I am just passing notes. Quiet comments that can be of interest, have been to several people. I have information hunger and some curiosity but I tend to get more curious about things with more weight, more consequence. It is not easy to tell what has weighty consequences. Maybe you heard the old verse "For want of a nail", where a missing nail causes a horse shoe to fall off, leading to an injured mount leading to a downed warrior, etc. Little things like a butterfly flapping its wings can have significant consequences.
A friend who spent plenty of time in serious politics emphasized that the issues on the minds of the lawmakers are never the issues the public hears about. I have found that the subjects of interest to me are usually about the B level of general interest. I am not the only one but what is really, really hot is often more hype than honest substance.
I was born with some valuable aids for my living, including my hands and my mind. Something fairly simple like tying a shoelace can make a big difference in the quality of a day and the success of a project. So, if I can tie a bow in a basic string or use my mind to change my view of something that is bothering me, I can make a small physical or mental adjustment in my life and improve its quality, my level of joy and fun or that of those I love and admire, I will.
Another friend recently focused on "How to Live" by Sarah Bakewell. The London librarian's book is about the life, writings and influence of Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), often considered the originator of essays. Between considering his own life and the place of writing and reflection in it, Montaigne's ideas and practices, my friend, a very learned man, commented on writing in such a way that I was inspired to see that writing
about one's experiences gives a 2nd life. The first comes when the life is lived and the second when it is put into writing.
One of the nice things about writing is that producing it generally involves the mind and the hands.
A third friend is considering starting her own blog. There are, of course, many teachers, books and exercises that try to teach writing. A good many of them are about writing for profit or popularity. Some are about writing for mental health, to conquer fears or traumatic stresses that have been experienced. Writing to keep perspective about one's life and thoughts is a little different. I am not trying to attract too many readers, I am not trying to create dramatic tension about what will happen to the heroine, I am not trying to increase income from ads. I am just writing about what I experience and what I think.
