This Prompts Joy: Week of November 4th

The internet has long been accused of being a toxic, harmful place, full of conflict and anonymous trolls. It’s hard to deny that, in a general sense, but let us brag on ourselves a little bit. Because since our launch in September 2016, The Prompt has largely avoided that awful spirit, instead finding real personal connection through creative writing, good ideas, and good people. Honestly, it’s been quite a tonic to meet strangers on the internet that are so deeply earnest and good in their souls. 

To extend that positive vibe into your lives a bit more, we’re starting a new content segment called This Prompts Joy, in which we will each share something positive or worthwhile that got us through the week. Each week, we will publish a miniprompt of the things that filled our cold, bleak, post-apocalyptic hearts with happiness, pride, gratitude, peace, interest, amusement, and so on.

The Prompt Mag: Proof that the internet isn’t completely terrible™

Eric Mochnacz

Being a Disney adult on a solo trip in Disney World is literally the best. Because nothing matters.

A green beer at 8:38 A.M.?! Sure.

Is a Mickey Pretzel with neon yellow nacho cheese isan acceptable dinner? Of course!

A grown ass man waiting to take a selfie with Tiana because she is on his race medal?!  Absolutely.

I am a better person when I remember what it’s like to experience life with a little magic and childhood spirit.

Devin Householder

I’m in San Diego this weekend for another Navy reunion, staying with a shipmate and his family. It was great rediscovering old friends as well as meeting others who served on my ship at some point in their careers.

Coronado is basically a dedicated Navy town, and being on the eve of the election brought out strong feelings in people (intensified perhaps by alcohol). Put simply, I got an earful from the other side for a few days. Some of it only deepened my liberal outrage, but in the most thoughtful moments I found these exchanges bringing us closer. It gave me much to consider, and I am grateful for it.

My big takeaway was how connected people seemed here. Neighbors knew and were engaged actively with each other. There was kindness, teamwork, thoughtfulness and above all, conspicuous patriotism. Rob and Virginia, my hosts for the weekend, are among the finest human beings I know.

I fear this community has a lot to lose in this election, but they’re not worried. Whatever happens, I pray they’re right.

Kelaine Conochan

This week, I had the honor and privilege of attending the espnW Summit in gorgeous Ojai, California. And believe me, spending quality time with some of the most intelligent leaders in sports—from athletes to agencies and beyond—certainly prompts joy. It certainly helps that the setting is a striking and magisterial landscape of mountains, orange trees, and intelligent women.

While professional conferences can often feel so transactional and phony baloney, being at the summit (both figuratively and literally) is quite the opposite. The programming is on point, the connections are authentic, and the dancing is nothing short of chaotic good. The only thing better than being there is the months-long afterglow.

Natalie Brandt

Two days ago, the rotting pumpkins on my front porch morphed from Halloween decor to harbingers of Thanksgiving. I didn’t have to do a thing; just woke up Friday (November 1) and presto! Like Bert in “Mary Poppins,” who waxes rhapsodic when the wind blows and disrupts his one-man-band street performance, I relished the slightest hint of autumn as I retrieved the mail Friday afternoon. Not because it was any cooler—it wasn’t. Not because more leaves lay on the ground—they didn’t. And not because my magical Hallo-giving porch gourds were pulling double duty—they were, pay attention. I scooped the rolled bounty in our crooked little metal post box because it was the first day of holiday catalogs! Oh, the joy. Weeks and weeks of it.

I will not buy a single thing from a catalog all season. But I will savor perusing each one, dog-earing page after page, imagining who in my life could use a headlamp, a portable bidet, or a plush dog bed with anti-thunder technology. Who knows? Maybe this will be the year my brother gets that grow-your-own-shiitake mushroom kit after all.