Standing Into Danger: IWSG Day: Wednesday, March 4, 2026 ~ Soul Searching

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

IWSG Day: Wednesday, March 4, 2026 ~ Soul Searching

It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.

To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are

P J Colando, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, and Natalie Aguirre!

Stop by their posts and thank them for hosting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.

Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.

Remember the question is optional.

This month's optional question is:

What elements do you include in your book launch? Or what do you have in mind for your future book launch? Or what advice do you have to offer to others planning to launch a book?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy March, Everyone!

I hope that you have had a happy, healthy, and fulfilling February!

If you enjoy celebrating Valentine's Day,

I hope you and your Sweetheart had a good one.

Terry took me to dinner at the Hideout at the Laylow, my favorite Waikiki spot

where we enjoyed good food, friendship, and mellow music

(but forgot to get a photo).

Terry and I at Marugame Udon

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 3, 2026

I'm skipping this month's question, although I'm looking forward to seeing your answers.

February was a month of soul searching for me.

I've been absent from social media since last IWSG Day.

I was struggling, and it doesn't matter if you are in a paradise like Hawaii,

your issues are with you wherever you are.

I fell into a dark place, and it has taken me a while to climb out.

Depression and anxiety are old foes, and they can strike me out of nowhere.

A Favorite Place of Mine to Walk

Kapiolani Beach Park

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

February 24, 2026

I had to make some difficult choices about how I was spending my time

and about which responsibilities and obligations I wanted to carry forward.

Even though the choice made me really sad,

I decided I needed to step down as an IWSG administrator.

So I did.

I hit "send" on an email to Alex that was really hard to write.

I'm still a member, and I will continue to post and to participate,

because I truly appreciate all the friends I've made within the IWSG.

I'm getting to a lighter, brighter place.

A Favorite IWSG Friend of Mine

Pat Hatt and I

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 27, 2024

I have an unexpected honor coming up on Sunday.

Last Sunday I learned that I have an opportunity to earn my pāʻū hula skirt.

I thought I wasn't eligible because I can only take lessons while I am in Hawaii

and I'm not a permanent member of our group.

But Pono, our kumu hula or master instructor, invited me

to say the chant required to earn it before the group when I am ready.

The chant is a traditional Hawaiian oli to request permission to enter the dancing space.

Liuliu wale ka uka o Koholālele

Ma uka, ma kai o Kapāpala

E komo, e komo aku hoʻi au ma loko

Inā ka puʻu nui o waho nei lā ē

He anu ē, he anu ē, he koʻekoʻe wale nō

ʻAe

Translation:

Ready and waiting are the uplands of Koholālele

Up to the hills and seaward of Kapāpala

Enter, I shall enter in

For here outside stands a prominent hill

So cold, so cold, oh so chilly

Yes

Part of Our Dancing Space

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 18, 2026

On my birthday last year, I invited IWSG members to write

a piece of flash fiction using the prompt "Song" on our Facebook page.

Here was my piece:

"Paddle Song"

The girl dipped her paddle into the ocean and steered toward the sun. “Liuliu,” she sang to the waves and sky, beginning her hula chant, safe in this space. She practiced this ancient song, riding the waves shoreward and sunward over and over. Tomorrow, she would perform it for her kumu and the members of her hālau. If she met her kumu’s exacting standards, she would earn her pāʻū hula, a skirt marking her progress from student to dancer. Beginning as a keiki, she had studied hard to become an ‘olapa and leave the rank of haumana behind. If she succeeded, she would respect her skirt, wrapping it after each use, never washing it, allowing it to accumulate her sweat and tears as she worked to master hula. She must succeed! She dipped her paddle and chanted, heading shoreward one last time.

Sunset

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

February 16, 2026

I wanted to be that girl.

Sunday I will be that woman. with my real pāʻū hula.

Practicing a Drill

(Photo from a Video)

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

March 1, 2026

Wish me luck!

I hope my tongue doesn't get tangled in all those Hawaiian vowels,

especially with

e komo aku hoʻi au ma loko Inā ka puʻu nui o waho nei lā ē

which has to be chanted in tune on one breath.

If you are also a member of our Facebook Group,

I invite you to visit and to provide a link to your IWSG post.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/IWSG13

Facebook members are invited to answer our March question too.

Hibiscus

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

February 24, 2026

Makua and Kila

Kuhio Beach Park

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

February 16, 2026

Take care!

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be Friday, March. 13th. 🤞

Just so you know, I monitor my comments before publishing them. This means your comment won't appear immediately. I will not publish mean spirited or commercial comments.

Standing Into Danger

Pages

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

IWSG Day: Wednesday, March 4, 2026 ~ Soul Searching

No comments:

Post a Comment

Translate