On Writing.
I am reading Chairman Mao’s paper ‘On the Ten Great Relationships,’ and it inspired me to pick up my virtual pen for some writing on my own (and hence the similar title).
For a number of months now, it has come to my attention that the simple act of writing can be such an effective form of not only recording personal experiences, but conveying meaning to others who may see or understand things differently from you. On a personal level, it is much like photography, which has over the years given my friends, family and even strangers my very own view of the world, of daily happenings, and perhaps the little details they have never seen. Photography, compared to writing, is more interpretive and therefore may or may not invoke the same emotions or recognition a particular frame gave me when the shot was taken. The sometimes abstract nature of photographs is what makes watching peoples’ reaction to them so interesting to see/hear about.
But there are also times when you wish to concisely and clearly make a statement. This means taking the interpretation out of the equation so that you and other readers would be “looking” at the same exact picture. It could, for example, be the adventures on a road trip you & your buddies recently embarked on - all the strange people you encountered at the hostels, the ridiculous prices for food which tasted absolutely repulsive, and so forth - these might just be better remembered through typed words on a blog, or better yet, ink/lead on paper!
I have been itching to get back into writing especially since my week-long journey in Honduras. During those 7 days, I saw, smelled, heard, tasted, and felt such an amazing array of completely novel things that, even as I was snapping away photos one after another (averaging 300+ shots a day), I still felt an inadequacy of properly documenting the people, lifestyle, culture, scenery, and beyond. In a half-assed attempt to begin writing again, I wrote down bullet points on trivial facts and special observations made several times during the trip.
Often times, a certain sight or sound would trigger a random, sometimes deep, interest in my discussing/writing it. If a friend happens to be near, he/she can be the recipient (or victim) and perhaps volley back some of his/her opinion. However, if no one is around, it simply becomes your (dirty) little secret. It may sound strange when I am describing it like this, but this awesome ability of the brain to recall past memories or instigate curiosity has been a proven way of starting conversations, building relationships, and creating emotions. My point in bring this up, however, is because I notice that I have too-often let a great thought or solid opinion pass by without the attention it deserves in writing.
Note to self: Keep taking pictures, but also write more!
