It’s not difficult for me to write a lot.
If you asked me to write a paragraph on some random topic, I could whip up an impressive amount of words in no time. Why? Because I have a talent for extending a plain, simple sentence that need not be extended into a far more complex, dynamic but altogether inconsequential string of irrelevant words that add up to nothing more than paltry rabble. See?
Seriously though, I think the reason I enjoy writing so much is that I’ve struggled with my stutter for as long as I can remember and expressing my thoughts through a pen or keyboard is unbelievably liberating. It gives me freedom I’ve never felt before so, whether it’s an essay, an e-mail, a song, a story or an assignment, I’m usually more than happy to fill the page.
I’ve always had one problem though. I’m terrible with the “delete” button.
One of the hardest lessons I ever learned about writing was on a songwriting trip to Nashville when not one, but three different co-writers told me I needed to be less “wordy”. Some songs, to my dismay, apparently didn’t even need a third verse or bridge. Woe was me!
Learning that “less is more” can be next to impossible for a writer like me. Just the other day, I was given an assignment to write an article for a radio magazine. I cringed at the 500-word limit, realizing how simple and brief my thoughts would have to be if the article was going to be only 500 words.
But I wonder if my difficulty with deleting is one that we all share. It’s especially easy to notice at Christmas time: There is so much excess around us.
Sometimes it’s difficult IMPOSSIBLE to know what the real point of everything is. I think that’s why we all appreciate a really well-written movie so much. According to the rules of screenwriting, a well-written movie shows us the things that are important in life – the things we’re supposed to be focusing on.
I can already see the pile of excess piling up for this week alone. On Monday, I ate all the pizza at Pizza Hut instead of bringing some home in a box. As of last night, I will have made plans to see Avatar with 3 different people this week. This week, I’ve flirted with a girl for whom I don’t really have any long-term interest and I’ve spent hours looking at meaningless videos on YouTube. Pointless excess.
Sometimes I wonder: If I had had the sense to edit all of those things, would I feel better about my life at the end of the day? I think the answer is yes. Had I had the sense to delete those scenes from the movie that is my life, I think I would consider myself a smarter, wiser, better person when I tuck myself in at night.
Our lives just might feel more complete by having less in them. Imagine that.
As Christmas approaches, a lot of us are probably thinking about New Years Resolutions – if that’s the kind of thing you’re into. One year I gave up Coca-Cola and all other dark sodas, and I was actually successful. Now I drink much less Coke. Win. Over the next 2 weeks, I’m going to be putting some thought into what other kinds of excess I can try eliminating from my life in 2010.
Do you think we have too much excess in our lives? Have you been thinking about New Years Resolutions? Any suggestions for what I should resolve to do differently in 2010?
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francy
One Comment
Great post, Francy!
The most uncomfortable thing I’ve learned since streamlining my life in recent months is that the excess in my life isn’t just the stuff I buy. I waste a lot of time and energy on the things that don’t count. When it comes to what matters, I over-think and under-do. And at the end of the day I feel defeated, knowing that I’ve missed the entire point but not necessarily excited to radically overhaul my modus operandi.
I like New Year’s resolutions. Because change is healthy. And starting over feels a lot like grace.