I wanted to share with you some tiny excerpts from an essay I’m working on right now.
I’ve learned that even just blogging an essay is considered published, so I will have to alter what and how I blog from now on. But I promise to continue snippets of my work as well as drawings and photos.
From my essay in progress, “Why, How, What the…”
“Life is a privilege. It’s not why, but how.” I can’t shake the words of my friend, my mentor, as I sit quietly on a rock in the dry creek bed, in front of the crumbling bridge. This has become one of my favorite writing spots in Madison.
“Start with Why” touts Simon Sinek, motivational speaker, who believes every idea can become a social movement. His focus is “Why” then “How” then “What” and applies the concept to an innovative business model.
Though the words are in opposition to my friend’s statement, they’re different meanings, and can equally, but differently be applied to resolve this wheel-spinning I’ve been doing lately.
And both of these statements are in seeming opposition to a family member who tells me the only thing that matters is “weeding.” She wasn’t being metaphorical, but words can’t help being something else.
I found myself thinking about this argument as I was reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed. She comes to a point in the book where she realizes that all her “Why” questions she thought she would explore during the course of her solo hike of the Pacific Quest Trail have not been at the forefront of her mind as she tackles basic survival. Even repetitive commercial jingles overtake her thought processes.
The final quote spinning in my head came from another friend and writer, who always tells me “Slow down. Stay still. Sit still. Everything will come to you.” As I’m dwelling on this, a doe appears a few yards behind me on the creek bed.
So many seeming opposites, yet they’re crashing together in my mind in perfect harmony.
“I get it.” I say aloud, causing the doe to look up from grazing.
“I get it.” I say, more quietly to myself, before I pick up my journal and hike back out.
Love, Marla
I envy the opportunities you create for yourself to be alone with your thoughts, and the courage you must have to put them down AND share them with us…….
Thanks for saying that, Mona. I think people think it’s actually easy for me to share things, but I go through a lot of turmoil on some of these posts, and I’m glad you can tell which ones.
At some point I just decided that while I’m unable to talk aloud about some of life, I can write it and share it, and maybe others can relate.