As a part of my "job" I write a weekly column. Some weeks it's a chore to sit in front of the computer and come up with 350 words that fit together in a cohesive, yet informative and entertaining, way. Other times it's a struggle to condense all that I want to say into the allotted space.
Never, I repeat, never do the words jump from my muddled mind to the computer screen in the way that I intend.
Sometimes I pray to simply be in that "happy place" where all things align themselves into perfect order, and where I'm fully satisfied with the result. But, to date, I've written 245 columns, and have never been totally satisfied with a single one. Just this morning I was reviewing some of my past work, and couldn't resist the temptation to edit and rewrite nearly every paragraph.
I can't decide it it's because I'm a perfectionist or it's just my obsessive compulsive nature forcing its way out of the tightly sealed box where I keep it securely locked away. Nah, I'm not obsessive nor compulsive about anything......
Two hundred and forty-five weekly columns; nearly five years (actually it's 4.71 years); eighty-five thousand seven hundred and fifty words (approximately); four hundred and ninety hours (two hours per column).....and so on and so forth...
But really, who's keeping track, certainly not me.
My partner and I recently developed a website for our company.....it's pretty cool, even though I know nothing about how things like that work. If I truly was obsessive and compulsive, I'd constantly be meddling with it; changing this and tweaking that.....sometimes ignorance is bliss.
Our marketing advisor has suggested that I write a weekly column, or blog, for the website. She says that it will help to give our clients an insight to the personal side of things......now that's a scary thought!
I'm considering it!!
Another deadline, another struggle with words, logic, sentence structure, content, ideas, advice, and writers' block........what am I thinking!
As usual, not thinking leads me right back to that "happy place" of What Do I Know.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Another piece of America's lost.....
Earlier today, for the first time in a long time, I donned a suit and tie.
For years it was a regular routine, rising early and dressing appropriately for a workday requiring such attire. I don't miss it much, and I rarely feel the need to dig deep into the closet for the aged suits that hang near the back. My work, such as it is, doesn't require that I march to the beat of the corporate drum, nor that I "dress to impress" or "dress for success". Neither my clients nor my cattle seem to care much what I wear.
I often chuckle when I receive an invitation to a meeting that identifies the dress code as being "business casual". I suspect that my idea of casual dress is somewhat different than their intent. In fact, I've been known to say that I'm probably the only one attending who has to dress up to get to the point of business casual.
Occasionally, however, I find that it is necessary to revert to my old ways, and today I was dressing out of respect. Respect for the passing of another dear friend.
In today's society it seems to me that everything has gone to "business casual", including the most somber of events. The sanctuary was filled to capacity, but dark suits and white shirts were in short supply. There was a time when every man there would have been sporting nearly the same suit; dark gray or blue, spit polished shoes, black of course, and a white shirt.
Today, if it had not been for all of the other old-timers, I would have almost felt out of place.
Guess I'd better get used to it......don't like it much, but I suppose I'm the one who's out of step.
It reminds me of the words of an old country song, "This is the last cowboy song, the end of a hundred year waltz, another piece of America's lost....."
I think we've lost more than just a piece of America.......but, as always What Do I Know.
For years it was a regular routine, rising early and dressing appropriately for a workday requiring such attire. I don't miss it much, and I rarely feel the need to dig deep into the closet for the aged suits that hang near the back. My work, such as it is, doesn't require that I march to the beat of the corporate drum, nor that I "dress to impress" or "dress for success". Neither my clients nor my cattle seem to care much what I wear.
I often chuckle when I receive an invitation to a meeting that identifies the dress code as being "business casual". I suspect that my idea of casual dress is somewhat different than their intent. In fact, I've been known to say that I'm probably the only one attending who has to dress up to get to the point of business casual.
Occasionally, however, I find that it is necessary to revert to my old ways, and today I was dressing out of respect. Respect for the passing of another dear friend.
In today's society it seems to me that everything has gone to "business casual", including the most somber of events. The sanctuary was filled to capacity, but dark suits and white shirts were in short supply. There was a time when every man there would have been sporting nearly the same suit; dark gray or blue, spit polished shoes, black of course, and a white shirt.
Today, if it had not been for all of the other old-timers, I would have almost felt out of place.
Guess I'd better get used to it......don't like it much, but I suppose I'm the one who's out of step.
It reminds me of the words of an old country song, "This is the last cowboy song, the end of a hundred year waltz, another piece of America's lost....."
I think we've lost more than just a piece of America.......but, as always What Do I Know.
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