Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

I am hesitant to go to a high school reunion.  For many reasons.  Maybe, the main reason is there is nothing there for me any longer.  It is over forty years ago I graduated from high school.  I still remember going back to my hometown in the early seventies and I realized I could not go back.

All the people I knew were either in college or had moved away.  The racial complexion of my community had changed drastically.  Then it had become mostly Cuban.

Considerably more time has passed since then.  I am not the same person.  Of course, there are other reasons.  All these people have become strangers.  For that matter, the few people I wanted to keep up with I did.  There were not many.  Two of them were on the tennis team I played.

There is always the fear no one will remember me although I am always curious what memories anyone had of me.  If any?!  Another reason is I fear I may not have anything to show for my life.  Some people may have become doctors, teachers and hold advanced degrees.  I have none.

The last fear is one I have to resist.  To some degree I have done what I wanted to, which is to write although I have not made a living from it.  I never had to.  There may be no reason to connect with anyone.  There is too much “posturing” that goes on in these reunions.

Time is really fleet.  It seemed like I just graduated from high school and that is just an illusion.  A lifetime has gone by.  Sometimes I do not know how to account for that.  And maybe that is my worst fear.  I squandered my precious time.

Tags: advanced degree, college, graduate, high school reunion, hometown, I cannot go back, lifetime, show for my life, squander time, tennis team, time, time is fleet, time is precious, write, writing
Posted in balance, death, knowledge&learning, life, relationships, time, writing, your job/mission/profession | 2 Comments »

Every poem I write is pared to the essential.  That was the one lesson I had to learn over and over in my two years of creative writing.  The beauty of a written piece is always what is left out–the empty spaces.  I had to look at my poems repeatedly to see what was necessary to say.  I do not have to say something directly if it was said already even if was only said implicitly.  Some teachers may use the statement, “Show don’t tell”.  This is very difficult to do since it is my own work.  It is hard to view it objectively.  Of course, a good editor helps this process.  It is very common for a beginner to resist this process.  Everything they write they think is “gold.”

I am a little luckier than most:  my wife is a fine editor.  I do not hesitate to change something if her advice is on target.  If her criticism is right, I will make the necessary changes.  Your instincts have to be accurate.  If a line (or a phrase or a word) can be taken out and the poem still stands, it was not necessary.  Sometimes the opposite is necessary:  you need to add something.  There may be ambiguity you don’t want or maybe you want it there.  You, also, may have to rearrange some lines.  Your piece is not coherent.  The reader can’t follow the poem easily.  What are you trying to achieve with the piece?  Sometimes that is not an easy question to answer and may determine the changes you make.  You always have to make the decision when to leave the poem alone (and come back to it later) or whether it is even worth working on.  Every word has to count.

Tags: "show don't tell", "the empty spaces", beginner, creative writing, editing writing, good editor, poem, poetry, reader, teachers, words, writing
Posted in art, balance, beauty, knowledge&learning, time, writing, your job/mission/profession | No Comments »

All I can do is just give it away.  It is my gift to you.  It is all I have.  Sometimes people I know read it.  Often it is strangers.  It is my gift.  My time.  I don’t know what else to do but give it away and hope someone out there benefits from it.  Life is full of treasures.  I only sample a few.  And share a few.  As I said, it is my gift to you.  Whoever, stumbles upon it.  It is all I have so enjoy it.  Mull it over if that is your pleasure or spit it out.  It comes from my core.  It is what I am.  And I don’t apologize.  It is me.  Maybe you will meet me halfway.  Maybe, not.  It is all I have.

Tags: blog, give it away, God, life, my gift, read, share, strangers, time, treasures, writing
Posted in balance, beauty, God, life, local, love, time, wisdom, writing | No Comments »

Sometimes it helps to have a plan of attack (regarding the realization I had become depressed).  Sure I have to now do the “work” but I can chip away at the different reasons I had become depressed.  It always helps to have a plan.  All I have to do is execute it and with time my depression will lift.  My plan is to deal with one thing at a time.  I can’t predict when but I can say with certainly, at some point, most of my depression will evaporate.  It is the helpless feelings accompanying the depression that indicate I have work to do and this gives me hope.  What, also, gives me hope is the realization that every depression will end.  It is not forever.  I have some control.  I have to exert it.  Your depression lifts one degree at a time.

Tags: chip away, depression, depression will end, depression will lift, do the work, exert control, have a plan, helpless feelings, hope, one thing at a time, plan of attack
Posted in balance, health, knowledge&learning, life, local, mental health, time, wisdom, writing | No Comments »

The local paper is more interesting to me than the Sunday regional paper.  The accounts in the first paper are more personal.  Sometimes they are about people I know.  Other times the articles revolve around regions I am familiar with.

The news is more relevant to me.  I can’t always identify with the articles I read Sunday.  Sometimes the writing in the regional paper is too generic.  I want to read about news that affects me.

I live in a county that until recently had no red light.  Now it has one.  And that was news in the “Sun”, the local paper.  There is too much news in the “Patriot News” I just don’t care about.

Of course, the “Patriot News” has its place.  Lately, though, the Sunday paper just collects dust.  And I don’t miss it but I do “The Sun” when I don’t read it.

It only takes five or ten minutes to read but it is news I am always interested in.  It is always more personal.

Tags: articles, local newspaper, news, people I know, personal, Sunday paper, writing
Posted in knowledge&learning, life, local, writing | No Comments »

The beauty of a superb piece of writing (as a gorgeous musical composition) is what is left out–the empty spaces.  A writer does not want to confuse the writer (???) with clutter.  Every thing that is not necessary has been taken out.

You want every word, every phrase, every sentence and paragraph to matter.  I always said that an excellent editor is worth their weight in gold.  It is very difficult for the writer to see their piece objectively.

You always need someone from the outside who you trust for their advice on your written piece.  Sure you need to do everything you can before you submit your piece to someone else.

Nevertheless, at some point you need to present your piece to someone else for their opinion.  You have to be very careful who you choose and when to do this.  You have given your piece your all.

Now it is time to let someone else read it.  Everything that gets in the way has to be taken out or changed.  You want every word to count.  You can not do this by yourself.

Tags: editing writing, editors, empty spaces, every word counts, excellent editor, let someone else read it, musical composition, writers, writing
Posted in art, balance, beauty, God, knowledge&learning, music, time, wisdom, writing | No Comments »

You always need a mission to write and at the same time you must have an imaginary audience.  It is that audience which gives your writing focus.  It is striving to reach them which will give you the words you need to complete your mission.

The words necessary to reach your audience will come if you know why you are writing.  You may not know how to get there but the words will materialize as you make your journey.

Your only job when you are complete with this leg of the journey is not to confuse the reader and take out everything that gets in the way.  If you can still delete your passage and your writing stands it was not necessary.

You always need a mission to write and that always comes first.  Know why you are writing.  And to whom.  The words always follow.  They do not come first but are always last.  Start with your mission.

Tags: give your writing focus, know to whom you are writing, know why you are writing, mission to write, the reader, the words follow, words, writers, writing, your audience
Posted in knowledge&learning, time, wisdom, writing, your job/mission/profession | No Comments »

You do not need special equipment to write (nor a degree) just a pen or pencil that writes and some paper.

You can write anywhere or on anything available.  No special journal or special places.  Anywhere.  No excuses.  All those specials conditions just get in the way.

I always carry two Bic pens on me (in case one peters out).  They are cheap.  No special or favorite pen.  I write in blank books.  They are plain notebooks.

I try to get different colored ones and always keep the most recent in the same place.  But if my “muse” is telling me to write and I am not near my journal I grab the nearest paper within reach whatever it is wherever it is.

I am not bound by my journals.  Again, you do not need special equipment to write.  No special degrees.  Just do it.  Everything else is excuses.

Tags: Bic pens, journal, my "muse", no excuses, notebook, paper, pen, pencil, write, writers, writing
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I want to get up slowly (when I can).  First, I may throw some sweat pants on, make coffee and wake up gradually.  I don’t always have that privilege, but most times I do.  The dogs always want to go out in the yard immediately and are not shy about it.

I often get up before my wife although that is not always the case.  If she is still sleeping I try to walk around quietly.  I make sure our “menagerie” has food and water.

After I am sufficiently “coffeed up” and I am awake I start looking around and figuring out what tasks need my attention.

Before that though, if my “muse” is telling me to write or edit, I obey it, then return to my duties.

Before all that, after I am fully alert I may do a quick devotional and sometimes find myself thanking the Lord for all bounties.  This often happens spontaneously.

My wife may have some requests for tasks that need my attention.  At some point, I check our postal box and peruse our mail, being careful to put our bills in the proper file.

In the afternoon, I sometimes have appointments to go to (usually doctor’s or blood work).  This is typically my routine.

Tags: bills, blood test, bounty, daily mail, daily tasks, doctor appointment, feed the cats, feed the dogs, God, lab work, let the dogs out, morning coffee, morning devotional, my "muse", my daily routine, my duties, my wife, pets, post office box, thank the Lord, wake up slowly, writing
Posted in balance, God, health, life, local, marriage, mental health, pets, time, writing | No Comments »

Writing is foremost communication. You may be writing to an invisible audience. And you may not even be aware of your audience but it is there.

Writing is one type of communication. It is not publishing although you may seek that but never lose sight of the fact you are “reaching out” to someone.

Yes, it is a feather in your cap when someone wants to publish something you have written. Never lose sight you have to write and it may be in your case a major way you communicate with others.

The more personal you can be the more others can relate to your struggles. Your writing can’t, simply, be generic. Everyone has struggles and others are interested in yours whether you choose to write fiction or non-fiction. It always has to ring true.

As far as I am concerned fiction is non-fiction disguised. It may not be autobiographical but nevertheless the writer has to delve deeply in their own psyche for their writing to be authentic. And it is always communication. No matter who the audience is. You always have one.

Tags: autobiographical, be personal, communicate with others, communication, delve deeply in their own psyche, fiction, has to ring true, invisible audience, non fiction, publishing your writing, reaching out to someone, writers, writing, writing should be authentic, your struggles
Posted in God, knowledge&learning, life, relationships, time, wisdom, writing, your job/mission/profession | No Comments »

I can’t be fifteen seconds or more from a pen that writes. My wife likes click pens. The only trouble with them half the time or more they do not work (or are “unstable”, my words).

I spent fifteen minutes or more gathering all my pens in the house that I could find and sorting them.  I pulled out the Bic pens, which are usually reliable. Then I put a collection of them in three different spots in the house.

One is now in my office, one in the living room and another near the computer. Now I know exactly where they are. I am no more than a few seconds from any of them in the house.

Of late, I was getting a bit frustrated finding a pen that works.  This was driving me a little crazy–finding a pen that writes immediately.

Now I can sleep more soundly. I know exactly where all my Bic pens are. They usually do not disappoint me. And if they do, I just throw them away. They are cheap.

Tags: Bic pens, click pens, finding a pen that works, my office, my wife, reliable pens, writers, writing
Posted in humor, knowledge&learning, local, time, writing, your job/mission/profession | No Comments »

‘Your window to the world might be your own front door.  Your shiniest day might come in the middle of the night.’  Two lines from the Blackhawk song “That’s Just About Right”.  I identify with those two lines.

I am not sure I will ever do any thing earthshaking.  Nor will I ever be the President or some CEO of a corporation.  I realize maybe what I do in my own backyard might be important.

Notoriety or fame is overrated.  I remember reading in Bob Dylan’s autobiography how he wanted fame early on and then got it and wished he didn’t have it.  He wanted his children to have a normal existence and they could not.

Some weirdo was always showing up on his doorsteps.  Anonymity is really a gift.  And the famous lose it.  Dylan bemoaned its loss.  And realized fame was not what it was cut out to be.

I will continue to do what the Lord has called me to do.  Whether or not others recognize it.  The words I write if they impact at least one person they served their purpose.  I will continue to reach out and love the people around me.

The words from this song remind me to continue writing for it still matters to me no matter how many people read it.  So I continue for I know I have to.

Tags: "That's Just About Right", anonymity, Blackhawk, Bob Dylan, children, continue writing, famous, God, God calls you, music, notoriety or fame, reach out and love, the Lord, window to the world, words I write, write, writing, writing matters, your backyard, your own front door
Posted in balance, beauty, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, music, time, wisdom, writing, your job/mission/profession | No Comments »