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

There is always something going on with you to write about.  The trick is to pick up a thread–something that is prominent in your consciousness and follow it.  The ability to do that accurately gives it force and honesty.

It is a question of being quiet and noticing what is going on.  There are always all kinds of thoughts running through your head.  What thoughts have the greatest concern at the moment?  Those are the thoughts you focus on.

Realize you have to choose to record them.  If you feel compelled all the time to write, eventually you will peter out.  There is always something you are mulling over.  You live to write, not write to live.

Tags: choose to record them, live to write, notice what is going on, thoughts running through your head, writing
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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
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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
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There is nothing more important than love.  When everything is taken away from you, that is all that remains–love.  Some people spend a lifetime building an empire and very little time building relationships.  No one wants to know how hard you worked but they remember if you loved them, spent time with them or encouraged them in their endeavors.  Love is the only thing that remains when you go.  The positive memories you have built up in a lifetime.  And for some people those memories are negative.  Love you have shared with others is the only thing that really matters and lasts.  Money can not buy love.  It takes time to love others properly.

Tags: building an empire, building relationships, encourage, God, lifetime, love, love others, love remains, memories, money can not buy love
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Permanence is only an illusion.  Others grow up, change, die or move away.  This was brought to the forefront.  A neighbor had a moving sale.  I never gave it any thought.  Now the time I had left with them was only days.  We never know when our time with someone is ended.  All we could do is love the ones God puts in front of us.  As if there is no tomorrow.  You will never run out of people.

Tags: change, die, God, love people, move away, moving sale, neighbor, no tomorrow, permanence an illusion, time
Posted in death, God, life, local, love, relationships, time, wisdom, your job/mission/profession | 2 Comments »

I can’t save him.  I know someone who is struggling with alcoholism.  He is at a turning point.  He has to make the decision whether he wants to live or die.  I can encourage him but that is it.  It is his fight.  Ultimately, he has to take the steps necessary to break the addiction alcohol has on him.  It will be baby steps at first but every major change in a person’s life started that way.  Maybe, I can steer him in the right direction but that is about it.  I can’t save him.  He is the only person who can do that.  He has to want change in his life bad enough.  Going backwards has to be totally unacceptable.  Sometimes you just have to hit bottom before you can go up.  He is there but does he want it enough.  We will see.

Tags: addiction, alcoholism, baby steps, can't save him, change your life, encourage, fight, God, hit bottom, major change, save, turning point
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It does not matter I don’t make money I still have to do things that matter to me.  Every person has a need for purposeful activity.  The worst situation is when you prostitute yourself–do a job solely for the money.  If your whole heart and soul is not in it, you will burn out.

You can get trapped by money.  You want to go in a different direction and it will initially mean less money but you are used to having a certain life style and you can’t stand your job any more.  Your heart and soul is no longer in it.  You just dream for the weekend when you are off from your job.

It is hard.  You have to make a living and support your family.  The most fortunate people are the ones who can’t wait to get back to work.  Thoreau in “Walden” says, ‘Make living thy sport’.  It is easier said than done.

Sometimes some accept their whole heart and soul will not be on the job.  It is a a shame it is not on the job and find you have to find satisfaction elsewhere.  It is always a balancing act.

Tags: "Make living thy sport", balance, life style, make a living, make money, purposeful activity, support your family, Thoreau, trapped by money, Walden, weekend, your job
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Life ain’t fair.  There is no way to get around that.  Wealth is not distributed evenly.  Financial wealth is just one kind.  Gifts given to each individual are never equal and some people are more gifted than others.  That is why coveting is a sin and why each person is commanded to help those less fortunate and it is a sin to walk away and not help someone when it was in your power to do so.

Railing at your misfortune never accomplishes anything.  It makes it harder.  Instead of making the best of your situation.  It diffuses valuable energy that could be directed elsewhere more positively.  Life simply is not fair.  Some people suffer more than others.  And someone pointing out to you that you are better off than X or Y does not help much.  You do what you can and then rest.  And help those around you with whatever you got.  Give cheerfully and you will never be unhappy.

Tags: coveting, do what you can, financial, gifts, give cheerfully, God, help others, life, make the best of your situation, misfortune, sin, suffer, talents, wealth
Posted in balance, God, health, knowledge&learning, life, love, relationships, time, wisdom, your job/mission/profession | 1 Comment »

I don’t know whether I will live that long:  the mattress we just bought is guaranteed for twenty years.  Frankly I don’t know if I will outlive the mattress.  In another twenty years I will be eighty-three.  I know my family is long-lived.  My Dad lived 91 years and my Mom was over 81 when she died.  Nevertheless I am not sure I will make it that long.  It gets me thinking, that is all.  I need to focus on the time allotted to me.  One never knows when one’s times runs out.

Tags: dad, death, family, life, living, mattress, Mom, my time, time runs out, twenty year guarantee
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Depression is not necessarily a bad thing.  Depression and despair are companions.  It simply may be telling you it is time to reexamine your value system.  What else is there to life?  Maybe I need to make some changes in my life.  This process does not occur without some pain.  Psychic pain translated in depression (and despair) is trying to get your attention.  There is no easy way out.  It has to be worked through.  Your depression is not the “enemy.”  Everything God has created is there for a reason.  Now is the time to evaluate how you spend your time.  This is a transition period so learn from it.  Depression is not necessarily a bad thing.  Your mind and body are connected.  Listen to what it is telling you.  Life is a journey.  There is an endpoint.  And that is not a bad thing.  It lends urgency to your life.  And there will always be loose ends.  You just want to minimize them so listen to your mind and body.  Everything is connected.

Tags: created, depression, depression not the enemy, despair, endpoint, everything is connected, God, learn from it, life, life is a journey, listen, loose ends, make changes, mind and body connected, no easy way out, psychic pain, reexamine your value system, spend your time, transition period, worked through
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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
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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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