Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Eyes that See

Eyes that See

The human mind has two inner eyes. One is tied to our imagination, which is used to simulate and enjoy the possibilities and feasibility of possible courses of action in our lives. The other is tied to our reason and is used to aid in our critical thinking.

I think it was Dumas... but it might have been Hugo, who likened a writer’s creativity to a pitcher of water. Reading was putting the water into it and writing was pouring it back out. He said that to keep the pitcher full, a writer has to read as much as they write. This is an interesting observation because most would take it to mean, “pleasure reading.” You know..., just pick up a book and simply read for the sheer joy of it. However, he was also referring to critical reading which is different and much more.

In critical reading, we are not into it for experiencing the enjoyment but rather for understanding why. This is the purpose, in the interlude before the Exploratory Writing Workshop starts, that I explain how to template and why it is an important skill for a writer to have.

Most of you know one of my latest interests is Radio Controlled flying models. There are really two aspects to the hobby. The first is flying (reading) where the pilot soars with the airplane and experiences the "High." The second (writing) is first figuring out what makes one model perform better than other and fixing something that is broke and not getting the job done. So be aware that as a writer you need to do both things. Certainly enjoy your reading, but when you finish go back and take that critical look as to why you liked a particular work or why you didn’t. Templating is a good tool for doing this and I recommend it to everyone.

Abrupt Transition... (This is an example of how not to transition in your writing.)

I can’t believe the current administration is attributing all the violence being taken against our embassies abroad as the result of a film that some idiot made. Sure it was a tasteless movie... just as Satanic Verses was a tasteless piece of literature. The point that seems to be lost is that the terrorists use opportunities to lather the masses and push them into actions they would not otherwise take. The attacks on our Embassies were planned and orchestrated and not a spontaneous expression of religious zeal. Protesting against the film gave the mob violence a purpose that the crack-pot views of terrorists would never be able to achieve. The Terrorists want power and don’t care how they get it. Strapping bombs to children is an obvious example. They are consumed by a political zealotry that the average citizen on the street doesn’t share. To get everyday people to participate, they need something more personal and emotionally laden. A movie that pokes fun at the “One True Faith” really gets the devout spun up.

Anyway, when Hillary Clinton starts lecturing the terrorists on free speech in this country, I can only shake my head in dismay. Terrorists understand only one thing…. That is the Rat-Tat-Tat of the assault rifle. Giving them a tutorial on our First Amendment Rights is laughable. Blaming a movie is even more so. When are we going to wise up and admit that there are people out there who simply hate us, for our success and what we are? Reasoning with these zeaots is like arguing with a drunk. It’s a waste of time and energy and makes us all look as weak as our President and Secretary of State.