When you get old the physical changes are not so obvious to other people. No one can see your aches and pains but you feel them. I accept the aches and pains as reminders that I am still alive and still in the game. I am grateful that God has not benched me.
The changes that are occurring in me are mental. These are also changes that others cannot see. These changes are more than the normal age changes of the mind. They have nothing to do with forgetfulness that I have from time to time because of my age.
My mind changes have to do with my writing. Writing has forced me to see things more clearly and to ask more questions and to listen to what is being said. I have learned that writing requires me to think and look deeper. Writing is different than talking. When your thoughts are published they cannot be denied. When I present something in writing it requires thought and honesty. When I write I have to write what I know and not what I think.
I have to evaluate what I am going to write. I want my writing to be as honest as possible. When I look at a scene or a person I think, "how could I write what I am seeing so that a reader would clearly see what I see"? I now realize that if I want others to read and enjoy what I write it requires a lot of time, thought and effort on my part.
I have learned that as long as God leaves me on the playing field, I need to strive to get better at what I do. I need to work at improving myself, not only as a writer, but also as a person.
I have learned that since I have started writing I have become more sensitive to the world I live in.
I have learned that I am not a man cemented in the "Stones of Age" but a man still mold-able and changing.
I am writing, I am thinking, I am changing, I am alive.
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About Me
- George S Batty
- So Cal, United States
- I am an apprentice writer of short stories and I also attempt a little poetry.
5 comments:
I loved this post! It was very reflective and is exactly how I'm feeling at the 55 speed bump in my life. I like the positive tone, you are right that we still have much to be thankful for!
I agree with what you say...I want to add this quote related with this:
"There is more than a verbal tie between the words common, community, and communication.... Try the experiment of communicating, with fullness and accuracy, some experience to another, especially if it be somewhat complicated, and you will find your own attitude toward your experience changing"
I agree that writing makes you more aware of your surroundings. I am always vigilant for something that I can write about! I really do think that blogging can keep us younger in mind that we might otherwise be.
It's true what you say that writing forces you to see things more clearly because you have to stop and think about it and find the 'right' words. Often, in our everyday language, we use words without thinking and the difference between the oral and written word is that in the written word I believe is the area where one really expresses him/herself clearly. Also, the more you write, the better you become - that's a given. And I find, with myself, that writing reveals to me at times those things that were not so easily discernable. It's good all around! Good post.
Thanks for expressing my thoughts. I agree that writing requires/inspires us to be more honest with ourselves and with others.
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