Ride Em, Cowboy
When you get out of the habit of writing, the act of getting back into it seems a monumental task...
At least, that’s the way it feels at the moment, and I’m writing a simple blog post. I can’t imagine what a mess I’d be if I were writing a book. Still, I figure it’s time to get back on this ol’ horse again and nudge her into a slow trot. Question is… what’s fueling the horse? Easy. Hay. Ummm… O.K… but what kind of hay?
Aha! That’s the question. What do I write about? A quick glance on Boston.com (or not so quick as it turns out – I’ve spent the morning surfing the Internet due to both of my bosses being out today) reveals plenty of topics:
The Red Sox recent woes? NO. Absolutely not. Call me escapist, but if there’s one thing I don’t enjoy, it’s reading about how the Red Sox lost a game. Find another dupe, sports scribes.
Karl Rove’s resignation? Going to have to decline again. I can’t write about politics. I’m no good at it. I never have all the facts (nor do 99% of those who write about politics – something to keep in mind) and I’m too proud to have holes punched through my theories. Plus, political writing (and inevitable ensuing debate) is a tricky thing. It takes a sharp mind to distinguish between those who have a selfless interest in thorough explanation and analysis, and those who use political messages and rhetoric to do little more than scream, “I AM RIGHT!” and hope like hell they find some affirmation (here’s a hint: the former are usually calm.) I’m not well read enough to entirely make the distinction, and I don’t know that I could embark down the road of political discourse without becoming one of the latter. Plus, criticism is fruitless. If you want to do, then do – don’t whine (although I will say I found it rather telling that when asked what would be the first thing he’d do upon leaving the White House, Mr. Rove answered he would “go dove hunting.”)
How Boston is the “bloggiest” city in the U.S.? Well, duh! We’ve got more bloggers per square mile than McDonalds has franchises. Or, as House of Pain so eloquently put it in their early 90’s hit Jump Around, we’ve “got more rhymes than the Bible’s got psalms!” Kind of surprising actually, when you think of places like San Francisco & New Dork City. Why are we #1? According to the article “blogs thrive where locals are wired, well-educated, and obsessed with politics, a topic that inspires bloggers to unleash their prose.” Ugh. Well, maybe this isn’t a good thing, then (see above.) Let’s move on. Nothing new to see here.
The antioxidant properties of martini’s? No. Just… no.
Truth is I’m becoming a master of writing about having little to write about. Maybe I missed my calling. Maybe I could have been a writer for Seinfeld, if Seinfeld were monotonous and unfunny. Still, I can string random words together and still call it a post (and in fact, just did.) I can try to write something or I can just write it. The distinction is subtle, yet important, and Master Yoda tells us the latter option is preferable. In 2nd Empires, Chapter 7, Verse 6 he tells us "Do, or do not. There is no try." Who am I to disagree? When it all comes down to it, Master Yoda provides the hay, but... well, hay is still just hay. Nothing special about hay, man. It’s all what you do with it, and as far as this post is concerned, you can think of it as a chiffonade cut topped with Cool Whip. Or, I can search for a better metaphor. Either way, I'm glad to be back on the horse.
At least, that’s the way it feels at the moment, and I’m writing a simple blog post. I can’t imagine what a mess I’d be if I were writing a book. Still, I figure it’s time to get back on this ol’ horse again and nudge her into a slow trot. Question is… what’s fueling the horse? Easy. Hay. Ummm… O.K… but what kind of hay?
Aha! That’s the question. What do I write about? A quick glance on Boston.com (or not so quick as it turns out – I’ve spent the morning surfing the Internet due to both of my bosses being out today) reveals plenty of topics:
The Red Sox recent woes? NO. Absolutely not. Call me escapist, but if there’s one thing I don’t enjoy, it’s reading about how the Red Sox lost a game. Find another dupe, sports scribes.
Karl Rove’s resignation? Going to have to decline again. I can’t write about politics. I’m no good at it. I never have all the facts (nor do 99% of those who write about politics – something to keep in mind) and I’m too proud to have holes punched through my theories. Plus, political writing (and inevitable ensuing debate) is a tricky thing. It takes a sharp mind to distinguish between those who have a selfless interest in thorough explanation and analysis, and those who use political messages and rhetoric to do little more than scream, “I AM RIGHT!” and hope like hell they find some affirmation (here’s a hint: the former are usually calm.) I’m not well read enough to entirely make the distinction, and I don’t know that I could embark down the road of political discourse without becoming one of the latter. Plus, criticism is fruitless. If you want to do, then do – don’t whine (although I will say I found it rather telling that when asked what would be the first thing he’d do upon leaving the White House, Mr. Rove answered he would “go dove hunting.”)
How Boston is the “bloggiest” city in the U.S.? Well, duh! We’ve got more bloggers per square mile than McDonalds has franchises. Or, as House of Pain so eloquently put it in their early 90’s hit Jump Around, we’ve “got more rhymes than the Bible’s got psalms!” Kind of surprising actually, when you think of places like San Francisco & New Dork City. Why are we #1? According to the article “blogs thrive where locals are wired, well-educated, and obsessed with politics, a topic that inspires bloggers to unleash their prose.” Ugh. Well, maybe this isn’t a good thing, then (see above.) Let’s move on. Nothing new to see here.
The antioxidant properties of martini’s? No. Just… no.
Truth is I’m becoming a master of writing about having little to write about. Maybe I missed my calling. Maybe I could have been a writer for Seinfeld, if Seinfeld were monotonous and unfunny. Still, I can string random words together and still call it a post (and in fact, just did.) I can try to write something or I can just write it. The distinction is subtle, yet important, and Master Yoda tells us the latter option is preferable. In 2nd Empires, Chapter 7, Verse 6 he tells us "Do, or do not. There is no try." Who am I to disagree? When it all comes down to it, Master Yoda provides the hay, but... well, hay is still just hay. Nothing special about hay, man. It’s all what you do with it, and as far as this post is concerned, you can think of it as a chiffonade cut topped with Cool Whip. Or, I can search for a better metaphor. Either way, I'm glad to be back on the horse.
posted by Eric at 2:56 PM
6 Comments:
I'm very glad you're back. In the immortal words of HoP, I can see you're a "Terminator, like Arnold Schwarzenegger."
But what's a city boy like you doing riding a horse?
I'll have you know, lil' lady that I was designated an 'Expert' horseman at North Woods Camp for Boys. Not only can I ride a horse, I can outfit one with saddle, bridle, and reins (both English and Western saddles.) It has, however, been over ten years since I've ridden, but whatever. A horse is a horse, of course, of course.
sweet, glad you're back - now tell me how you get that "What I'm Reading / Listening to / Watching" thing on your blog.
Glad to see you back writing Eric...I am just getting back on track myself after MANY months in mothballs.
Peace,
Beware of that Korte fella. He won't link back to your site despite you linking to his. He's a bastard to the nth degree.
Korte - glad to see your writing again! Maybe I'll follow suit. Greg, I'll explain all about the sidebar nonsense in an email to you - look for it soon.
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