Writing

In school I would struggle to write a composition. It was tough; my mind was constantly at war, running a different track and the words that I would put out on paper were something completely different. Sentence construction was difficult. The art of storytelling was non existent and for sure making an argument was not my forte. Spellings non-existent (as a couple of my school buddies will agree - they are non existent even today. I rely on spell check).  

Something changed after I took my first lessons in the art of sales. I got interested in empathy and creating a story around empathy- all of course in order to bag a sale. That gradually helped me change and I became better at the spoken word , learnt how to weave a story and to keep that audience captivated.  Spoke initially as a guest lecturer teaching young engineers the art of Network design. Got confident at speaking, and was soon able to speak on other subjects that I found interesting. Have since then had the opportunity to be asked to speak to an audiance (mostly well prepared) and have been told that some of the extempore speeches I have given have been eye opening - I don’t believe it at all; I am not a wizard. Writing was and still (I believe I could get better a it) is an art that I believe eludes me. I can make an compelling argument on paper but the follow through to complete the story and ensure that the argument is won is at times missing. Maybe it’s because I limit myself and want to finish the story in x amount of words or x amount of time it would take for the average individual to read it. The biggest struggle is to be able to concisely; without wasting words put the idea across. 

Reading is supposed to help ; that is if you take an analytic approach to sentence construction - then the likes of W Churchill, P G Woodhouse , Ayn Rand , Huxley , R Bach and Kafka will be found enthralling for the ability to put forth an idea in a limited set of words. No word out of place or wasted. I read to understand the idea and the story; the analytic approach to the construct is lost on me, however I do use the analytic approach to break down the idea being presented. 

The question then is why blog ? I have alluded to this earlier - it is a mechanism for me to share my ideas and experiences with my children. Would I like to get better at the written word - hell yes. Am I doing a decent enough job ? Blog feedback tells me at times I do. I guess in the end writing is about being able to express on paper (digital or normal) your own emotions and your own ideas - language rules be damned; and as long as you feel that you have put your idea across it is good. Not everyone can be a Shakespeare.  

Speak and or Write; share ideas and experiences. It’s the only way to contribute to the human experience. 

C