Sunday, July 23, 2006

Winsome.


One thing I desire is to become a better writer. Hopefully good enough one day to make a living out of it.

Unfortunately the only time I ever truly am in the mood to write anything worthwhile is late at night, when I can't sleep. There is something about the darkness that makes my mind start whirling. It's a wonder I ever get any sleep. I wish I had more friends who liked to stay up late.

Writing really is just the symptom though. There are so many things I wish to do with my life. Yet it always seems I am never going to be able to do them. It's that which usually inspires me to write, and the night time is the only time when my mind isn't so distracted by the happenings of the day that it has some time to contemplate itself. And as such, usually, any serious effort towards putting words onto page results in something I don't like, because it is too self-centered and self-pitying.

Which seems to be the Direction this is going too.

The internet is an odd thing. It allows us to connect to others more so than any other time in history. And yet somehow removes all ability to see someone as they really are. It takes the person out of personal. Everything becomes information, text, Ones and Zeros, and the humanity is removed. Unless of course you are one of the few who know how to truly transfer your emotions to page. Which is one reason I wish to write well, to be able to jump the hurdle that text puts in front of our social interaction.

It's that same reason that I have never liked Poetry that is written for the purpose of being poetry. With the exception of a few. And all of the Psalms.

Most of it isn't real.... isn't unadulterated.
Most of it is made with the effort to sound or poetic, and with that effort the reasons behind the expression often times get lost in the text. The best poetry is the kind that just happens. The kind that in the middle of a conversation someone expresses something heartfelt that is worded in a way that no one else has ever worded it, and it hits you right in the middle of the your chest. The same applies to non-prose literature. I feel it's the best form of poetry, because it isn't altered by the desire to be poetry.

It is pure.

I feel so lost in translation. And not the movie.

What is the meaning of all this rambling? I'm not entirely sure. But metaphorically speaking, my desire to write, but not yet being able to, as effective as I wish I could, is really just a parallel. Everything I do in life ends up being sub-par. I have become a Jack-of-all-trades. Decent at many things, but not really good at any. Lots of Knowledge and Understanding about many subjects, but never being able to effectively put it to use, to effectively put it down to page. Always striving, always Desiring, but never achieving.

You would think My broad interests, and my time spent trying to understand Human expression in all it's forms would benefit me somehow, to give me some kind of key wisdom of how to obtain what I desire. It doesn't.

I have always, as far back as I can remember, wanted to travel. Yet I have only been to 5 states, and never out of the country. Never have seen the sea, or the coast. Never have seen a foreign culture first hand.

I want to be a musician. Yet while I have played a few instruments in my past, I have never mastered one. I have never written my own songs. I have never sang my own words.

I have always wanted to be the kind of person other people could lean upon. But with the pathetic self control one learns from having a father who was an alcoholic and a drug addict, I can barely lean upon myself.

Someone once said I write winsome words. The definition for winsome is "Charming, Often in a Childlike or Naive way".

And the word's History is this:
Winsome people easily win friends, so it is not surprising that winsome and win have a common root. Their shared element win- comes from the Indo-European root *wen-, meaning ‚“to desire, strive for,” and has a number of descendants in the Germanic languages. One was the prehistoric Germanic noun *wini- meaning ‚“friend‚” (literally, ‚“one who desires or loves‚” someone else), which became wine in Old English and is preserved in such names as Winfred, ‚“friend of peace,‚” and Edwin, ‚“friend of (family) possessions.‚” A different form of the root with a different suffix became Old English wynn, ‚“pleasure, joy,‚” preserved in winsome. Finally, the verb win itself is from this root; its meaning is an extension of the sense ‚“to strive for,‚” namely, ‚“to strive for with success, be victorious.‚” Outside of the Germanic branch of Indo-European, we see the root, for example, in Latin venus or Venus ‚“love, the goddess of love,‚” and the verb venerre, ‚“to worship,‚” the source of English venerate.

The words in bold describe the roots of Win. We all know what it means to win. Yet, this word, Winsome, is coupled with naivety, childishness. Basically inexperience. Is that what is holding me back? Not being exprienced enough, not mature enough, to accomplish the things I desire? If that's the case, why does My mind seem to think more maturely than most people I know my age? Am I just arrogant?

It's interesting the link this paints with my writing. The Irony that the one monetary Career I would want to do in this world more than any other, within it's own structure, describes why I will likely never have it.

Oh well, at least being Winsome can, as it's history shows, easily win me friends. And apparently, according to the definiton, I've got charming going for me.

Too bad it doesn't say anything about easily winning Love.

Sorry to bore all of you with this. That is another thing about the internet. It makes us feel safe in our expressions, and so things we might not go on about in regular conversation, come out here. Because who is here to judge us but our computers?

19 comments:

SillyAlicat said...

My evenings are often spent in deep thought as well. There are times when I wish I had an on call friend who I could meet at a coffee shop several times a week at 4 a.m. to discuss my life mantras and panics.

Our desires in life are just living proof of our purpose to live forever, but you MUST see the ocean soon! It's splendid.

I tip my hat to you.

SillyAlicat said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
SillyAlicat said...

I agree, bite the silver bullet and take charge. Use your mental juice tiger! BUT just make sure they accept Visa.
Some suggestions for not so scary first time travel:
Staten Island, it's an island! You'd see the ocean!
New Jersey, the power plants won't kill you, the gay politicians will.
Delaware, some people say its small. I call it quaint.
Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain

Her Henna said...

Paris calls, my friend.

Smapdi said...

One Problem. I don't currently have a credit card. Nor that magical thing called credit.

I know, I know, I am WAY behind, I feel behind every day of my life.

SillyAlicat said...

Please tell me you possess a debit card and a cellular phone!
I don't have a credit card either. I believe them to be dangerous machinations from the devil.

Lissy said...

peter you just described probably what everybody wants to freely write but never has the guts to.

i think you should post more of these thoughts.

you are what you want to be. i have spent most my whole life thinking just the same thoughts of myself, but with some unscheduled events, life has led me here.

little do you know, we are all rooting for you dusty. keep it all up, you´re definitely a cool guy!

Nikki said...

I think the person who described your writing as ``winsome´´ ment it more in the wikopedia sense of: ``Charming; inspiring trust and approval.´´ I personally understand the word to hint at a bit of quirky humour as well, but that dictionary is not a generally accepted one, so I´ll not expound.

``Charming; inspiring trust and approval´´ IS GOOD.

In case you are at all interested in an honest oppinion of your writing style (my opinions are nothing if not honest) than shall tell you. I like it; and taking a vote of all female bloggers I know, you were voted favorite male blogger.

That you are liked by all these women bodes well for you in the romance area as well, I might add.

And if you wish to go to a forign country with little funds, there is a caribean island (and undoubtedly other places) with an English Institute that is looking for teachers. No experience required. Just thought I´d throw that out there.

Hope all this did something to improve your spirits.

SillyAlicat said...

It's true. Look at how popular ole' Dusty is with the ladies. Not a single male comment to be found on this post. You have our hearts, and our sympathy!
Not that anyone cares, but I chose court reporting as a profession not because it is severely interesting but because of the insane amount of money you can make in a short time. I am not materialistic in any way, I just loathe the idea of having 2 weeks vacation a year and a 9-5 schedule. Being a C.R. I can get off as much time as I want, pioneer and trot the globe as much as my little heart desires. Work does not have to be something you love; you're life does and when you love your life you're work will just be that thing that gets you cash. So live on my friend! You want cheap travel, talk to me. I have many a crazy friend that lives in Europe, S. America and even New Zealand (ooo la la)

Smapdi said...

Um. Actually, Her henna and Myself are men, so that makes 2 comments from guys :P

As for everything else, thank you all very much, I am actually sitting here with a big smile on my face, which doesn't happen very often. :)

SillyAlicat said...

You mean you don't sit by your computer with a huge grin plastered on your face ALL the time? I DO! Does that make me odd? Kudos on the Chuck Norris Facts. It has to be in my top 5 best sites EVER. I want to get a chuck t-shirt.
Sincere apologies, Her Henna. But, in my defense, you have a girl's name. Dusty, it's your blog, therefore your male presence doesn't count.

SillyAlicat said...

We both need to work on our sleeping disorders. Maybe having 4 cups of coffee at 10 p.m. doesn't help after all...

Her Henna said...

They love you, Dustironimous.

Smapdi said...

I think it has to do with his artistic nature.

Either that or he is just weird. :P

SillyAlicat said...

Weird is much more fun. Let's opt for weird!

SillyAlicat said...

He's revealing his true drag queen self to us. Let's be accepting and embrace it. We like you for who you are Her Henna, even if you're a black man posing as two white women.

Her Henna said...

I am fascinated by Indian Culture. Hence my name.

As for the picture, it comes from a movie by one of my favorite directors. A movie I will never see, though I'd really like to.

By the way, I'm sorry for alluding to that salaciously named seventies rock band. Another fact I wish I'd never known.

Smapdi said...

I'm Stumped.

I have no idea who you are, hehe.

It will be a fun challenge figureing it out I guess.

SillyAlicat said...

Henna, the Indian culture is by far one of the most interesting cultures there is. It's so intricate and diverse. Read Holy Cow. It's a book by this Aussie dj who ends up moving there for years and her experiences.