My words today are all from the fifteenth letter in the Alphabet: O
Obstacle, Objective, Overwhelmed, and Obstinate
The definitions of these words are:
Obstacle—something that blocks one’s way, prevents or hinders progress.
Objective—an aim or goal to which effort is directed.
Overwhelmed—a feeling or event which is intense and difficult to deal with.
Obstinate—a refusal to change an opinion or course of action.
Outwit—to get the better of someone by ingenuity.
All four words are easily applied to myself and my little eighteen-and-half-year-old dog, Daisy. My objective is to prevent Daisy from being trapped in spaces where she can’t turn around. Therefore, I have created obstacles to prevent her from getting into those awkward places. I had a large piece of six-inch thick foam left over from an old bed, which I cut into pieces and blocked under the stairs, either side of the furnace, and corners where a stair sits in my utility. But Daisy is determined to reach her objective, evenif she isn’t t sure what it is. Whenever there is a blockage, she will continue to obstinately butt her head against the structure until either she manages to turn around, it gives way, or she becomes overwhelmed and cries loudly to be rescued.I thought I had managed to outwit her with the foam, yet only yesterday, she managed to get herself trapped under the chair leg and the fabric fringe of the seat. Now I need more foam! She is a persistent little creature with barely any eyesight left. She uses her ears to follow walls and sometimes alongside my legs when outside.
As a writer, the main obstacle to my craft is time. I am committed to caring for my aged dog and walking Henry, my tolerant and long-suffering other schnauzer. The care of my garden is of great importance to me, especially while I am having tea in the garden. The lilies are incredibly beautiful at the moment. My objective this summer was to hold three afternoon teas a month in the garden as a fundraiser for Bellingham at Home, for which I volunteer. Although I enjoy all of the things I do. I am often overwhelmed by the end of the day. But I have an obstinate streak in my nature, like Daisy; I do not back down from any of my commitments. I will do or die, as my mother used to say.