Hal - Deliberately Basic

A classic movie from my generation is “The Big Chill.” I like this movie so much I’ve watched it more times than I can remember. One of my favorite scenes is a dialog about self-absorption between Tom Berenger and Jeff Goldblum. Goldblum is defending his direct approach to life, while Berenger plays devil’s advocate.

Goldblum’s contention is, everyone rationalizes his desires. Some use open and direct  manipulation, while others use a more indirect approach.
“Everyone does it.” he said.
Berenger responds, “I thought masturbation was the ultimate act of self-absorption.”
“Have you ever gone a week without a juicy rationalization?” Goldblum said.
Berenger stops to think about this, and the scene fades.

Recently I’ve read several articles (A good one from DailyWritingTips)  about the base and unseemly practice of cussing as a way of expression. Personally, there are times when I enjoy a good round of profanity. Mark Twain considered it an art form. Conversely, a constant barrage of foul language, male or female, is hurtful to the ears, and should be avoided if possible. As with all things, a happy medium is in order.

Again borrowing from ‘The Big Chill”, have you ever gone a week without cussing?
Could you go a week without cussing? I know, some never cuss, but they all seem to have a mean streak, and appear in dire need of a blow job. I am not comfortable around people who never cuss. I start wishing they would say “shit!” This word covers pretty much our entire language for nouns and verbs.

Men tend to use feminine words to express themselves while cussing. Let’s face it, there is a greater abundance of words for the female anatomy, at times with no masculine equivalent. This is no doubt a cultural phenomena, so let’s just blame men for seeing women as sex objects. We do, and we can’t help it. Hence, the historical proliferation of whore houses.

I have given this some thought, and decided it would be just too difficult. Words like bitch, dude, shit, hell, bastard, and yes, the occasional ‘F’ word are just too handy and colorful to let go for even a week. Of course I don’t use these words in certain social situations. That would be disrespectful, plebeian and might get me killed. Never around children, especially the grandchildren. Hardly ever while public speaking – and I do speak before an audience on occasion.

Problems I see with not cussing:

Do I call the back seat of a motorcycle the promiscuous woman seat? If you absolutely have to smack somebody, do you ‘woman slap’ him? And how do you express yourself about life and death? “Life is a promiscuous woman, and then you expire?”

I’ve known a few sons-of-irresponsible women, and men who were real born-out-of-wedlocks. But this has no verbal imagery at all, and doesn’t express what I feel. Ever heard anyone say, “quit yer female dogging?”

I’ve never been to a man ranch, called anyone a male member vacuum, or remarked that someone was a fecal-head. If someone cuts me off in traffic, I simply cannot see myself yelling, “Hey you mother-intercourser!” I have been known to hit my finger with a hammer, by accident of course. I doubt a rousing “Supreme Intelligence of the universe, son-of-a-female dog” would suffice to ease the pain.

How about it, could you go a week without cussing? Right wing fundamentalists need not reply.

Note: Photo licensed under Creative Commons.

A big thank you to Mike Elgan for linking back to this site from The Raw Feed. Mike has a fine blog with a lot of good info about the latest technology.

You don’t have to be a tech geek to appreciate his style. He has been in this business for quite a long time and his content is interesting most everyone.

I highly suggest you subscribe to his newsletter. You can have your site linked back with his “Flog the Blog!” promotion. See it all here:  The Raw Feed This is a fine way to promote your blog.

The first time I read a book by James Michener I was hooked as a fan of his style. In 1971 I read The Drifters and knew his penchant for story-telling was wonderful. Since that time I’ve read much of his other works, including Hawaii, Centennial, Chesapeake and most recently,  The World is My Home; A Memoir.

Among the more interesting musings in The World is My Home... is his definition of what completed writing is. His credo was, “Writing is never complete till it’s published.” He goes on to explain the three concepts in this definition, writing, complete, and published.

James Michener died in 1997 at age 90. He never used a computer, but wrote his prodigious volumes on a manual typewriter. When the personal computer came into common use he had a staff member rewrite his manuscripts in digital form. He once remarked that had he been younger he would have learned the art of keyboarding and probably used a computer. He was not averse to technology.

His definition of writing was a shorthand for the entire literary expression. For him this meant anything that could be expressed with symbols, whether it was poetry, novels or even music. It was that simple.

A completed work was not complete until a contract had been fulfilled between the writer and a reader. In other words, if a writer produces a work, he has an obligation to create a contract with someone to read it. The contract is, what he creates is not for his eyes alone, but that it be made available for someone to read. Art at any level is created to be interactive. Otherwise writing is a  journal, a personal note to oneself. This type of non-sharing writing may be therapeutic for some, but it is an end in itself, and not by definition published.

He uses a case in point of the works of Emily Dickinson. She wrote 1,775 poems during her lifetime, but refused to have any published in book form. Seven were published in a small town newspaper while she lived. Why then is she now so famous and considered one of the world’s greatest poets? She circulated her her work among close friends whose opinions she valued. She shared her work with the world, even though she wasn’t paid for it.

Michener moves on to talk about different levels of publishing. It should be obvious to anyone who writes that while many write, few actually make a living at it. And of those few, a very small elite number achieve great success. Talent, hard work and perseverance help, but luck plays a major role in who achieves the great success and who is left somewhere down the rungs of the ladder that lead to fame.

More than likely Michener had never seen a blog. By his standards a blog would qualify as a published work. You have completed the contract for the reader, shared your work with the world, and you are indeed a published writer. Yes, even an email message would qualify under these standards. Dickinson also wrote nearly 2000 letters, now considered as some of the most beautiful prose ever written.

The medium makes no difference; if you write, write well all the time. On occasion I find myself reading a well written, well composed email. More than likely I delete messages that have too many LOLs and other loose garbage English. Writing, like a rose, by any other name is still writing.

Quite a few years ago I worked as a ballroom dance instructor. One of my teachers once ask me, “What is the difference between a professional dancer and an amateur dancer?” I rattled off a number of apparent things that came to mind, but she said this.

“A professional dancer always dances to the best of his ability, even when he is alone or simply out to have fun.”
This concept should be the credo of a writer. Always write to the best of your ability. Be a professional, published writer all the time.

I have not been excited about a new president since JFK. Though I was young and naïve when he was president, I remember the US as a much more happy country. We now have the opportunity to regain some of that unity, and again have a leader we can admire.

I am not so blind as to think our country will suddenly unite and become one big happy family. In all probability half the population woke up this morning very unhappy. The racial divide is alive and well. The fundamentalist Christians are still thumping bibles and loudly exclaiming the end is near.

It may take another century before we overcome some basic problems such as this, and guess what folks, other problems will arise to fill the void. Adversity is the way of the world. Get used to it.

For the moment let those of us who feel good about the outcome of this historic event rejoice. It is a good time to be alive. We will either come together as a nation or perish, but we have the opportunity to do it in unity.

Finally, even more important than who won this election, we will be rid of George Bush. Anyone who still thinks it doesn’t matter who is president, please, take a hard look at the evil he has perpetrated on the world. Goodbye and good riddance G Dubya. Please go back to your wealthy friends (even Hitler had friends) and never come back.