The 4th of July!
Happy 4th of July!
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal . . . “
Lovely thoughts, eh? I guess it’s all in your definition of what a man is. Back when those words were written, a black man was not a man. An “Indian” was not a man. A woman was not a man. A man, back then, was white and a property owner.
But lovely thoughts at least.
What about now? If Bill Gates has a child (I actually don’t know if he does or not), is his child the equal of a child born into severe poverty in Mississippi? Is his child the equal of a black child born in the slums of Chicago? Is his child the equal of a Native American child born on the Devils Lake Indian Reservation?
Just random thoughts . . . I certainly have no political agenda here, but a writer’s brain is always tossing these things around. We are the observers and the chroniclers of our generation, so we need to pay attention, to question, and to surmise.
That’s what we do as writers!
Of course, if you write travel articles, I guess none of that matters, so ignore what I just wrote.
TAKING A MID-MORNING BREAK
It’s been my custom for quite some time now to take a mid-morning break from writing . . . nothing major, just ten minutes to go out and feed the quail and chickens in our backyard. It may not seem like much, but ten minutes is important, and I always return refreshed.
My reward for a day’s work is waiting for me out at the farm each afternoon. Sometime between one and two each day I go out to feed the hundred or so chickens we have there, and after I do that I always lay down under some trees in the pasture and watch the clouds float by. I spend about a half hour doing that. It’s my break period for the day, a chance to clear my mind, think of nothing in particular, and re-charge my inner batteries. I think this is vitally important for people to do, but surprisingly few do it. It is so easy to say we are too busy, but really that just means we don’t choose to do something beneficial for ourselves.
Well I do and I’m better for it.
Have a great week!
bill
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 