I have a renewed appreciation for those who write newspaper or magazine columns. Especially those who must meet a daily deadline! I won’t distinguish between print and online versions. Here it is Friday morning and I am challenged with choosing a topic. So much so that I am writing about that.
Each day I get up thinking of what to write about. Sometimes it is something someone says. Other times an experience while on an outing or fulfilling my daily routine. Then I try to figure out an angle, a hook that captures the reader’s attention.
That’s where the trouble begins. What’s the title? Which direction shall I go? Is it worth anyone’s time to read? Will you continue reading this!?
Granted, most columnists have a plethora of current topics from which to choose. Politics is always a choice, as is the weather, social events, cosmetics. You get the picture. It depends on the general purpose for the column at all.
But what about the musings of a wandering mind (look below “Wut Javia”)? I have no edict, lest it be self-imposed. Staying away from politics and religion does limit one’s musing potential. Thus, here we are. I am writing a blog post about what to write about, and you are still reading it. What does that indicate “in a wiser world of bigger motor cars”1?
Well, anyway… Other thoughts of columns surfaced as I considered this message. Specifically, spreadsheet columns and columns holding up structures. All different. Are there even any similarities? Maybe the spreadsheets. I wonder.
Seriously, though. I am aware that some of you are writers. You can probably relate to the challenge. It would be good to establish a consistent theme say, travel, birds, weather, etc. But such would belie the wandering mind concept of this site. Interest. Relevance. Emotion. Comedy. Maybe even excitement. These words express my wish for this blog’s content. Rest assured I will strive to evoke them in the coming weeks, months, and years.
Meanwhile, I appreciate that you read this entire rant of insignificant fodder. I feel a responsibility to you all. Thank you for being here.
Just a bit more before I go. I continue to work on my music. Much of my practice time is spent on playing guitars and not so much on words. It is satisfying to try new riffs and “perfect” strumming and finger picking of established songs. New songs are coming to me. Lyrics and music alike. I have yet to figure out how to record them for publication. Hopefully, that will come along soon so I can share with you.
And… I always type my lyrics two columns to a page. Go figure!
I hope you all have a good week!
1From the album Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull. A subset of the lyrics printed below:
You put your bet on number one and it comes up every time
The other kids have all backed down and they put you first in line
And so you finally ask yourself just how big you are
And you take your place in a wiser world of bigger motor cars
And you wonder who to call on
This reminds me of a Seinfeld episode that was about “nothing “! They were pitching a show to a network and it was about nothing! It’s a famous episode.
Reading my post from the email forward, I noticed an unintended coincidence that, I must say, thrilled me. When I opened the link to Aqua Lung at the bottom, I saw, and was reminded, that the entire album, being one song, is reinforced by the album cover. In fact, it is a newspaper of several pages with articles coinciding with the lyrics! How cool is that?! Columns, in deed!