Tell us about the time you threw down the gauntlet and drew the proverbial line in the sand by giving someone an ultimatum. If you’ve never handed out an ultimatum but secretly wanted to, describe the scene and what you would say to put an end (one way or another) to an untenable situation.

Photographers, artists, poets: show us COMPLEX.

I found a complex photo: part of the parking lot of our local supermarket, although this part is always kept clear for various advertising tents.

And now to the daily prompt where I am really thinking about throwing down the gauntlet and wondering what this is becoming. I used to like doing daily prompts. They arrive regularly at the beginning of the afternoon and as it is a prompt, I let myself be prompted. Today I wonder if I should not rather show a photo of the confessional box in the local cathedral (yes, I have one of those) as this would suit the situation.

I am not perfect in any way; I even do my best not to be perfect. Perfect people are boring and can be an annoyance. I am just me. I do not throw down gauntlets and lines in the sand are not my thing.

Switzerland is in the middle of Europe and if you travel you are soon at the edge. We are surrounded by lines called borders, not in the sand, sometimes a lake or a road. Once we were on holiday in the Italian part of Switzerland, in Brissago. We did a trip to Italy which was just over the main road, but we took the back road as we wanted to visit a town called Luino which is on Lake Maggiore and it was quicker. We crossed the border at a place called Fornasette, not that we actually saw Fornasette. We were suddenly confronted by a barrier. On the one side there were two Swiss customs guards that waved us through. On the other side two Italian guards that rubbed their hands in glee when they saw a car approaching with a Swiss car number plate. We had to stop. They searched everything and found nothing except for a few dirty towels I had forgotten. I think one of the kids was sick and they were used on the way. This was a few years ago. We arrived in Luino but unfortunately there was a funeral procession, it must have been someone very important. In Italy they do these things in style, everyone walking slowly behind the horse drawn funeral wagon. We almost threw down the proverbial gauntlet as we were driving in first gear until the procession turned off into the cemetery.

I have been thinking about giving an ultimatum to the daily prompt. Either you bring something positive, bestow me with a Noble or Pulitzer prize for my efforts, or I will no longer partake. On the other hand I have a feeling that I will not be missed by WordPress (unless I do not renew my .com privilege, which costs). However, there are some interesting blogs written for this daily gauntlet challenging task. I have seen Russians advertising for their life style, having nothing to do with the challenge. I have been spammed by advertisements for jewellery and beauty creams, I have seen it all, so why should I stop. There are times when I fit this daily untenable situation (huh? sounds good) in between cleaning windows and garden work. This was today’s case. I cut my buddleia to a suitable height for Spring and cleaned all the windows on the East side (the West side has its turn next week).

I will now come to close without any confessions about hurling gloves at unsuspecting people or digging a ditch in the garden to separate myself from the neighbours. Switzerland has enough ditches. One is called the Rösti ditch. Rösti is a well known Swiss German fried potato dish, and the Rösti ditch is a proverbial name for the line splitting the French speaking population from the German population. It can be quite interesting sometimes when we have one of our monthly votes, especially when the French Swiss decide differently to the German Swiss, but that is life, although some politicians have not yet realised this.

I will now finish this work of literature, to draw the borders between writing and an hour of Tai Chi practice, wondering which song title will be chosen for tomorrow’s prompt. Perhaps “I can’t get no satisfaction”?

Daily Prompt: With or Without You

Gauntlet Pingbacks

1. Daily Prompt: With or Without You-Solving Conflict | Journeyman
2. Daily Prompt: Complex « Vicariously Poetic
3. Daily Prompt: With or Without You | Under the Monkey Tree
4. Feuding Neighbors Create “Sno-Man’s” Land | DCMontreal: Blowing the Whistle on Society
5. A Very Big Mistake | Knowledge Addiction
6. Daily Prompt: With or Without You | tnkerr-Writing Prompts and Practice
7. Brandon’s Mentor And The Daily Prmpt | The Jittery Goat
8. When People Have More Faith in You than Yourself | Rima Hassan
9. Drawing a line in the sand: Daily Prompt | alienorajt
10. Streetlight | 365 days of defiance
11. Daily Prompt: Till Death do us Part? | Anniemation Floe
12. A Game of Picnic | My Play Nook
13. Stop Telling Lies Or Else! – Writing | wangsgard.com
14. Torture of Four Years | Daily Prompt: With or Without You | likereadingontrains
15. Daily Prompt: With or Without You | Sabethville
16. Get It In Gear | The Shotgun Girls
17. Where are your gods now (a tale) | Perspectives on life, universe and everything
18. On the hook | Perspectives on life, universe and everything
19. Putting it All on the Line Prayers and Promises
20. 268. Ultimatum | Barely Right of Center
21. A Day Different | Random Blotches
22. The 19th of June 1982 – Hometown, Pennsylvania | Forgotten Correspondancer
23. Daily Prompt : With or Without You | Valley Girl Gone Country
24. Life Is Complex | Lisa’s Kansa Muse
25. DP: Us or Them | Scorched Ice
26. WITH OR WITHOUT YOU: IT DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK OUT THE WAY YOU EXPECT | SERENDIPITY
27. simple (senryu in three parts) | peacefulblessedstar
28. Job or It’s The End Of You and Me! | Views Splash!
29. Ultimatums and Death | the TEMENOS JOURNAL
30. Ultimatums and Triple Dog Dares! | meanderedwanderings
31. Too late | Life is great
32. Daily Prompt: With or Without You | Nola Roots, Texas Heart
33. Daily Prompt: With or Without You « Mama Bear Musings
34. The Forever Choice | snapshotsofawanderingheart
35. i would repeat you | y
36. Only With You | A mom’s blog
    
37. My Brother, the Incorrigible Drunk | I’m a Writer, Yes I Am
38. In Line Of Fire | Flowers and Breezes
    
39. Fighting Ultimatums | Ana Linden
40. No More Contacts Please ! | My Life and My Career
41. Nicki Minaj and A Free Fall. | meg lago
    
42. Pointillism in Borneo | Mishe en Place
43. Daily Prompt: With or Without You | Basically Beyond Basic
44. yesterday’s snow lets | y
45. You Stop This NOW! | Buzzy Beez
46. Idyllic way of traffic or nostalgia | Le Drake Noir
47. Ultimatums are bad. All the time. Just say no. | Curious Jac
48. The Camino Plan | Exploring Assisi – The Unintentional Pilgrimage (Part 1)
49. Daily Prompt: Complex | Occasional Stuff
50. As For Me and My House… | The Christian Gazette
51. Giving Ultimatums To Cats
52. When your kid throws down the gauntlet | Parents Are People Too
53. It’s Your Job Now, D’ya Hear Me? | Shades of Teal
54. With or Without You | Destino
55. Somebody Saved Me Today: But Who? | THE OVERCOMING
56. a half-whispered | y
57. It’s not over! | The Bohemian Rock Star’s “Untitled Project”
58. Baby, you gotta pick | missmoodygirl
59. With or Without You | Scribbled Posts
60. Ending A Friendship – Compass & Quill
61. Daily Prompt: With or Without You | Occasional Stuff
62. Why do I Hate Liars So Much? | Schizo Incognito
63. How to sidestep every day wars | Emotional Fitness
64. Sometimes It Is about the Money | My Author-itis
65. Daily Prompt: Complex | That Montreal Girl
66. Cable Cut-off | The Zombies Ate My Brains
67. Daily Prompt: Ultimatums and Liberation! | Odyssey of a Novice Writer
68. Push and Pull. | Simple Heart Girl
69. Daily prompt: Old tomatoes grow mould | helen meikle’s scribblefest
70. Continue? | Wanderlein
71. The Choices we make | Willow’s Corner