Writing. Past, Present, and Future

I remember the impatient anticipation as we approached high school's end of year. 

I remember group study and late nights before finals because, speaking honestly, I spent a lot of time with procrastinators of the first degree. 

I remember a take-home physics test. Six of us were in the basement exploring the hours of darkness working on pieces of this final exam. I remember the scratching of pencil on paper until someone shouted, “I’ve got one!”. We’d all stop what we were working on and wait for the instructions. “Problem 15-B. This is the answer.” Diligently, we’d add the given answer to our test page. 

I still wonder if that was cheating. But it was a take-home test for kids in high school. I can’t imagine that group efforts were unexpected. 

I also remember typewriters – and typewriter correction tape. (Some of you might need help here – please click on the links.)

I had one friend who always waited until the last minute for any term paper activities. I became the designated typist because firstly, I was an excellent typist, and secondly, he was completely out of time. I typed while he dictated the paper, thus the dire need for an endless supply of correction tape. Particularly irritating was his frequent habit in the middle of a paragraph to say, "Wait a second. Add this footnote." (You'd know what I mean if you ever had a Royal, Smith Corona, or Olivetti.)

I must not have minded so much as I was willing to partake in this midnight collusion-based collaboration on multiple occasions. 

(Side Note: My typewriting experience explains why Word tells me I have too (two) many spaces between the period and the beginning of the next sentence. Sorry – that was typewriting etiquette when I grew up and muscle memory is long-lived.)

Given that I like writing, I admit that Microsoft Word is an incredible gift! 

This past Christmas, I was the receiver of something that’s proved to be quite interesting. It’s called My Life in a Book. For 52 weeks, I am tasked with answering the email question of the week for the inquiring minds that want to know. Sixteen weeks in, I find that, although it takes a while, it forces serious thoughts about family and life’s events. After one year, these one-at-a-time recollections are bound together in a ‘gorgeous keepsake book’. 

I’m somewhat surprised by some thoughts that have made it into this project. I try to be historically truthful while portraying the feelings that go with the events and people. I don’t want to make it some happy-go-lucky, social media ‘post’ that says, “Hey, look at how cool we are!”. I don’t want to make it a gloom-and-doom report either. It would become a “just the facts, ma’am” logbook except for the inclusion of emotion. 

Anyway, I was wrapping up this week’s article and started thinking. The earlier phrase, “forced serious thoughts” clamored for attention. I began to wonder if I could reframe this concept for another purpose. It might be called "My Spiritual Life - NOT in a book." 

Sandals and a Stick has been doing something like this for several years. But these articles are more about what happens during the week which prompts some thoughts toward God and presents some way of trying to be a more Christ-like person. 

AI-generated Image

This plagiarized concept would focus on serious questions. It would present life’s struggles in a way that would encourage detailed reasoning as to why I might think the way I do. This Q&A idea would be less book-like in favor of a term paper/thesis format. 

Spending the time to develop one’s thoughts about the mysteries of life would probably teach me something in the same way as My Life in a Book has done. 

Now. If I can only take this idea off the dusty shelf holding the other ideas I’ve had in the past, maybe I’ll get somewhere.

 

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13