Warning: Grumble In Progress and Possible Pedantic Pedagogy

It's not a new revelation, certainly, but I have a hard time trusting people who claim to have spiritual superiority and wish to share that enlightenment or methodology when they also, perhaps coincidentally, possess enormous material wealth. I know that's...classist...I guess would be the term, but I don't even like the word "class" to define financial strata. Some of the classiest people I know have not much money to their name and so many in this country who have so much demonstrate the least class (although I know it's not the same thing). It's a form of prejudice, surely. Perhaps it is the luxury of their wealth that allows them the time to look so deeply inward and be able to take the time to evolve their soul. And I know we can't judge a book by it's cover, or purport to know what anyone is going through or weight of the world they carry on their shoulders. But one who has not a worry for where their next meal comes from, or where they make their bed tonight, or if their dependents are provided for...I would think finding solace of the soul has a shorter path. And I don't or won't deny that they can find peace and enlightenment - I'm sure they do. But I don't think they can necessarily teach most others well. 

 

Find me a person with next to nothing who can still find joy in the blessing of every breath, find the strength to lift up others and give of the only things they may have - their time and their talent...while still being able to be healthy and happy, (and not overcompensating to a point that's hazardous to their or their dependent's well being)that's who I want to take a tip from.  

 

Some of you might immediately leap to Buddha, or to Jesus, or any one of a myriad of other righteous, religious, and spiritual leaders from the past who cast off their earthly possessions to find their bliss.  But their context doesn't work for me.  Nor do I believe that it is necessary to shed all material things to find inner peace.  And none of them lived in our now. 

 

Realizing the potential of every day and acting upon it.  Even if on some days it simply means to take in the beauty of a sunset or the relish the simple grace of the mundane.  Living intentionally.  Acting purposefully.  Acknowledging when enough is enough - whether for better or for worse.  I think the solution is in there somewhere.  I'll keep looking.

 

 

 

 

Midlife Crisis?

For a number of years now, I've half-heartedly joked that I've been gearing up for a mid-life crisis. Almost as instantly as the word tumbled out of my fingers or mouth, I would quickly do some math and then reneg on the whole idea because obviously, I was then too young...not to have a crisis of faith, hope, life, etc., but to call it a mid-life one.

But in this year of 45, and looking at the lifespans of my grandparents, and their parents, barring any major complications, I'm okay with calling this mid-life.  If I can get at least this many years on the downslope...I'm okay with that.  Don't want to be greedy - as attractive as "As old as Moses" sounds (120) or even the accolade from White House may be (for 100), I can see living into that tenth decade would be pretty gratifying.

And so, now satisfied with that math...I can allow the crisis to begin.  Hold on, because I've a feeling it's gonna be a bumpy ride...

I'm Gonna Be What Now?

So something very exciting is happening, (not like, huge, ginormous life-changing exciting - well, maybe - kinda tip-o-the-iceberg thing...maybe), and I'll share it when it's all said and done.  Don't get too excited...it's super small scale in the big picture of things, but somehow there's some old proverb here about how a grain of rice to an ant is tantamount to Everest or something to that effect.  It has to do with writing (YAY!).  No, not a book...not yet.  But in order for it all to happen, as per standards of practice, my piece has to be edited.

Silent pause (much more appropriate than a southern-belle gasp, lace fan a-flutterin', back of hand slapped to forehead...you get it).

I've been an editor, both informally, and professionally (when I got to capitalize the 'E').  I get it.  Of course pieces have to be edited.  That's the way it's done.  It's extremely rare to find a piece of reading that's literally, perfect in every way.  Especially to the eyes and sensibilities of experienced and professional writers and editors.  Oh, the field day one could have with this, for instance!  But I'm relying on blogger-life license for the freedom from the constraint of literary style manuals.

But most of my writing, when submitted to publications gets pretty much laid in just as it is.  I typically give it a few rounds of editing myself before sending it anywhere, and of course, always have other eyes on it - but not necessarily those of writers/editors.  I'm fact-checking - making sure I understood things right, that I'm inviting the public to the right place, date, and time, etc.

This is the first piece I've submitted anywhere that's not in the journalistic style.  Oh, well, now that I think about it, that's not entirely true.  But that only other one that I did, was indeed, slapped up on the internet in its entirety.  That page doesn't exist anymore. They were hungry for content and collected as fast as they could.  Not exactly a recipe for success.  That's no reflection on the editor (who did not create the page) - it was a business that spread itself too thin to begin with.  But I digress.

So being the kind of piece it IS...I'm fraught with wondering what they'll do to it.  It's not that long, and what did I or didn't do?  Did I miss some punctuation?  Do people punctuate anymore?  Are they miffed at my double spacing after a period (sorry, won't let that one go - call me a dinosaur - a spaceosaur, as it were)?  The word count was constrained, so I had to really cut things down to make it fit - what could they possibly take out?  Did they not realize how much time I spent on it before (apparently not)?  Don't they know who I am (definitely not)? Don't they...

Yeah...they might.  And they probably don't.  It's just a first for me - a new set of feelings that I never wanted to deal with before.  And really, in the grand scheme of things does it change who I am?  Will it change my style?  My intent?  No.  Their job is to actually help me look good to more than say...just my mom (who's opinion I do value greatly - just making a point).  Just like I used to tell people whose work I edited.

Ah...I get it.  I really do.