I don't think I've had an intelligent thought in about three months.
Winter, work, and worry (triple-double-u?) have latched onto my brain like some sort of cerebral vampire, sucking me dry. I need to read more... my mind is dull. I need to sharpen it back. I had a spurt of writing, but that quickly faded. My (obsessive) following of my preferred presidential candidate was refreshing as I studied politics, but that quickly descended into cynical madness as I realized how the processes are set up to serve the political machine, not the people who bear it's weight.
So, Xanga has suffered. I apologize for the lack of blog entries. I don't even know who reads anything on Xanga anymore. Perhaps a yak herder. No matter... I've not quit, and don't plan on it. I'll try to return to my regularly scheduled textual rantings.
Spring is here, so things are looking up. In a manner of speaking, anyway. My school career has suffered grevious (self-inflicted) blows, and it'll be simply miraculous to try and recover. It's becoming more and more apparent that to truly live as a free person, I will have to learn to make money through writing. The way our world works, we're all trained to simply be work mules until we retire, when the government hopes we die quickly so we stop feeding off of social security.
No one works to perfect themselves anymore. Where are the craftsmen? Craft has become hobby, hardly anyone takes up a craft and pursues it with their life, and makes their money from the sweat on their brow. Writing is one of the few crafts left like this, I think. I can't see myself working at Speedway for too much longer, marching to a government funeral waltz. I have to break free, I have to take up my craft, perfect it, and help define myself.
Here's to success, whenever I meet her.
-fin-
don't you know that you are a shooting star?
Comments (5)
that's how i've felt lately but i have no craft that i'm good at.
i feel very similar, Pat.
i wish you knew how much stephen and i think about you and nancy! i'm already looking for a new job (at jcpenney right now. it's really great but working all weekend/every weekend won't work for me, esp. now that the baby has been born and i'd love to go visit her at least once a month). it's insane. i'd like to find a week job so i, or stephen and chris too, can come to lexington more often. i miss seeing ya'll so very much :(
i really hope we can all find a good weekend soon to go camping--wouldn't that be wonderful? i think all of us could REALLY use it.
^_^ Heh, I get like that all the time, getting so caught up in living life that I fail to blog it.
As for the craftsman comment, I would disagree with you about there no longer being people who will spend their life refining their craft. The difference seems to be that it's becoming more than avocation, a vocation, but it's not enough to make a living on it. Why not? Frankly, we're too focused on things being affordable rather than them being quality. We'd rather buy at Wal-Mart than find a craftsman. And, in a vicious circle, those who try to make a living as craftsman have to charge even more to get buy and even fewer can afford their wares. Many people come realize this and start practicing their craft in their spare time while they work for a living in another job. Most good martial arts teachers are like this, holding a day job to pay their bills and donating their time to teach outside of it, or accepting only a small stipend rather than basing their living on it. As a result, they can focus on perfecting their craft and teaching it to others rather than having to make decisions based on financial reasons. So, the craftsman still exists, but he's someone pottering about in the woodshed in the backyard rather than someone off selling his wares.
I understand what you mean. I made a blog saying how no one is on xanga anymore, and then I got about 18 comments. So now that you're acknowledging that possibility, they'll just come flowing in.
I hope you and your lady-friend are good.