Shanon Angermeyer Norman
Bio
Gold, Published Poet at allpoetry.com since 2010. USF Grad, Class 2001.
Currently focusing here in VIVA and Challenges having been ECLECTIC in various communities. Upcoming explorations: ART, BOOK CLUB, FILTHY, PHOTOGRAPHY, and HORROR.
Stories (377)
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All Kindnesses Matter
I'm getting older and a bit nervous about turning the big 50 in April of this year. If you had met me just 5 years ago, you would have seen an arrogant woman who thought she was wise, yet was blind to the abundance and wealth that I had, and ungrateful for the many blessings I was surrounded by. It changed in 2018 when I lost everyone and everything that was dear to me. In the past two years, I had to revisit being homeless. I traveled to many places trying to find a home, lived in a van, lived in the woods, stayed at overpriced hotels and cheap slimy motels, and couched it wherever a friend or family member would allow me to. I had nothing but time on my hands with no job and no car, so I did a lot of thinking about myself, the world, money, life, and of course death. I had moments of joy, moments of sheer depression, moments of anger regarding how unfair life seems sometimes, and moments of pure gratitude for the kindness and generosity of some people.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman5 years ago in Psyche
Inception Verses Shutter Island
I am a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio and I've seen many films he has starred in. I don't care what they say about his talent or credits, I enjoy viewing the work he does. There are many roles he has taken on and some were praised and some were not. Two films that were not as acclaimed stuck in my mind and I was thinking how different these two films are: Shutter Island and Inception. Both films dig deep into the mind and perception of "reality" offering the film viewer various philosophies and strategies for coping with other people's viewpoints and ever-changing realities.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman5 years ago in Geeks
Love Yourself
There are so many reasons each day to feel badly, not including physical ailments. As someone who has been contending with Bipolar Disorder for the past 18 years, I feel I am pretty experienced when it comes to dealing with emotions and emotional breakdowns. It's a strange phenomena and it happens to everyone, even if you are not diagnosed with a mental illness. It could be a perfectly good day, sun shining, bills paid, no problems confronting you, yet you feel awful and you don't know why. You have a voice in your head telling you that you're not good enough or that something you usually love about yourself is invalid. This is when women start whining and saying "I'm too fat," or "I'm too stupid," or "I'm too whatever," and they feed their depression because they have lost the will to battle. They just want to surrender and relax. They don't want to win anymore. It's not just women, it happens with men too, but stereotypically women are better at expressing their emotions than men.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman5 years ago in Psyche
Surviving Loss
I was rich and I didn't know it. I was rich when I was a child, and I was rich when I was married. I didn't know it. I didn't know how much I had. It is completely true when Joan sings "you don't know what you've got til it's gone". I lost it all. I've lost many times in my life. The older you get, you'd think it would be easier, but it's the opposite. The older you get, the more the losses hurt. I don't care if this is a story or an essay or just a word collage of my memories. I feel like talking about all the "things" I lost. I feel like paying some respect to the tears I cried, the pain I felt, and how I still long for some of those things.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman6 years ago in Humans
Make Someone Happy
There are three pieces of "media" that make me happy to view. I am a very solitary person so this current time of quarantine doesn't really change my ways or lifestyle very much. For the most part, I spend my days alone in my home writing or surfing the internet or thinking of some artistic, creative project to enjoy myself with like playing the piano, sewing a n0-sew skirt, or sketching a drawing of something in my mind. These activities may seem insignificant. They are not going to pay my bills or buy me a new car. They won't cure my illnesses or free me from my debts. They probably even won't get noticed or liked by anyone unless I give them as a gift to someone. I do it anyway, because it gives me joy and peace in life. I need joy and peace. They are so very important to me as I near my 49th birthday and realize that my glory days and my youth is really over. I have to look at myself and my life and see what I've done to myself. It's not always a pretty picture to me. Sometimes I'm quite ashamed of myself. I've made many mistakes. I also stood up for people and tried to stand up for "what's right" whatever that means. I am not the "winner" in life. I didn't end up with the big house and a bunch of cool toys to impress the rich neighbors. I'm just lucky to be alive, truth be told. Still, I have a few things that warm my heart being in my possession, and some of them are connected to media: a photograph of me in my wedding dress, a video of my son, and the website Pinterest. These three bits of media bring me joy and hope and comfort when I'm lonely and lost and really not sure who I am or what to do anymore. Have you ever felt that way? Wondering why you woke up this morning? If you haven't, consider yourself blessed. If you have, then you know how hard it is to face the day when you wake up feeling that way. The question of just being seems to haunt you through the whole day. When that happens, I like to watch one of my son's videos and remember that he loves me, and I love him, and even though I wasn't a very good mother, I did the best I could, and just knowing that he turned out to be a beautiful, strong, and loving young man means that just by bringing him into this world, just by creating one life, I did at least one thing that mattered.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman6 years ago in Motivation
