Monday, October 5, 2015

Question of the Month


The first Monday of the month is when Michael D. Agostino hosts the blog hop, Question of the Month. You can find him at his blog, A Life Examined, and join into this fun easy hop. The question this month:

"Who would play you in the movie of your life?"

I asked my children this and they suggested Linda Hamilton as she was in the first Terminator movie as Sarah J. Connor. But I see myself more as Patricia Heaton as she played Raymond's wife in everyone loves Raymond. All those silly males and the one sensible female putting up with them, that's me. My dear husband even admits to being more than a little like Raymond when it comes to fixing stuff up around the house. It doesn't usually turn out so good. I think Patricia could portray me with the endless patience I've needed as a mother and a high school teacher.

Don't forget this Wednesday is IWSG and I hope you're participating because it's fun and because it qualifies you to submit your short story to the IWSG's first ever anthology. If you're seriously pursuing a writing career, having one of your stories selected in a contest could be just the one little thing that encourages an editor or agent to take a longer look at your query. If you're self-published, it's the chance to have an entirely new group of readers learn of your existence and fall in love with your voice. Don't miss the opportunity. You have until November first.

Have you heard of this? Text neck? A real and growing health issues is striking smart phone users, some of them quite young. Early arthritis, herniated and bulging discs, muscle strain and pinched nerves. Did you know that your head weighs between 10 and 12 pounds and the angle you bend your neck to read that smart phone raises that pressure on your upper spine to up to 60 pounds. Of course, the best way to prevent is limit use of your cell phone. Lots of people will agree to that, won't they? But you can do some gentle head and shoulder rolls to relieve the tension in your neck. Looking down at our tablets and laptops adds to all that strain.

And some wisdom from The Old Farmer's Almanac in case you didn't win the lottery last week.

If you spend one dollar every second, it would take more than 31 years to spend a billion, 

Wisdom consists of 10 parts--nine parts of silence and one part with few words. Arabian Proverb

Are you having some pain in your neck. Or being one? Who would play you in he movie of your life? Are you ready for IWSG on Wednesday. Can it really be October already?





54 comments:

Stephen Tremp said...

I remember getting the Old Farmers Almanac for Christmas in my stocking. I found it fascinating, especially how it predicted weather.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Text neck? Wow, now that's crazy. Look up now and then, folks!
You don't want to be played by Hamilton. Have you seen her lately? Not good...

Maria Zannini said...

Oh, gosh. I can't even imagine someone playing me. LOL. Maybe Penelope Cruz. I'm kind of the feisty, Latin type.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I just tilted my laptop screen back a bit more so I don't have to look down quite as much. Thanks for the reminder! :)

I loved Patricia Heaton on ELR, but even more so on The Middle. One of my favorite comedies/shows.

Pat Hatt said...

Heaton is a good pick indeed. I heard of it, had a pinched nerve before too, those are not fun one bit.

betty said...

Cute question to figure out who would play you in a movie/TV show. I think your choice of Patricia Heaton is good :) I had also heard that people who text a lot are also getting problems with their thumbs for the constant use of them while they text. Thankfully I may send a few text messages some days and none other days so no neck issues here :)

betty

Bish Denham said...

I don't have text neck because... I don't text! Yup, dinosaur that I am I still prefer speaking to a real live person.

Tamara Narayan said...

I don't have a smart phone, so I can't blame my neck pain on that. I'm cohosting the IWSG this month.

Alex Hurst said...

The Arabian proverb was wonderful, and my nugget to take away from this post. :) I like your choice and the reasons for that choice, though my memory of Everybody Loves Ramond is fuzzy, at best. :P I was more of a Home Improvement/Saved by the Bell/Family Matters/Fresh Prince kid, and I missed that one and Boy Meets World.

A Beer for the Shower said...

Aww man, I was gonna pick Patricia Heaton. I guess she fits you better.

And I guess it's a good thing I don't use my phone all that much. I already squint from staring at a computer screen 8 hours a day. The last thing I need is text neck on top of that.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Susan - I've no idea who'd play me ... I'd quite the elfin and wistfulness of Audrey ... would have been right a few decades ago! and not sure my character fits that bill!

Thankfully I hardly use the phone .. but I know many are getting texting thumbs - they are already evolving as different digits ... frightening how quickly evolution can start to occur.

Cheers Hilary

Chrys Fey said...

Patricia Heaton portrays the working mother very well.

Text neck. Haha! I just got a smartphone so now I'm at risk for text neck. :P

Chrys Fey said...

Patricia Heaton portrays the working mother very well.

Text neck. Haha! I just got a smartphone so now I'm at risk for text neck. :P

Sarah Foster said...

I had no idea text neck was a thing but luckily I don't text all that much!

Lily Whalen said...

I loved Linda Hamilton in 'Beauty & the Beast' but maybe I'm dating myself. Patricia Heaton is great.

Liza said...

I can't imagine anyone playing me...but if I could BE someone, I might go for Sally Field.

J E Oneil said...

I can't think of anything that I'd want less than a movie about myself! :)

Something like "text neck" wouldn't surprise me. When there's a new piece of technology, there are always new ways for people to hurt themselves with it.

Jemi Fraser said...

A movie of my life would be pretty dull! :)
Text neck will probably become more pervasive over the next while!

Ann Bennett said...

I can see Patricia Heaton playing you.

Text neck, with such an overload of communication, it is just a matter of time that too much time on phones, etc get its very own couch potato label.

cleemckenzie said...

Your kids made a good choice! I'm sure there are going to be a lot of conditions emerge from excessive device use. Text Neck sounds kind of funny, but painful.

cleemckenzie said...

Your kids made a good choice! I'm sure there are going to be a lot of conditions emerge from excessive device use. Text Neck sounds kind of funny, but painful.

Anonymous said...

I can believe text neck is a thing, but I'm more worried about my carpal tunnel. Holding the phone for too long just hurts. So yeah, limited.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

My parents always had it in the house. It was full of so many fun facts.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

LOL, Alex. I know what you mean. I checked out pictures of her and she looked 100 years old and that's one or two years older than me.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I can see her playing you, Maria.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

When I sit on my recliner using my laptop, it bothers my neck. The Middle is funny.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Ouch, for the pinched nerve. My hubby had one. Took forever to get better.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I can see that with the thumbs. I'm like you with the text and I'm so slow I doubt I could injure myself.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

LOL, Bish. You and my husband. He finally started when my daughter was in the middle east and he couldn't talk to her on the phone but she could get texts.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Thanks for stepping up and taking on cohosting. It's such an important part of keeping the group wonderful.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I loved Fresh Prince. I'm a big Will Smith fan.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

If you were like Patricia Heaton, you really would be the scary neighbor guy.
I am the same as you. Computer way too many hours so I don't spend many staring at the phone.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Yes, yes, Audrey for you. Now I have to investigate about evolving thumbs. I haven't heard about that.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

LOL. That's me. The ultimate working mother, type A personality. Now that I'm writing full time I'm learning to control some of the 'A.' I wish I looked like my pick like you look like yours.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I think it's from more than texting. Some people are streaming all kinds of video so they're watching their phones constantly.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I completely forgot about Hamilton in Beauty and the Beast. That was a great show in a time before there were so many speculative fiction stuff on the tube.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I might pick her too, Liza. Cute, energetic and tough.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

You are so right. Phones are causing lots of injuries indirectly with driver distraction, pedestrian distraction and who know what else.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Mine would be pretty dull but it would also be pretty funny at times.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

That's a good idea, Ann. What new name could we come up with couch potato caused not by the TV but by all those gadgets.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

My kids definitely think I'd lead the revolution when Sky Net goes online. Text neck does sound funny.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Ouch, for the carpal tunnel. I have a friend who is a surgical nurse and had to have surgeries on both hands.

Jo said...

As I was once told I looked like Maggie Smith, when we were both quite young mind you, I picked her to portray me.

dolorah said...

Good to know if I have a billion dollars, it will take a few years to spend down, lol.

Stop texting? I think I'd be as devastated as my son.

Flo from the Progressive commercials should play me :)

BB said...

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. Unfortunately I was late in getting my question of the month post up but it's up if you'd like to check it out. I just love Patricia Heaton. She's an awesome ball of fire in her tiny fame.

Elizabeth said...

I like Patricia Heaton, she goes from holding the Barone family together in Raymond to the apathetic, barely together mom in The Middle, she plays her roles well :) And yikes on the text neck, made me feel the need to sit up a little straighter.

Unknown said...

You could go with Linda Hamilton if your movie ends up in the action genre.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I'm not sure what actress would play me. Who's short, a redhead, and has more energy than the Energizer Bunny?

Jax said...

Great pick!! I loved her in that show. :)

Janie Junebug said...

I like your reasons for your choice.

Love,
Janie

Unknown said...

Now that you mention it, my neck hurts with all the editing I've been doing. I'm up for IWSG-- thank god I remembered the right day to post :D

Ava Quinn said...

I can't believe it's October.

And I think the part of me in a movie would be played by Pee Wee Herman.

Toi Thomas said...

I think Patricia Heaton is a good choice, especial the way to reason it.
Oh, and love the Farm's Almanac. I try to get my hands on one each year, but it doesn't always work out.

The Happy Whisk said...

I can see you as her too. That's a good one.