The Bucket Digest

  What Makes You So Special, Huh? Written by Andrea Geones of Words Between Coasts. “What makes you unique?” This has been the aggravating question that has plagued my life. “What sets you apart?” “Why are you different?” “What makes you special?” I’ve always struggled to find an answer to this ostensibly simple sentiment. It’s not that I am unable to find anything valuable in myself; it’s that I’m unable to find anything valuable in myself that is singular to me. The seed of striving for uniqueness was planted in my head from a very young age. Its roots quickly took hold and I found myself reaching for unrealistic expectations. And, not unrealistic in the new-agey, hippy-dippy negative connotation of the word that people use as a scapegoat reason for not chasing their dreams, but for things that I literally, in reality, will be unable to achieve. I remember being in my first play and imagining myself being the youngest person ever to win an Oscar, when, in reality, I’d already surpass

  Finding Acceptance in the Past By Andrea Geones from Words Between Coasts. The past is the past. The past is in the past. Yet, it lingers on, branded into the mind, twine embracing those invisible, intangible things called thoughts, called feelings. The moments of the past, each moment, some a second long, others an eternity, come and go. They live and they die. They die, but their ghosts haunt their unfortunate, or fortunate, victims, molding the lenses through which they see the world. Coloring the shades with their darkness, lightness, richness, paleness. Robbing them of their purity, replacing it with hope, rigidness, fear, love. The cold, ghostly breath of influence that those souls fight with words like, “I am not my past”, and while they are not their past, the twine of the past still embraces them, sometimes hidden, other times squeezing tight. The breath of the past surrounding them with icy shivers and claustrophobic manipulation, whispering a subtly threatening “never let

  I attended a show live once. A Jeff Dunham show with my husband somewhere in Florida, years back-- a gift from my sister-in-law to me some Christmas (an awesome gift at that, I was so genuinely excited because I LOVE Jeff Dunham) and something always stood out to me about his character that day. In the show, he introduced a new puppet named Larry. He was a coffee-strewn, single-inconvenience-away-from-total-meltdown advisor to President Donald Trump.  Here he is: Poor guy looks so stressed out, and I imagine rightfully so (lol).  Remember how I said it was Dunham's first introduction of this character? Pushing back the fact that it was an experience of epic proportions (imagine, being the  first  to see something of this importance, in person at that), this character showed me how well Dunham could adapt to his audience.  That little grunt thing Larry does... Initially, Dunham overdid the quirk. It was humorous at first, but using it after everything the character said, it grew r

  I can only think of one word to best describe what I'm talking about: Complacency "[It's]  marked by self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies" It's like a sickness that leaves you with 0 motivation, 0 drive, and 0 accountability. You get too used to something, and you don't see how adversely it affects you and the relationships you hold with others.  I bet you're wondering, rather sarcastically I might add, "so you're saying it's wrong to feel satisfied? Wrong to feel content?" No. What I'm  saying  is that complacency is NOT OKAY. Here's why: Feeling  satisfied  or  content  is different than being  complacent , although many tend to think that they go hand-in-hand... ...but in reality,  complacency  is what happens when that satisfied or content feeling is just  expected to stick around without proper work being put into it to keep it that way.  Here's an example: A cou

  Blame it All On Astrology Written by Andrea Geones from Words Between Coasts. Astrology is an Eastern spiritual practice that has become popularized in the West. Since the West is a culture that has had a history of harboring a hefty dose of skepticism towards foreign spiritualities, this is a nice example of having an open mind. Astrology is very appealing because it gives you answers and insight into the structure of who you are. Your natural inclinations, your habits, the outline of your personality and behavior. Like many, I have been sucked up and basted into the spiritual realm of astrology. I’ve surrounded myself with charts, planets, and signs. I’ve swum in the pool of planetary alignments and explored the different houses. I’ve become an expert in my own sign and familiarized myself with my friends’ signs. I get it. I’ve been there. Perhaps it’s a bit of a guilty pleasure, but I’m only human, after all. Many people find substantial truth in astrology. I, myself, admit that

You wouldn’t think “hi” would startle me so bad I’d start running, but that’s what happened this morning while walking around the track at the local park. I was going a few laps with a friend, discussing, ironically enough, about how much I love scary movies when a man’s voice hit my right eardrum, shocking me out of speed-walk complacency, in which case my body reacted before my mind could-- and I bolted to the left before turning towards the voice and realizing what had actually happened.  There was a man, but not a scary one, and I apologized profusely because it was not him that was scary but the “premise” of his voice that I was not expecting.  We exchanged laughs and parted ways, my face hot with embarrassment. and I realized... ...that’s what happens when you stare down at your feet instead of staring straight ahead.  You get the shit scared out of you.  So, my advice– wear good sunglasses. 

I don't want to be a mom on Mother's Day, because I, and many other mothers included, know that the title never shifts, but simply becomes more important... for just a  single day  out of the whole earthly   year ...  and I think that's rather unfair.  I don't want to be a mom on Mother's Day, because singling out just one day takes a stab at who I am in every day previous.  I don't want to be a mom on Mother's Day, because I am never anything but.  I don't  want  to be a mom because wanting means needing more, and I already have everything I need in the present . I don't  want,  because I already  am.  ...Had you in the first half, didn't I? Now, I just want to clarify for those of you who love this holiday that, yes, gifts are  nice , flowers are  nice,  appreciating the woman who raised you, and being appreciated back by the generation that has followed after you've become a mother...  it's  all  NICE ... but if I'm honest, I'd

  https://unsplash.com/photos/qGi-RZm6kCk The Folly of Unsolicited Advice By Andrea Geones of Words Between Coasts. Everyone - everyone - thinks that they know better than you. That’s a fact. I always seem to find myself the target, or should I say victim, or everyone’s uninvited suggestions, advice, recommendations, and whatever else they’ve got clanking around in their brains. They approach with the best intention, I’m sure, but rattle on about whatever it is THEY think I need, instead of opening their eyes and realizing that I have my headphones on, book in hand, and that all I want to do is enjoy my cup of tea in peace. I used to have a person in my life who derived his greatest pleasure from explaining to me (and others) that the reason why I am not yet successful is because I have a fear of success. Other than the complete, absurd gall of this person to be deciding for me that I’m not successful without bothering to ask if I personally feel that I’ve found success in my life, I’