This week, from the Carrot Ranch we have this prompt – Norah Colvin guesting for Charli Mills:
April 20, 2016 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write about a circle in your life. Is it a supportive circle, or a circle that entraps you? What’s its significance? Take you where the prompt leads.
Which makes me think of this
I saw the Thomas Crown Affair a while after it came out. I thought McQueen the man I wanted to be and Dunaway the woman of some sort of dream I think it better not to explore any further.
The lyrics were meaningless but all the more meaningful for that.
Like Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
and
Itchycoo Park
and
Waterloo Sunset
and
the Hole in My Shoe
there seemed to be more to the lyrics than I could fathom.
It was like standing on the outside of the circle while others played inside and I wasn’t admitted to the inner club, I didn’t have the key. Circles are inclusive of those inside them but I lacked whatever it was to be ‘in’.
Back then, at the end of the sixties and in the early seventies revolution was in the air. As with Thunderclap Newman
A cleverer man than me, though, pointed out that a revolution is a circle and, as with all circles you eventually come back to where you started. Same with revolutions.
I’ve always been suspicious of circles. Like bicycle wheels they have a habit of collapsing in on me.
And so to the flash. Mary and her daughter Penny are having one of those chats
Round and round
‘I hate homework.’ Penny glared at Mary. ‘Why do you make me do it?’
‘It’s just the way it is.’
‘Great. So the abused becomes the abuser, huh?’
‘Penny! That’s an awful thing to say.’
‘What did grandpa say? What goes around, comes around.’
Mary wiped her hands. ‘Ok, stop. Don’t do it.’
‘Mum?’
‘No, you’re right, you need to break the circle. If you don’t want to, don’t. You’ll explain to your teachers, I’m sure.’
Mother and daughter stared at each other. Penny sighed. ‘Ok I’ll do it.’
‘You can always circle back later.’
‘Ha bloody ha, mum.’
You can find more of Mary’s story here
TanGental 
Terrific soundtrack. Not that I clicked on any of them. I didn’t need to. That’s my earworms sorted for the day!
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I know thy soon flood back don’t they!
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That’s a very good replique, about chucking the homework. I’ll have to remember it.
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I love it Geoffles!
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You are very generous
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Great collection of that musician/lyricist inner circle, Geoff. ☺ And homework…more oppressive than ever today. Time for a revolution ?
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Spin me on a top maybe
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A musical trip through my teens! Think you that cheered me up !! 🙂
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Hey hello and lovely to hear from you
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Lovely to say hi I miss my blogging mates!
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And then one day the lyrics sync and make sense or an indecipherable word comes clear and you feel like the center of that circle. I may be more partial to the prelude than the flash. I actually thought it was your flash at first, like -what a great idea! He mixed a soundtrack into the flash!
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Oh I do remember all those songs. And I remember often standing outside the circle, looking in, wondering at the connection and why I just didn’t get it. I’m sorry the topic of circles creeped you out. I’m not quite sure how I should feel about that, but I think I’ll choose to feel honoured that you participated in such a philosophical way. I like that you have attacked revolutions as always coming back to the start. I hope that is not so. I hope revolutions move us forward, if only a little, as on a spiral.
I love your flash homework discussion between Penny and Mary. What a great retort on Mary’s part. I wish someone in power would break the cycle though. Homework has been shown to have little value. Why do we persist?
Thanks for joining in. I enjoyed your perspective and consider it to be not out of kilter at all!
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Argh I’ve just found about 6 comments of yours in spam. No idea why Norah. You are being I spammed forthwith
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Oh, so that’s why you’ve been ignoring me! I hadn’t even noticed. Sorry!
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I must have hit a wrong button somewhere along the line
Sorry. One of the bigger blogging faux pas’s
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Apology accepted. 🙂
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I’m fascinated about homework having little value. I often wondered but persuaded the kids to do it with the usual mixes. Be interested in the research – did I miss the post?!
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I don’t think I’ve written about it, but I’ve certainly read enough reports about it. Perhaps I should do a post. One day …
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Add it to the list
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Sounds like a homework assignment to me!
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Pingback: Circle Time « Carrot Ranch Communications
How did you select all our favourite tunes?! 12-13 again, happy days. Our guitar teacher wrote out the words and chords of Windmills for us and duplicated them using one of those spirit duplicators (wahey!) and we howled away, prob with closed eyes, never quite managing to hit the top note on “footprints in the sand”! We were never going to be as cool as Faye Dunaway.
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