Introduction to this blog:
I don’t write in a journal every day, but still have accumulated many entries over the past years. Sometimes items evolved into larger works. Among the leftovers, little pieces survived. I thought a collection of these to match each calendar date with a culled piece from the same date in the past would make an interesting yearbook. The consistencies and inconsistencies of mind skipping back and forth across the years, provide varied perspectives. It is difficult to remember the context of the past we’ve lived; we have also make suppositions about times that predate us. The few alterations from original drafts were to improve clarity. The worst of my work is not included. There remains enough mediocrity and immaturity to make me feel humble and you feel smart. There are also moments of accidental insight and incidental humor.
Author Stephen Crane referred to his little pieces as pills. Apparently, they were small and somewhat hard to swallow, but good for you.
I have accumulated many journal entries over the past 56 years. I thought a collection of these to match each calendar day with a piece culled from the same date in the past would make an interesting annual. Consistency and inconsistency of mind, skipping back and forth across the years, provides varied perspectives. The few alterations from original drafts include a minimalist approach to punctuation intended to expand interpretation. April 30, 2014 completes the first year of the project.
I don’t write in a journal everyday, but I have accumulated many entries over the past 50+ years beginning in 1966. Some items evolved into longer works. Among the leftovers little pieces survived. I thought a collection of these with a piece culled from the same date in a past year would make an interesting yearbook. The consistencies and inconsistencies of mind, skipping back and forth across time, provide varied perspectives. It is difficult to remember the context of the past we’ve lived; we also make suppositions about times that predate ourselves.
The few alterations from original drafts were to improve clarity. The worst of my work is not included. There remains enough mediocrity and immaturity to make me feel humble and you feel smart. There are also moments of accidental insight and incidental humor.
Author Stephen Crane referred to his little pieces as pills…apparently they were small and somewhat hard to swallow, but good for you.
May 1, 2021 begins the ninth year of daily postings.
May 1,1969 (I was 24)
One day the caveman, Oog, held meat on a stick into his fire. His hand got too close to the flame; he was burnt and dropped the stick. Later he noticed he used the same hand to draw images on the cave wall even though it was still sore from the burn. Still later, fashioning the head of a spear onto the shaft, he noticed he used the injured hand to wrap the connecting twine, though it pained him to do so. Considering these incidents, Oog began to think the injured hand must be the right hand for performing tasks. Excited by the observation, he sought out his cave neighbor, Og. “Og, have you noticed that when you roast meat, or draw on the wall of your cave, or repair a spear head, you do all the tasks with the same hand?”
Og said, “No, I never noticed, but now that you mention it….”
Oog held up his hand, “Og, this must be the right hand for doing things. From now on, we are going to call it the Right Hand!
Og said, “Good idea, but what should we call the hand that’s left?
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