Love It or Shove It Challenge

5 things I love, and 5 things I don’t.

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This is a fun challenge to get to know more about each other. @snowpea started the #loveitshoveit challenge, and I’ve been nominated to write one by @appiepearl and @enginewitty. (Thanks for thinking of me!)

How about a post soundtrack? Here we have While My Guitar Gently Weeps, covered by Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne, Prince, and a slew of other fantastic musicians, for your listening pleasure.

via YouTube

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Five things I love:

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1.) Music. If I don’t sing, I don’t feel like myself. My body was made to dance. Music is one of those universal things that obliterates boundaries, gives us a chance to express ourselves individually, and also share collective experience.

2.) Nature. My very favourite thing to do is hike in the woods and sing. I love animals, oceans, mountains, deserts and all the diversity of nature. I love getting naked in wild water, and have bathed in creeks and rivers more times than I can count. I talk to trees and have dragon friends. You might not be able to see them, but they’re real.

3.) Road trips. I’ve posted about my love of road trips many times. This is a huge sense of freedom for me, feeding my wanderlust and satisfying my need for adventure.

4.) Honesty. This is along the lines of what @papa-pepper said in his love it/shove it post about liking real people, as opposed to those who put up a front. “You do you” is one of my mottos. But I’ll take this a bit further, and say I appreciate people who can be honest, have respectful discussion or debate, and agree to disagree if necessary. Communication is key, and the more we can do it honestly, without chips on our shoulders, the better off we’re going to be as individuals and as a species.

5.) Creativity. The imagination is my playground. I am an artist in many ways, including a die-hard writer, and I love the myriad ways other people express their creativity. It is one of the things that makes life worthwhile.

all gifs via giphy.com

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Two things I dislike:

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1.) Commitments. I don’t like having to set a time and date for things, or having pending responsibilities. Part of this comes from having young twins and not needing anything else on my plate, thank you very much, but part of this is my gypsy-Gemini heart.

2.) Being lonely. I’m okay with alone time—crave it, really, but I also like attention. I’m like a cat who always wants to be curled up next to someone. My man works up north in an arrangement that is the best for our family as far as money and consistent time off, but, though we have him home for a week straight (sometimes longer), he’s also gone for ten or more days at a time. I am grateful for snuggly kids, and for my own independence, but the loneliness is real.

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Three things I hate:

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1.) Those who disrespect nature. This is super broad, but encompasses everything from trophy hunting to animal abuse and oil spills. I don’t take offense to hunting, but do it humanely and eat what you kill. If someone is killing for sport, with no reverence for what they’re killing (wolves, elephants, whatever), that’s sick. Life deserves respect. I realize this behavior comes from self-disrespect, but let’s not go into the psychology. Down with those who are messing up the earth in the name of profit or power. Which leads me to my next point:

2.) Oppression. Systems of oppression are many-layered and woven throughout our history and our present. Some are crumbling before our eyes. I would like to see us dismantle them as we walk into the future.

3.) Consumerism. The amount of money spent on shit we don’t need, the amount of shit we don’t need produced, and the wastefulness of the whole consumerism machine pisses me right off. ROAAAAR!

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Erm… Apparently I went on a rant there. That's my lioness comin' out.

Okay! Time for some nominations. If I tag you and you’ve already done this, please toss the link at me so I can read yours and show some love. ;)

@meanmommy33
@sircork
@soyrosa
@aussieninja
@wildempress

I'd love to see you take on this challenge, so I can learn more about you. :)

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TeamGood update:

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I sent this yesterday, from the rewards of the last #teamgood post I did. I actually donated more than I made on the post, but I like to err on the side of generosity whenever possible. I sent 2SBD to @youarehope, and 2SBD to @rhondak, who runs @tarc. Check 'em out and support as you can!

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Thanks for reading!

Peace. @katrina-ariel

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Author bio: Katrina Ariel is an old-soul rebel, musician, tree-hugging yogini, and mama bear to twins. Author of Yoga for Dragon Riders (non-fiction) and Wild Horse Heart (romance), she's another free-spirit swimming in the ocean of Steemit.

dragon art: Liiga Smilshkalne

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Banner courtesy of @PegasusPhysics