Lecture Comment: "Rewriting"

Kill Your Darlings. Disconnect all connections. Unlearn what you have learned. Believe in the Unbelievable.

Coming to this point I've had certain preconceptions. I have seen things for what they are and forgotten about what they aren't. Writing never quite came across my mind as it has in the last 4 weeks. I am moved, shocked, curious and somewhat comforted by what possibilities lie ahead of me. The decisions have become a little clearer, the concepts a little bolder.

Rewriting is rebuilding. Original thoughts seem to carry a weight, a first impulse or truth to them. Starting from scratch is a scary thing - what will come of it? How can all that thinking that went into what I was saying suddenly up and vanish. It did not vanish. It is still here in my head. It itches the back of my mind, and as I attempt to scratch it, it is just out of reach. Stretching further I finally reach it and the unreachable is reached. Wait a second,  it's itching again. I am not satisfied. It is always changing, bending and stretching.

Knowing it is all disposable has its merit and disinclination. What is the point of struggling to get an argument out, or an idea across if it will just be tossed in the gutter with the rest of them? What am I really trying to accomplish? Can I safely throw it all away and come out clean on the other side?

"Considering everything you’ve practiced and discussed, rewrite your online presence and come up with a few concrete steps towards its realization. What is your persona now? Define it again in just a few sentences. Pitch it. Reimagine it. Create a new pseudonym. Create a new blog title. Or keep the old one because it is perfect and tell me that."

This quote got me thinking about where we started as opposed to where we are now. I may start over but I already have a pretty clear idea. This blog is about the storm I experienced (Irene) and everything it symbolizes. Storm=Life; therefore I am 'weathering the storm'. It just took a real big one to get me thinking outside the box (house). Everyone has a storm they must face, a disaster in their lives. It was the 'power' of that storm that set me outside of my regular self while I stood in shock at its potential. My thought process has changed. I began relying on basic survival thought processes amidst the chaos. Despite all the panic, confusion, and feelings of helplessness I found a focus - my existence, my place and purpose (at least for now) here on Earth. My place and purpose you ask? To be determined...

I hope to find all the connections with life that this storm reminded me of. What I take for granted, what I expect from myself and others. Living through this disaster helped me learn more about the reasons behind it as well as what type of person I am. I learned something about the community in which I live, the people I share it with and the support I have received.

"This is a class. It is not you. You can have many voices. Your niche is only a part of you. Like writing a first draft, the only goal here is that you learn something before you are done."

This may just be a class, but it is part of me. It is part of my journey on the road I travel - a link in the chain of my life. I wish to take out what I put in, and of course, learn something in the process.

Again Robert- thanks for a great lecture, it has the gears shifting...