Sunday, March 30, 2008

No Electricity

I’m ready to go back to the dark ages and eliminate electricity (E). My reason for this is the busyness of our lives. We would be so much less busy if we had none. After talking with several other people this week, bemoaning the constant “to do” list, I was thinking about what we could eliminate to be less frantic. The primary factors in many of our hectic lives are available because of E, because without E we could not build and maintain them:

1. Cell phones and phones in general
2. Email via Computers
3. Television with hundreds of stations
3. Automobiles enabling us to go places faster
4. FedEx/Mail delivery to get things to people faster

With the above modes, it is so much easier to create expectations that things will happen faster. And fast is the word that equals busy. Because something CAN happen fast, people expect that it will, regardless of other priorities.

Think back to early days with no electricity. To invite someone over or to ask someone to help you with a task, you’d have to physically go to their home or send a messenger and travel via foot, horseback or other four-footed creature. No cell phone call, email or text message. No planes, trains or automobiles associated with FedEx or US Postal Service Express mail.

Same goes for buying something. The printed word was much more valuable, with beautifully written pages with excellent word choices or grammar, now it’s acronyms in text messages and speedily written emails. Now you can turn on the TV and see advertisements for every type of product out there, from prescription drugs to fast food. Go online to buy it, and it can be delivered via swift or unhurried delivery.

Of course, I’m getting this message out via the www which is plugged into electricity and cyberspace, but that’s just the way it is. I think I’ll turn off my computer, my lights, and go to bed. Should I unplug my alarm clock too?

Monday, March 24, 2008

Thirty Minutes A Day

I'm always writing. Whether I'm folding laundry, preparing a meal or even speaking to someone, I can see words in my head that I'd like to put down on paper. Unfortunately, it's difficult to multi-task with something such as writing, because you must either put hand to pen to paper, or hands to keyboard to computer or typewriter that is actually plugged in and turned on. It's so frustrating to me sometimes that I can't get to that point of putting words into being.

As a wanna-be published writer, in the year 2008 no less, I must train myself to write at least thirty minutes a day, as is suggested by many writing handbooks and magazines. Thirty minutes is not much time, but finding that thirty minutes can be diffifult. Of course, I usually will write for thirty minutes a day, but not always on a single piece or on a topic of my choosing. The writing time comes from either a response to an email, an assignment from my husband for his business (presentation, news release or product label), a thank you letter or a note to my children's teachers or principal.

The thirty minute desired daily result for me is either blogging, as I am doing now, writing on my weekend story or my beans story, or writing about a topic from my ever growing list. Maintaining the interest in the task at the time in one of the above means is part of my problem. With so much going on in life it is difficult for me to focus on one topic at a time. As I write right now, I am indecisive as to whether I should work on this once a week blog or pursue one of the aforementioned tasks. Or should I let in the cat who is meowing on the front porch and feed the dog his morning meal? Should I open my TOPICS file add another idea to my list? Decisions! I think I could be described as being ADHD because I never lack for something to do, and it is just prioritizing the need for all those tasks that is my dificulty. In prioritizing, I nearly always can find something more "productive" to do than write. But this feels so good right now to get words on a screeen!

Timer's up, I've had my thirty minutes for today. On to the next task with words floating in my head and never getting on a screen.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Analogy

When you hear the first strains of a piece of music, and it appeals to you, it strikes a chord (pardon the pun) in your heart and brain that it is something to be pursued, that is, you want to keep listening. The bass or snare drums, the strum or screech of a guitar, a soft or intense voice, something about the tempo and just the recognition of the sound of it draws you in. As the song builds, whether by beat or lyrics, a smile forms on your face, and you are pleased. Most songs have an introduction, a chorus and a crescendo. If you are listening to a compilation, as in a CD, different aspects of the music stay similar, whether it's the voice or the instrumentation. Each song builds upon the next, and when you've listened to the first few cuts, and you are now drawn in, sometimes you don't want to turn it off. You want to finish it.

The same thing happens when you open a book with writing that pleases you. It is on a topic you want to pursue - be it mystery, romance or non-fiction, it is well-written, and it is familiar in language and style. Each book and hopefully each chapter has an introduction, a chorus (repeat of character names and personalities), and a crescendo, to keep the reader enticed until the finale. Instead of using the hearing sense, you are using the sense of vision and touch - to turn the pages.

Music and writing are both very creative endeavors, and I am in awe of those who can write lyrics and music. What an endeavor to be able to create something with different sounds and beats and words and assemble it in a manner that it sounds good. Of course, not everyone likes the same music or writing, and that is the beautiful thing about all the different personalities of the world. There is something for everyone.

This analogy came to me as I listened to my brother's band, the Blackouts, on Saturday night at Bar of Soap in Dallas. I'd heard them play several times years ago, and the lyrics and beat (they are so tight) drew me right in again, as if I was reading it, I mean hearing it, for the first time. It was an awesome time, and I thank my brother Chris for the invitation.

Good Night.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Sorry Election Process

Well, Well, it's another election year, or rather, a continuation of the process that takes a lifetime to reach as an individual who declares he or she wants to be president some day. Maybe they aren't born with this intuitiveness, but once someone makes the suggestion, or they come up with it on their own, they can be destined to pursue it. Others, who usually fail, may just think of it too late, and that is why they do not succeed. They haven't made a plan in their mind over a lifetime.

Back to the process - and the ridiculousness of it. I'd like to list the idocracy of each part.

1. The wasted campaign money - millions of dollars that could be spent on the very things the candidate is campaigning for.
2. The wasted energy - the burning of energy for travelling from state to state.
3. The burden on the candidate on their physical body.
4. The waste of television and radio time, and print media space for coverage and advertising. Texas Independence day was not even mentioned on the 10 o'clock news in Austin last week on March 2, as the Democratic primary was approaching.
5. The stupidity of those who will vote for another's party in the primary to assure the failure of a particular candidate, i.e.: Republicans in Texas who voted in the Democratic primary for Hillary to make sure Obama didn't get the nomination, for fear that if he is on the ticket, the Democrats have a potential for president. Huckabee had 33% in the Republican primary in Texas, and I would certainly have preferred him to wishy-washy McCain. He might have won Texas (or am I only dreaming) if all the traitor Republicans had voted for him.

Of course, I do not wish to complain without a solution, so - basically, put a limit on the dollars spent, the travelling allowed, the time spent by the candidate, and the amount of air time and print space allowed for campaigning. The media restrictions would of course violate the constitution, and we couldn't ask people to not make stupid decisions about primary voting, so I guess we're stuck with the last two.

Good night.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Texas Independence Day

Today, March 2, is Texas Independence Day. In 1836, the Texas Declaration of Independence was adopted at Washington on the Brazos. Texas was declaring its independence from Mexico, after paying too much in taxes and tyranneous rule. As an immigrant Texan (born in Italy on a US Army base), but born to a true Texan in my father, and a resident myself for over 38 years, I have a closeness to this great state.

According to a friend, Roger Moore, no, not the actor, the new year begins on Texas Independence Day. An advertising man, he publishes an annual calendar that begins on March 2. And why not? Each of us has "anniversaries" we recognize and visualize as a new start for ourselves. A marriage, a birth, a move, a job change or second chance is an independence day.

We can also have multiple independence days, a memorable day for different aspects of our lives. For a marriage, it may be purchasing the first home, for children, it might be the last day of school, personally, it could be the day of recovery from an illness or spiritual awakening. I myself have several days of independence. I will write about some of these in the future.

Every day is a new opportunity, remember your independence days.