-shifters as it is called here. On my home world, we are simply a race of changers. In our true form, we would be considered ugly and frightening, but in due respect we are far from that. We are a race of peace and abiding, oh what is that word, I hear it hear so often, it’s, it’s ... oh yes, I remember, love.
But my task is to report all I learn, so that my superiors can best determine if this a habitable world. This planet does have its share of negatives but for the most part, the humans are quite interesting. In two more months my assignment will be over, and I return home, and honestly, I hope my reports have all been met with favor.
The bus stops and several people get off and a very few get on. In two more stops, Patti will depart and then go half a block into a building where she works. The snow is coming down thicker now. The sidewalks we drive by are already covered in a blanket of tender whiteness, and people scurry to get out from under the wetness falling.
The bus stops again. Patti stands and as she always does, she wished me to have a wonderful day, and I return those words in kind. The bus, stopped at a red light, allowing me time to gaze a few extra seconds as she quickly walks to the building, opens the door and disappears from sight. But there will be tomorrow.
Perhaps tomorrow, if the snow is still falling, and another flake lands on her nose, or slides across her cheek, I may reach out and touch it, and feel its coldness or its warmth.
To my followers!
This is a pretty random message but just thank you to everyone who takes the time to read what my silly head thinks.
I just saw that I have like so many more followers than I ever expected and everyone is always so supportive on here, so again just thanks so much!
It feels so good that I have a place I can put all my thoughts and also challenge myself to become a better writer and write more. I can't believe how many awesome people I've met and how many amazing pieces I've read in the (less than) two months I've been on Prose!
Love you all, keep keeping on. :)
Awkward
I show up at his door.
I’m wearing something that
Makes me feel a little
Ridiculous
But...
It was snowing, ok.
I wore a puffy coat
high heels
And tight jeans.
I’m feeling it.
My diamonds
Twinkle
Making me look like
A rich bitch
It’s more than enough
To get his attention
I think
As I take another drink
Of the wine
In my sippy
Cup
Not a cup
No
A water bottle
They call it
I ring the doorbell again
The lights come on
Oh shit
I hope he wasn’t asleep
How awkward
It’s the holidays
I forgot
Oh fuck
Forget it
He’s married
And I shouldn’t be doing this.
Map: Part VII
Aaron stepped backwards and spun in a circle, flashlight flitting over the room. He was still alone.
Afterwards, he felt a little foolish that he was so easily spooked, and even chuckled to himself. But it was forced, and his heart was still hammering.
Gingerly, he approached the back wall again, shining his light over the letters. There was more text that he hadn't noticed engraved under the ominous ‘BEWARE’.
‘Brave explorer: Your next task is behind a door in this room. Find the door and you will have proven yourself humble.’
Aaron looked around. He just had to find a door? He could do that.
He felt along the wall, working clockwise. He passed by all of the stone sculptures: a pedestal with a crown, a knight, the hand with sword, what looked vaguely like a horse, and a coat of arms. No doors, and, as far as he could tell, no clues.
After some more searching, he finally found something: a panel not of stone, but metal, on one side of the throne. He knelt down and pressed it. It didn’t move, but he heard rocks tumbling. Jumping up, Aaron looked around. There was a crack in the wall behind the crown pedestal.
Heart pounding, Aaron squatted and pressed into the panel again, peering around the throne and at the wall. It did nothing. He set down his flashlight, gathered his strength, and leaned into the panel as hard as he could. He kicked it. He pushed it again. He attempted to pull it.
He ran to the wall. He tried to pull the crack open. His fingers slipped against the cold stone, his cut hand left a smear of blood on the wall. Turning, he rushed to the other side of the throne, and saw it: another panel. But even after a lot of pushing and swearing, the ‘door’ did not budge open any more.
Aaron paced the room, wondering if he should get Rosie. What if she was gone? he realized. No matter, she had made her decision. He could do the rest alone.
With renewed vigor, he lapped the room, looking for more panels. When he found nothing, he returned to the throne, trying once more to brutally force them into opening the door. When nothing happened, he finally gave in.
“Rosie?” He could barely see in the midday light after being in the dark for so long. Actually, he had no idea how long he had been in the throne room.
“Rosie!” he called again, his heart sinking. She was gone.
“What! What?” She was just a shadow in the circle of light above him, but she was the most wonderful shadow ever.
Aaron practically sighed in relief. “I need your help,” he told her. “I found the next clue.”
He couldn’t see her expression, but he could hear her blow out a breath. “But then we’d both be trapped down there,” she said.
Aaron reached a hand up towards her, beckoning. “Oh stop it. You want to have some fun, don’t you? I know you’ve been bored out of your mind up there.”
She barely contemplated her answer. “Get out of the way so I don’t fall on you.” So she hadn’t lost all of her childhood playfulness.
He was grinning and stepping backwards as she slid down the hole. Much like he had, Rosie slowed her fall with her hands and arms, but still landed in a rather ungraceful heap.
“Come on,” Aaron said, reaching out his uncut hand to help her up.
She pushed hair out of her face and looked up at him. For the first time, she, too, was smiling. It was laughter, he realized. She knew she was crazy to follow him. Still, she took his hand and stood, then continued down the dark passage behind him.
Read part I: https://theprose.com/post/243841/map
Previous: https://theprose.com/post/246420/map-part-vi
Next: https://theprose.com/post/247246/map-part-viii