It's been a couple
of weeks – actually a month, I'm ashamed to say – since I blogged. So perhaps this writing should be titled
'This Month in the Rearview'. For a
couple of weeks in August life happened and I was so busy I shelved my writing.
Being a Broken Old Broad, chores and activities take me twice the time to
complete. I had my load doubled for that couple of weeks, and knew something
had to give. So, though I jotted down notes, I set them aside until I had time
to think and tackle them properly.
It's funny, when I
set the projects aside, I found myself coming up with more ideas and focus –
probably because I de-cluttered my mind along with my schedule.
Last night I watched
a listicle on YouTube about little things you can do to change your life. One
of them was ask yourself 'is what I'm doing right now worth my time?' and I
realized that I've been feeling scattered and overwhelmed for the last few
years, and that perhaps some reevaluation is in order.
Thinking about such
an evaluation brings to mind Curly's advice in City Slickers: One
thing. You have to find one thing that
means the most to you, and focus on it.
My one thing has always
been writing – since I was eleven.
However, I've gotten sidetracked in the last few years and accomplished
very little. There's been way too much
input – a constant barrage from the internet of stuff that has outraged me to
the point where I want to write about it. Consequently I've written almost
nothing. Plus it's been frustrating because even when I have written, almost no
one has listened. (Though I'm grateful
to the few who have – you know who you are.) Ironically, another little thing
on the list from last night is to drastically limit your time on the internet,
which I fully intend to do.
This circles back to
'is what you're doing right now worth your time'.
I tend to be analytical
and a reasonable thinker. I think my opinions are valid, hopefully helpful, but
not necessarily any more than those of others. Sometimes, though, I feel like
I'm lending my voice to a cacophony where it is absorbed and vanishes.
Beau of the Fifth
Column posed a question to ask myself when writing: Am I the right messenger?
That brought on some
critical thinking and introspection – and a way to filter a lot of the material
that I have strong opinions about, which helped me sort topics and decide
whether or not an article or commentary is appropriate.
For instance, I was
outraged as a human being, over police callousness and violence toward black
people during the BLM protests last year. Am I, a 63-year-old white woman the
right messenger for black people's issues? No.
However, I can educate myself as much as possible, and report on the
injustices I've seen, and stand as a witness to them. I can support equal rights
and speak out against all forms of oppression.
As a woman, a senior
citizen, and a disabled person, I've felt oppression as well – I know how hard
it was to move forward in my life in spite of it. I cannot imagine what moving
forward through those obstacles in a black skin in a racist society would have
been like. Does that mean my hardships aren't valid? Of course not. It just means
I'm not the right messenger to write about BLM because that experience is not
mine, nor is it part of my ancestry.
Another
consideration I can apply when deciding if a topic is worth my time is my
reader. Who am I trying to reach? Am I just venting? Is that worth my time? I
think so. Thomas Paine did a crapload of venting and ended up shunned by the
country he'd helped form, even though he stood tall, never let go of his
principles, and held his colleagues (George Washington among them) accountable
when they abandoned theirs.
Am I Thomas Paine?
Hardly. But I hold him, and the example he set, in high esteem. I can try and stay true to my principles as
he did and wield my pen accordingly, in hopes of giving my readers pause for
thought. Or perhaps help someone who's
going through difficulties, similar to mine, know that they aren't alone. Or
perhaps validate someone's opinion who feels unheard. Or simply add my voice to
the side of reason and common decency and equality.
Is that worth my
time?
Hell yeah.
Have a great week,
everyone.
Ter
Great post, Terri! Taking just a small piece of this post to comment on, you are indeed the proper messenger for what you write. Your perspective is valid. Never have others tell you it's not. Always remain true to yourself. That's what matters.
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