Other than the "Monday is Quote Day" posts, I have not posted about anything in quite awhile.
Without sounding too "hippie", my interests and behaviors have always been pretty organic. I've never been the type of person to force an interest or behavior in my life. If I want to like this or that, I will. If I want to act or not act like this or that, I will or won't. It's pretty simple. I try and surround myself with a minimum amount of stress, so simple is my mantra.
Of course with that being said, my behavior for this blog is to go in and out of posting many entries to barely anything at all. The frustration in this for me is that I genuinely want to write more but it goes against my organic way of facing life. In order to write a blog post, most days, it will involve me forcing myself to sit down and write. And as I described, this goes against my natural inclination. However, when it comes to writing, I long to go against my natural inclination of just "going with the flow" and instead write until it becomes a natural behavior.
Growing up, I always wanted to be an actress or a singer, just like all the stars I loved. I mean who wouldn't want to be Doris Day or Julie Andrews! They always made everything seem like such fun that, naturally, I wanted to do that too. They always seemed so happy!
Now that I'm in my late 20's, I've recalled that childhood dream. I'd still love to try my hand at acting but I have also longed to become a writer; which is why I began this blog. I figured it would give me a chance to write about anything I'd want, when I'd want, with the hope that people would enjoy it. As you may have already noticed, I love to watch movies and then talk about them. I wish that I had more interests that I want to put to paper write on my blog, but I truly LOVE to write about films. But my point is this: sometimes, you have to write about other things and you may even have write when you don't feel like it. That is what makes you a writer. You actually have to write. It's quite simple. It's common sense.
So not every blog entry will be a grand slam, home run, or even me getting on base. Maybe it will mean I strike out but as I recently read as advice for writers, "fail magnificently". So with that, I will write and fail sometimes but I will do it with charm and pizazz. And hopefully, you'll still come back for more!
And if you don't........I will still write.
One goal of this blog is basically summed up in the following quote by whom else but Gloria Steinem. Since I'm reading one of her books she's EVERYWHERE in my mind lately. She has a TON of soundbites that speak to me intellectually and emotionally, both in this book and beyond. The quote:
"Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else."
-Gloria Steinem
So, that's the goal of this blog: to bring out the writer in me. So far it's been a great time writing down and sharing whatever thoughts that come to mind and for the most part, when I'm writing, I don't feel like I'm wasting time. I don't feel like I should be doing anything else.
I was recently speaking to a wonderful friend of mine, who is a great writer I might add, and we were both discussing how much we love our "voice" as writers. It seems our "writer's voice" is much more thought out, not as overly emotional but still passionate, and even a bit more confident than our normal selves. It takes great energy and dedication to a thought to not just think of something, but to put it to paper or in my case, a blog. It's been a challenge to convey messages that seem to be completely logical and clear in my head, but when I write, it's all jumbled. That has been difficult but ultimately a welcome challenge. Also, having a Communication Studies degree, I understand the importance of getting a thought across in a concise, clear manner though I often fall short, so this has been a great tool for me to practice.
Thanks for reading and being my guinea pigs in this new venture, thus far!
I am currently reading "Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions" by Gloria Steinem.
I think this book is described best by the review on the back cover from actor, Alan Alda, "Her book is like the women herself: Intelligent, concerned, articulate, precise, and never without a sense of humor or balance." Basically that sums up everything. Way to go Hawkeye Pierce!!
To say that I am an admirer of Gloria Steinem is an understatement, which I'm sure will one day be an entry. My point is to explain just how much I've learned from this book when it comes to words. I have never been one to write or underline the contents of a book I'm reading. I figure I won't remember the significance of the underline or I won't read it again so why mark up a perfectly good book. Well, I guess I'm growing because I have not only underlined and pointed out paragraphs and anecdotes that are simplistically moving and revealing, but I have also begun to circle words I do not know. Oh, but I don't stop there. I have also included the definition in the blank space on the page. It's one of the first times while reading a book that I don't just want to guess what the word means, or look it up only to forget it in 5 seconds, but to instead write it down so I will always have it, literally, at my fingertips.
This is an entry devoted to words. Not mundane words. Not everyday words. Not bland words. But words with which we are unfamiliar, a relative statement if I've ever seen any. The words I know, recognize and use will be different from yours, as it should be. I bring this up because I love to read and I love to learn, both of which are happening at the same time, in full force, while reading this book by this amazing author/journalist/activist/feminist/former comedy writer.
----- Spelling Test Study Guide from Ms. Gloria Steinem -----
Itinerant: traveling from place to place
Bastion: upholding particular principles
Metier: occupation/activity a person is good at
Acerbic: sharp and forthright speech (I've been trying to use this in a sentence. Easier said wished than done.)
Subterfuge: deceit to achieve one's goal
Jettison: abandon or discard
Palliative: fixing a problem without addressing the cause
Empathy: understand feelings of another (I knew this but always need a reminder.)
Apathetic: feeling no interest or concern
Antithetical: directly opposed or contrasted; opposite
Quixotic: resembling or befitting Don Quixote - chivalrous
Appropriations: anything appropriated for a special purpose, especially money
Circumlocution: roundabout way of speaking - indirect (she uses this word to describe Nixon)
Bombast: speech too pompous for an occasion; pretentious
Condescension: voluntary assumption of equality with a person regarded as inferior
Obsequious: compliant, obedient, dutiful
Ideologue: a person who zealously advocates an ideology
Pragmatist: person oriented toward success or failure of a particular line of action; practical person
Manchurian Candidate: novel by Richard Condon about the son of a prominent U.S. political family who is brainwashed to be an unwitting assassin for a Communist conspiracy. (Wikipedia)
Burghers: inhabitant of a middle class town
Inexorably: not to be persuaded
That's it so far and I'm only on page 105 out of 410. I also love that, just from this list of words, you can tell it mostly has to do with politics or at least the political arena thus far. It may be just the perfect time for me to be reading this book with elections looming around the corner. :)
A big thank you goes out to Gloria Steinem for improving my vocabulary! *Oh, and improving my life as a woman!*
