Reflections on the SOL Writing Challenge

“I should never be able to fulfill what is, I understand, the first duty of a lecturer-to hand you after an hour’s discourse a nugget of pure truth to wrap up between the pages of your notebooks and keep on the mantelpiece forever”.”  ― Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own

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I have always liked the above quote by Virginia Woolf.  When I write, I hope to offer “a nugget of pure truth” to the reader, but, of course, I rarely – if ever – do it.  I offer my experience and insight, and it would be grand to think there is some wisdom in what I say, but I don’t know.  Even if there were something rich to behold, I don’t know what the reader might notice and take away.

Anais Nin said, “We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.”  I fully believe this is true, and so, of course, I don’t know what the reader sees in my writing until I hear from him or her.  (Many thanks to those who have commented in the Slice of Life challenge!  I value your feedback!)  About seeing things as we are…   When I am self-conscious about my appearance, I notice the way everyone else looks.  When I am restricted in my running due to injury, I notice the stride of every other runner who passes by. When I want a new stone path for my home, I focus on the walkways leading to everyone’s front doors.  Like others, I find what I am looking for, whether consciously or not.  What, then, do people see in my writing?

Is it worth looking only for the good in things?  I used to look down upon optimists…until I became one myself.  Initially, I thought that it was saccharin-sweet to look only at the positive pieces of events.  Over time, though, I realized that there is a world of things to see, and that we, once again, find what we are looking for.  If I seek the rottenness of humanity, I can find it, simply by looking at the front page of The New York Times and dwelling on the cruelty in the world.  Or, if I choose, I can look at the same page and see the rescuers who proceed through dangerous situations to help people in need.  In a way, as a realist, I can see both sides, but I choose to ruminate on how people can help each other rather than hurt each other.  For me, it is a more comfortable, more hopeful, and more productive way to go.

As I look at the good, I clearly see that the community in this Slice of Life writing challenge has been remarkably supportive.  People either say something encouraging, or they say nothing at all.  I had assumed that on every Internet site, some nastiness would arise, but I have not seen an iota of it on Two Writing Teachers.  Many thanks to the community for your thoughtfulness, and especially to Fran McCracken, who has been enormously helpful in helping me to persevere here! The challenge has been a great experience so far — more difficult and more rewarding than I anticipated.