Monday, May 28, 2012

Lightning in a Bottle


     Mark Twain is attributed as saying: “It is better to be silent and thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubts.”  This has been the little motto in my head most of my life.  Don’t talk too much and maybe I won’t make a fool of myself.  Say as little as possible.  
     Writing a blog once a week, posting it on Blogger and then linking it to Facebook is hardly keeping quiet.  It’s going out on a limb and risking the removal of all doubts.  Most Monday mornings I post the blog and link it between 6 and 7 in the morning.  I will feel a little doubt as it its quality, but satisfaction that at least I managed to go another week keeping up with my writing regimen.  Then last week I wrote a particularly stirring blog entry.  People seemed to appreciate the story and I was pretty pleased with it too.  Sometimes my blog entries are singles or grounders, there are some doubles.  There are definitely strikeouts. Last week was knocked out of the park.  Once in a while it feels like words fall into place just right and I’ve caught lightning in a bottle.  
As last week drew to an end I began to fret about what the next blog entry would be.  I do this every week.  I may have a topic in mind but nothing seems good enough and most Sunday evenings I am thinking that I ought to just take the week off or maybe just quit writing the blog altogether and start sleeping in on Mondays.  Last night was no exception.  I wanted to write about Memorial Day. 
I thought about how capturing the creative essence is sometimes called Lightning in a Bottle.  And as much as I might want to crow about how I liked my blog entry last week and woe is me for fretting about following up on it, none of my accomplishments hold a candle to the work and sacrifices of our veterans.  Last night I felt like just giving up blogging, essentially quitting while I’m ahead.  Then I wondered how many men and women in the armed forces felt the same way and kept at it, never gave up and now are remembered on this day for laying down their lives for their country.  
So I got up this morning feeling a little dyspeptic and discouraged but got this written down.  I don’t expect to top last week.  I wish I could.  But the best I can do today is thank the veterans.  I don’t know how many ever wanted to just give up and go home.  But sometimes even when I’m doing well, I get hit with self-doubt and worry that I can’t go on.  If any of our fighting men and women ever felt that way and continued on anyway, I feel all the more thankful.    
    



           

1 comment:

  1. sometimes the only thanks we can get is from ourselves. I'm sure a lot want to quit but still continue to fight the battle

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