Friday, May 29, 2020
I’m supposed to write a thousand words today. I wonder how many thousand I’ll think? Even if I don’t write them, or don’t try to write them, at least that many will be thought. I’m supposed to be writing that amount for the next two weeks, and daily - though the only thing that will regiment that is me.
The project is called 1,000 Words of Summer. I’m not quite sure what the objective here is, other than to get me writing. The title makes me want to write about the things I associate with, and love about Summer. Things like gardening, foods I eat in the warmer months and the ways I prepare them. Riding my bicycle more, spending mornings on my patio with my coffee and my writing, and trying to capture tiny moments of beauty in nature that happen during the Summer months, with my camera.
This Summer is different. We’re still in a pandemic that has greatly affected most of us. It’s changed the very way I make my living - and not for the better. I don’t know if it will ever get back to normal. Within the thousand words that are my target number, I don’t know what I’m allowed to say and where I’m allowed to put it if I do choose to say it - because damn near everything is politicized these days.
Having an opinion that differs from someone else’s can get you in a lot of trouble, even in the land of the free. Speaking out on any of the injustices and flaws this country may have, is far too often taken as being unpatriotic. When is fixing something that clearly needs fixing unpatriotic. When you fix things, you make them better. I’ll just say that there are things that need fixed. Doesn’t mean my country is terrible, it means we need to fix some things.
It’s a bit like a kid with his first car, which may well have good bones, but is more of a work in progress in terms of looking and running better, but the kid is proud to have and drive the car. I guess the trick is diplomacy in pointing out or talking about what needs fixed. One might not see enough of it these days, but it’s possible to point out and discuss the things that need fixed without losing admiration for the car. It’s seen better days, and it could still them again. There are still good things in abundance about the car, let’s not focus too much on the fact that much of the front end is a mess of Bondo right now. I’m speaking metaphorically, of course - and I’ll stop here with the metaphors, lest someone assume I’m unpatriotic, communist or a multitude of other things that I assure you I am not.
So here we are at the start of Summer, albeit a rather trying Summer. I’m nearing 450 words right now. I’d like to be able to say more things about the metaphorical Bondo car, but instead, I’m going to shift my focus on the things I enjoy about Summer and talk (write) a bit about what those things are to me and how they move me. I have no idea if anyone else will find such writing interesting, and my own goal in this 1,000 Words of Summer thing is to get me to start writing more.
There are other things I need to do to be more productive and feed my creative soul, things that would be much better than binge watching anything or spending too much time on social media. Things like reading more, learning more, spending time on the things that I really want to get better at for the simple reason they are things that I really enjoy and am fascinated with - such as graphic design and photography.
So I end up with 600 words on the first day. I’ll take it, & I’ll be back tomorrow, a bit more focused on Summer. More words? Less? Stay tuned. Peace, good people.
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