Whose Written Word Anyway

Recently a friend and I exchanged pieces of written work. I read her poem and she read my editorial on leadership. This is where I "struggle" as a writer, so is my writing for me? for others? If for me how can or should it be critiqued by others? If it is for others shouldn't I want their critique? To share it or not to share it????

Words are so personal - there is so much more there behind what the words say. For example, there is so much of me as a person reflected in those words. But words are "labels" and don't work for me because I'm not just a singular idea or concept. Isn't that true of the words too? Isn't there so much more behind the word? I can write the words and then there is so much more behind them for me and also there is so much more behind them for the readers.....so where is meaning? whose meaning? the RIGHT meaning? is there such a thing as the RIGHT meaning?

I felt this so deeply in college. In one class I had to "interpret" poems. I would write up my analysis only to be told how wrong it was. But wasn't it my interpretation? Can an interpretation be wrong? Wasn't it my prior knowledge and experience that enlightened my meaning reflected in my analysis?

So why share your writing with others? Doesn't your writing have a life of its own once it is shared? But what is that is not the life you wanted your work to have?

Baseball Fever

Fall is for football AND playoff baseball! People like predictability. The playoffs are anything but predictable, except.....the Yankees! Again this fall the Yankees found a way to make it to the post season. But so did the Cleveland Indians. The opening game of the American League Divisional Season was played in Cleveland. A tough ticket to be had.....so when I was able to get tickets I was elated. And the game was worth every penny. After the Yankees quickly jumped out to a one to nothing lead on a controversial first batter home run originally called foul and then called fair, the Indians behind CC Sabbathia settled down, cranked up the bats and reeled off 4 home runs and many more hits that led to 12 runs and the victory. But that doesn't capture what the opening round of the playoffs is really about. It is about approaching the stadium on I90 and gradually slowing to a crawl as you exit onto the roads leading to the stadium. It is about wondering whether or not you'll ever find a parking spot after the parking lot you've been waiting for, for over 20 minutes closes after the car in front of you pulls in - no more parking spots left. It is walking toward the gate, "stalked" by ticket scalpers charging outrageous prices for top row seats in the farthest corners of the stadium. It is the anticipation of walking through the gate, pausing for the bag search, and begin handed a towel - "Its Tribe time now". As you move toward your seats the smells of the food is enticing. Same food as in July when we were here last, but the crisp fall air heights the aroma and the realization that this is the last visit for another year heights the cravings. After a short weight for the eats we climb to our seats. Whoa! How can tickets purchased off Stub Hub provide us a perfect location smack dab behind home plate in the highest section. The view of the field, the stadium and the city of Cleveland was breathtaking. As opening ceremonies began the emotion began to swell up. Emotion that doesn't make sense, but touches all of the important memories in life: Patriotism, childhood, family and past world series appearances leaving fan empty and the title unclaimed. Players were announced while fans booed the Yankees and cheered the Indians. After a wonderful rendition of the star-spangled banner, the release of balloons, the first pitch by the man with the drum in the outfield the managers exchanged lineups. As the umpires took the field the crowd began their shouts, "Yankees suck, Yankees suck!". The creshendo ended with CC's first pitch. But the cheers continued until the final out and the crowd happy walked to their cars and bars after a resounding Indians victory over the often-hated Yankees. October Madness begins!

Back on the Mortorcycle

Today I was able to jump back on my other cycle......my motorcycle. I began the day with 525 miles on the motorcycle and over 1000 miles on my bicycle. Who would have thought? Reved the engine in the driveway and steadily pulled out. Destination? A favorite sporting goods store in southern Michigan. Twenty-five miles of wonderful highway along a wooded stretch of road. As we passed the campground the smell of fall campfires waffed in the air. A beautiful fall day, but one far more like mid-July than early October. Ninty degrees.....a third day of near record temperatures. One thing that my motorcycle and bicycle have in common.....it isn't the destination, but the journey that is important. Wish I could live my daily life focused more on the journey than what I need to check off my "to do" list.

Becoming An Author

What does it feel like when you finally accomplish a goal? Do you feel that way when you accomplish every goal or are some goals more celebratory than others? I always wanted to get something published. Not sure why, but it was something I wanted to do. And it finally happened! This month my unit on the American Revolution was published by Scholastic Publishing. Whaoo! This was the culmination of a six year journey which began in Washington D.C. one November Saturday. I had just finished making a presentation at a national conference when this wonderful person began asking me many questions about my presentation. Flattered than anyone who care enough to ask so many, in-depth questions I indulged her as long as the questions kept coming. That conversation led to an offer to publish the unit I had just presented. Several drafts later it appeared to be published soon, only to be sidelined because of the elevation of reading and mathematics in the wake of No Child Left Behind. Then one day a year ago I received the long awaited e-mail.....you unit will be published in the fall of 2007. That began a six month working relationship with a teacher and editors as we piloted and polished the final product. Today I can celebrate that product! The wait and work was worth! The joy of receiving a publisher's copy before release was indescribable. I can only thank God and Scholastic for the opportunity. Check it out: TEXT