Fly Forward

I'm speaking to writers quite a bit right now on this page, as I am offering myself some morsels as I begin to think about wanting to write something new. But the attributes of a writing life, I think, can be applied to life, in general. We, as humans are not tubular, with our categories all lined up and sectioned off. We are absorbent. What applies to one area also bleeds into another. We try so hard to section ourselves like grapefruit, but that doesn't work for us, since we are not in the citrus fruit family. To be a whole person, we must see ourselves wholly rather than in segments. How I am fed spiritually bleeds over into my physical health. How I see myself creatively informs my views of the world. We do have categorical names for what it means to be human, but each piece of my humanity speaks into and informs my other pieces. So, as I think about writing, I've been thinking about what informs that exercise. There are so many things that do. A good piece of writing seeks to tell the truth...the truth about humanity and relationships. To write well, one must be honest about the human condition. This is difficult to do! How does it happen? Where does it happen? The wrestling match begins at the computer keyboard or the blank sheet of paper. The process of writing is not the romantic, idealistic one we usually imagine. We see a seasoned man smoking his pipe at the seaside with his typewriter as if he's simply taking dictation from a loud voice from the heavens. This picture doesn't paint the truth; in reality, it looks more like grueling hours of staring at the blank page, the slow, meandering of intellect that seems to linger somewhere afar off and is quite delayed in returning to the long, boring process of getting thoughts on paper. There is also the never-ending battle with what Anne Lamott likes to call "banshees and drunken monkees"! You know them! The voices! The inner critics! Call them whatever you like....we all have these loud voices that hunch and hover and make their beds and take up residence in our brains, our hearts, our souls. And not just one......they come in packs. They seem to have a very intricate and distinctive strategy and they always seem to work well together. They never disagree or come with dissenting views. They are unified in their message. Their message is merciless and harsh. They come to pour lemon juice on your open, gaping wounds and they come very well versed in knowledge of your particular bruised spots! This is why I love Anne Lamott's choice words for the scoundrels. It puts them in their place. In the middle of such an assault, the banshees and drunken monkees sound like the voices of reason. They seem to have their points and we give them the floor to make their case. Why do we do that???? They are, after all, inebriated and misinformed! There are two things that I know to be true. One, if something is worth doing, these banshees and drunken monkees will show up. Two, if you're going to do the thing that is worth doing, you're going to have to deal with the banshees and drunken monkees! The best way to deal with them that I have found is to speak the truth and they will scatter. They come to feed you lies and you must tell yourself the truth. Tell the truth and send those creepies away!!