Write Away

So what does G.A.T.T. mean to you and me? Not a damn thing according to the Woman with Ideas. She is convinced global warming will do us all in long before the effects of G.A.T.T. take hold. Melt those polar ice caps. Burn those holes in our sky. It's only a matter of time.



But that has nothing to do with this week's topic. Rather, we would like to take the time now to tell you about a friend, and for purposes of privacy and anonymity, we will refer to him only as "Debbie."



"Debbie" has spent most of his adult life wanting to be a writer. For a long time, this meant taking classes, studying, participating in philosophical discussions on the art and history of the written word, and most importantly, sulking and suffering the way writers are supposed to do. Then one day, "Debbie" discovered a secret; to be a writer, one had to write.



These past five years have been far and away the most prolific writing period of "Debbie's" life. He even managed to get a steady writing job. Some say the quality of his writing has steadily deteriorated over the years. Some say his best writing these days are his two sentence e-mail memos he writes in his day to day responsibilities. Others say a significant piece of work is far beyond his reach and that he hasn't written anything substantial for years. Some would even say he has only mastered how to hide behind his words to avoid what he simply used to say. But "Debbie" persists. He'll write until someone tells him to stop.



He has learned it is often times difficult to hear one's inner voice. It is much easier to get wrapped up in one's job, in one's social life than it is to grab the pen and paper during the glow of the late night embers, further isolate one's self and try to communicate what's inside to others who will hold you in judgment for what you create. On top of that, the mind can be at odds with what's in the heart; and trying to find the right mixture of thoughts and feelings, working through the defenses, is one of the biggest challenges facing any writer. Thus to find another who speaks the same inner language can be an inspiring and sometimes overwhelming discovery. It certainly isn't something one should dismiss and walk away from.



But another lesson "Debbie" has learned over the years is it is possible to be inspired by the wrong things. Since writing is 90% inspiration and 10% suffocation, to "Debbie" this is one big mother of a serious lesson to have picked up along the way. Much of writing has to do with being synchronized with where one is currently at; another piece is striving for what one can possibly be. To use energy on ultimately futile endeavors is a criminal waste of the gift of inspiration.

"Debbie" certainly has learned a lot. Perhaps the most important lesson of all, is one many children have instilled into them at the earliest stages of development: To share can be one of the most fulfilling feelings a human can experience. To find a mirror who not only understands the reflection but encourages it, with humor, wit, kindness, and love, can go a long way to cure any ailment.



But one has to remain challenged. Even a mirror can't give a true, lasting image. One needs to touch to feel. It's equally valuable to find inspiration that will continue to question what one has come to take for granted; one who'll get under the skin, and in the heart, and just won't leave. To understand the intensity of pure light, often what is needed are walls to bounce the light off of, to give it a unique perspective. A ray of light can warm either from the inside out, or the outside in. You can't learn to blow smoke rings until you snap your jaw and hold down your tongue.



So what is the universal lesson we all can take from "Debbie's" education? That unchanneled, unchallenged passion can paralyze despite its importance to any artistic aspiration or any other accomplishment. You can analyze and examine our culture, our society to the point of hopelessness. Eventually one has to get up and just do it (sneakers speak). Some of the greatest accomplishments have never been done. You have to do the day to day to get to where you will be tomorrow. Angels may walk the earth, but you'll run across a few people along the way. Good night and drive safely.