JUST DO IT.
Writing is an exercise of the mind for me. I just write. It might be drivel on an uneventful day. It might be emotional on an eventful day. It might be neurotic on a low day. No matter the day, it’s important for me to just put something down on paper. Let me qualify that…on electronic paper.
Now, being over-analytical by nature, I read frequently. Let me qualify that… voraciously. After absorbing articles by brilliant authors then reading my latest penning, it dawns on me that my writing is crap. It’s why I never publish. I will put something on Medium and after seeing no one look at, remove it immediately in embarrassment.
Today will probably be no different, but I am going to post more than one idea today. This is a big achievement for me. I am even going to keep it online when no one looks at it. HA! That’ll teach me.
Does anyone else find it a bit disconcerting that many people you interact with on a daily basis don’t read much? They read snippets and emails and work articles. They read cereal boxes and laugh awkwardly or nod when you spout something you read and they have no clue. I have noticed this at work.
Finding: don’t talk much. Don’t use poly-syllabic words. Don’t talk about yourself except in snippets and superficial terms. And God forbid, don’t notice or try to correct the constant stream of grammar misuse, mis-spelling and sentences ending in a preposition.
Humans are mostly good, which generally means they can be nice. Being nice means listening to things that bore the crap out of you, but smiling nicely. Lately, there are overt signs by people to just shut up if you utter more than a few sentences, or you are prolific past a couple of paragraphs.
It’s sad to say that I am a bit slow to have recognized this wave. I don’t learn quickly on the psychological side of human behavior. Suffice it to say, being in my 60’s already, means I am probably not going to get any better at discerning certain things. It’s both a blessing and a curse. My life is what it is and I have learned to be okay with dain-bramage.
It also means that sometimes I give people that most would blow off, my true attention. They are so happy to express ideas to someone who is not openly avoiding or judging, they bloom right before your eyes. Conversely, it means that because I give everyone a clean slate when I meet them, they might screw you with a smile on their face, watching you writhe in discomfort. Oh well, roll of the dice. Nobody’s perfect.
All I am saying is do what you want to do. If it isn’t hurting someone else, causing a public crime wave, inciting hate, or just sick. Do it. Don’t wait 60 years to figure out that you don’t have to care about being embarrassed or wrong or different. It’s okay to be exactly who you are.
