FLUID TO SOLID, from SEND TO SENT
Saturday, October 17, 2020
When I want quiet – crave it, must have it – otherwise, I resemble an antsy long-tailed cat burglarizing the rocking chair factory.
When early morning silent time gets interrupted by train whistles, I get annoyed.
When someone above me bangs around their apartment, I want to pound the ceiling, and when tradesmen unload their gear on our parking lot, I close windows.
My brain’s command for a downshift, settling-down-mode, has little connection with closing an open window or engaging my noise-canceling headphones.
Restless thoughts must be excavated from their home in my head where I feel around, sighted yet fumbling with Braille in darkness.
Squeeze brain-juice from a synapse, sort pink from grey, from the blood, from night, from day?
For a self-editing writer, I expect it’s a lot like a director of a film – doing take after take until they capture the best, or for the playwright and director to rehearse and rewrite endlessly until they get the perfect draft and idyllic performance. For a film that finality lasts without change. On stage, it’s slightly different every night.
Everything is fluid and utterly alterable until I hit send – at which moment it’s like graffiti in concrete, permanent. Like water into ice, rain into snow, and thought becomes a statement.
Once send becomes sent – change of tense, chance to tickle someone’s funny bone, tickle someone’s fancy, or annoy someone else.
Permutations, 26 letters and nine kinds of punctuation, innumerable possibilities to tell any story but fewer options for feelings …
Quiet now, first of winter’s early snowfalls, pillowy duvet covers all.
Quiet should never be mistaken as an indicator of a placid mind.
Reader feedback:
I must comment if only to say, we seem to follow a similar path. Every day is a negotiation – some better than others. And, the duck analogy is one I have used in the past – actually was in my resume 30 years ago, SB, Calgary, AB
Hi Mark, What a brilliant futuristic concept. Harnessing our good stuff then creating ‘recharging stations’ to get emotional energy boosts when we need them. You should write Sci-fi! , JR, Calgary, AB
Hi Mark, I still enjoy receiving your daily musing even if I don’t read every one through to the end. When I do it’s usually very timely for what I’m experiencing that day and helps me work through whatever is going on for me and reminds me I’m not alone. Today’s topic is relevant to me in terms of your occupation and level of experience. You may not remember that my occupation is petroleum geologist which is a threatened species in western Canada. I have been fortunate in being employed through most of my >35 year career. I am the “last man standing” among my close friends as most of them are unemployed – a few by choice, most have been laid off. Alas however, my position with a UK-based company is coming to end on November 30 and I fear my petroleum career may be done as well. So I am exploring new career options and I landed on property management and/or condominium management. I started my research however I would like to meet you for a coffee (preferably in person if you’re comfortable with that or alternatively online) and learn how the real estate industry works especially with respect to property/condo management. I see the AB gov’t is overhauling the Real Estate Council Alberta and I’m interested in hearing your view on that. Would you be willing to meet me in the next couple of weeks?, JL, Calgary, AB
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