Thought for the day: Write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow. [Lawrence Clark Powell]
Yep. It's that time again.Time for our monthly IWSG posts. As always, thanks to our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh, for founding this fine group, and thanks to all the other nurturing guys and gals who've helped turn it into the thriving community it is today. I'm telling ya, this group offers better support and lift than the world's most expensive bra. (No underwires, either!) To join this super supportive group of writers and to see links to other participating blogs, please go HERE
Nothing much to report on the writing front this month. The editing work has slowed down a bit, too, because real life has gotten in the way. (Dontcha hate it when that happens?)
Okay, without any more blah-blah-blah, I'll jump right to this month's question: It's been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing if you don't enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?
[image courtesy of unsplash]
What are my thoughts?
Why in the world would someone who doesn't enjoy reading books have any interest whatsoever in writing one??? That makes about as much sense as someone who prepares delicious meals and then throws them into the trash because he doesn't like to eat. Or someone who's afraid to fly deciding to become a pilot. To me, reading and writing are the opposite sides of the same wonderful coin, and I can't imagine one without the other.
May I never be so blind that all I see is my own small world, nor so self-satisfied that all I am is all I ever hope to be.
To the best of my recollection, those are the words a guest speaker wrote on the blackboard before teaching an adult Sunday school class many years ago. They resonated with me then, and they continue to resonate, which is why I still remember them.
How can anyone be so self-satisfied with their own world view that they don't want to expand their understanding of the world by reading what other writers have written? How can anyone think his ideas are new and original if he has no idea what other ideas exist? What point of comparison does he have?
Like most of you, I'm an unapologetic book hound. As a child, one of my favorite things to do was climb an apple tree at my grandmother's house... with a book. Sheltered in the tree's branches, I was nurtured by both words and apples, and I was transported to other times and places, and my imagination was sparked by the tales I read, both fiction and non-fiction.
It's hard to fathom how someone who doesn't feel that same spark about books can truly care about writing one.
[image courtesy of unsplash]
Are you familiar with the song I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face? One line in there says ♫♪like breathing out and breathing in.♪♫ That's a great way to describe my concept of reading and writing, too. Like breathing. When we read, we inhale knowledge, new ideas, different ways of thinking and living, and thus inflate our understanding of the world and the people we share it with. When we write, we exhale the stories we create, and we share a bit of our hearts and souls with our readers in the process.
How can someone exhale without inhaling? There's gotta be something in there before you can let it out, right?
So, in case it's unclear, I strongly support the point of view that says reading and writing go hand-in-hand. To write effectively, I believe a person must also read voraciously.
Oh... and have cats.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Read! When your baby's finally down for the night, pick up a juicy book like "Eat, Pray, Love" or ''Pride and Prejudice,'' or my personal favorite, ''Understanding Sleep Disorders: Narcolepsy and Apnea, a Clinical Study.'' Taking some time to read each night really taught me how to feign narcolepsy when my husband asked me what my plan was for taking down the Christmas tree. [Tina Fey]
Thought for the day:Never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence. [Robert J. Hanlon]
Whether attributed to incompetence, laziness, or some other reason, we humans do tend to screw up at times. (Um, not you or me, of course...those other human...)
Some years ago, Kyle, a ham radio pal, sent me a bunch of pictures, which he thought I might like to use on a blog post someday.
Someday is finally here!
They were originally part of a funny meme called One Job. (As in, you had one job... and you managed to screw it up, you numbskull.)
So thanks, Kyle, for making my post such an easy one today. I hope the rest of you guys get a few chuckles from it.
Well... it's kinda near midfield.
Much lower in fat content than most bacon.
Not sure, but I think a Mack truck could squeeze past that barrier.
Um... I got nothing. I could maybe see someone screwing this up once... but every time???
Nope, orange isn't the new black. Teal is.
Get yourself together, woman!
I guess up is the new down?
Kinda defeats the purpose of having a booth, wouldn't you say?
Um, maybe they didn't know his name...?
Well, it is patched...
Nothing like a nice refreshing orange soda.
I've heard yellow watermelon is sweeter than red.
What's a little ar between friends?
Just not on this water
So don't park there! You've gotta leave plenty of room for the frietrucks.
Maybe he was trying to make his job more interesting by infusing a bit of creativity?
You know... that's the country over there in Aisa.
What came first... the arrow or the light pole?
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled paper.
Well, that's a bit graphic, but I reckon it would work.
Th-th-th-at's all, folks! And again, a huge thank you to Kyle.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Thought for the day: We are eagles of one nest... the nest is in our soul. [Led Zeppelin]
[image courtesy of unsplash]
Eagles are majestic creatures. The kings and queens of the skies, you might say. With their immense wingspans, they have the ability to soar high, and their high-flying maneuvers... from the mighty flaps of their wings,... to the graceful glides on the air... to the sudden wing-back swoops to the ground... are all magnificent things to behold.
We, too, have the ability to soar high, but like reluctant eagles, we sometimes give up or lose our desire to fly. I've told the following story before, which is loosely based on a James Agreey story, The Parable of the Eagle, but in support of the post I want to write today, it begs to be repeated:
[image courtesy of Morguefile]
While traipsing through the woods one day, a farmer happened upon a lone eaglet perched on a fallen log. He scooped up the young bird, carried it home, and put it in the barnyard with his chickens. Before long, the young eagle was walking and clucking like a chicken and pecking at the chicken feed on the ground.
When the farmer's friend, a Native American named Joseph, stopped by the farm one day, he was appalled to find the majestic eagle in the barnyard scratching in the dirt like a common chicken. With a laugh, the farmer said the bird had been raised like a chicken and never taught to fly, so he was now more chicken than eagle. Joseph insisted the bird still had the heart of an eagle, and he could... and should... be taught to fly, so the farmer agreed to let his friend try.
Joseph picked up the eagle, and said, "You're meant to be the king of the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly!"
But the timid eagle looked at his chicken friends pecking corn from the ground and jumped down to join them.
The next day, Joseph tried again. This time, he took the eagle up to the roof, and again, he said,"You're an eagle, the king of the skies. Stretch forth your wings and fly!"
And once again, the frightened bird returned to the safety of the chicken yard.
The third day, Joseph carried the bird to a nearby mountaintop, held it high above him, and said, "You are an eagle, the king of the skies. Spread forth your wings, and fly!"
Hesitant at first, the bird looked back toward the farm, back toward the only life he knew. Then he trembled, stretched his mighty wings, and with a triumphant cry, soared into the sky.
It's possible the eagle sometimes misses the chickens; he may even visit the barnyard once in a while for old time's sake. But as far as anyone knows, he's still living life as an eagle, the king of the skies... just as all eagles were meant to do.
*****
It's easier to hang around in the barnyard, because the prospect of stretching our wings can be very frightening, but we should never let someone else define our capabilities. Why let someone else's doubts stop you from trying? By the same token, there are a lot of things happening in the world today that might make you want to hide in the barnyard... or stay in bed with the covers pulled over your head. It seems like every day, there is something else in the news that's discouraging and disheartening. Nothing but one dark storm after another...
Are you hiding from those storms?
[image courtesy of unsplash]
[image courtesy of unsplash]
One of the many interesting things about eagles: they don't hide from storms. Nope, they don't fly straight into them, either. They're much smarter than that.
They fly above them. Up above the storm... above the clouds... to find clear blue skies and wind currents that can carry them effortlessly through the air.
All birds find shelter during a rain, but the eagle avoids rain by flying above the clouds. Problems are common, but attitude makes the difference. [Abdul Kalam]
An eagle uses the negative energy of of a storm to fly even higher [Eric Thomas]
Flap the wings of inner strength to fly above the clouds of a storm. Cry not if left alone. Like an eagle, you are strong. [Vandana Saini]
I get it. I'll confess to feeling occasional angst over the state of the world today, but we must give ourselves permission to soar above those feelings. Wallowing in discouraged sadness... in the dirt of the barnyard... won't help anyone or change anything. We may not be able to change the entire world, but we can certainly do our best to make a difference right where we are. We can't single-handedly stop all hateful behavior in the world... but we can certainly devote ourselves to being kind in our everyday lives. A simple act of kindness may be just the boost another person needs to soar above the clouds.
[image courtesy of unsplash]
I've often defined myself as a pathological optimist, but that doesn't mean it's always easy.
There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud. [Carl Sandburg]
It has to be a conscious decision. I have to fight my inner hippo... and occasionally have a diet soda with my cheeseburger.
You can't soar like an eagle when you hang around with turkeys. [author unknown]
When the storms of life gather darkly ahead, I think of those wonderful words I once read. And I say to myself as threatening clouds hover, Don't fold up your wings and run for cover. But like the eagle, spread wide your wings And soar far above the troubles life brings. For the eagle knows that the higher he flies, The more tranquil and brighter become the skies. And there is nothing in life God ever asks us to bear That we can't soar above on the wings of prayer. And in looking back over the storm you passed through, You'll find you gained strength and new courage, too, For in facing life's storms with an eagle's wings, You can fly far above earth's small petty things.
[Helen Steiner Rice]
Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely. [Roy T. Bennett]
If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. [Maya Angelou]
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
