Hmmmm.
Writer’s block on deadline. Nothing of interest on my mind today. Sometimes the best flashes flash by too fast for me to capture. Seems to be one of those days.
What do you do when you have writer’s block?
“Recalculating…”
I don’t have a GPS mapping device. I still have folded paper maps in the glove box, although I will sometimes visit Google maps before going to a new place. I especially like the street view for this. Unless you’re going someplace that may have undergone renovation in the past couple of years, it’s a good way to preview what you’ll see when you arrive at your destination.
I was reinforced in my opinion that it’s not wise to rely on GPS directions when the story broke about people being directed to an airport – through a gate and onto the runway.
Yet, computing will not be denied. Many of our workplaces now can’t operate if the computers are down. I’ve been in more than one store when a power glitch has taken the check stands off-line. They will just stop conducting business. The computer not only acts as a cash register, but also sends sales statistics and tracks inventory. Better to close for an hour than muck up the system.
Computers are sneaking into almost all our new appliances, adding bells and whistles, some extra cost, and yet another reason to stay on good terms with your local repair department.
On a typical day, I interact with up to a dozen computers, not including the ones in the car, HVAC system and key-card mechanism. Most times, the computers do what they’re supposed to. When they don’t, you’re suddenly catapulted, alone, back into the last century (or maybe the one before).
GPS notwithstanding, do computers add to your life experience, or do you think we were better off before?
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The Flip Side
Yesterday, I was going on about how people see things differently, even if they’re standing side-by-side watching the same event.
The flip side is, there are wonderful opportunities for story creation in almost any situation. For someone who deals in stories, that can be a very good thing.
An example: I see a couple drive up, chatting and laughing. A woman with a package and a sour expression comes down the walk as the car stops, and interacts with the couple. Or maybe she only speaks to one of them. Maybe her frown increases when she sees them laughing together. Or maybe she begins laughing with them. What’s in the package? Does it have any bearing? Is this a planned rendezvous or just a chance meeting?
There are many potential plot lines that can be advanced, and from the perspective of the storyteller, it is freeing to have not seen the actual meeting of this trio of characters. My mind can play with scenarios as it will, unencumbered by the realities of the situation.
The beauty of writing fiction is that the deeper emotional truth of a situation can be explored. The observable facts are not as relevant as the meaning, and the communication of a concept is more fulfilling than a mere statement of “fact.”
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“…Eye of the Beholder”
Yeah, “Beauty…” I’ve heard it, too, but that’s not where I’m headed tonight.
What you see, and what I see, are often two different things, even if we’re looking at the same scene. This is why “eye witness” testimony is often unreliable. Two people can experience the same event, and describe it in such a way that it’s hard to believe they both saw the same thing. Because they didn’t.
Experiment after experiment shows this phenomenon. What you see isn’t solely a function of what was actually there. It’s what you noticed about what was there, filtered through your own history and experience. Is the glass half empty, or half full? Yes. Both may be correct interpretations of the state of the glass.
I often come onto a scene that’s already in progress. I’ll round a corner or enter a room, and catch an expression or a few words, but not enough to make sense of what I’m seeing or hearing. Yet my brain insists on completing the story, so will fill in the gaps in a way that makes sense. To me, and my peculiar history. (That’s “peculiar” as in unique, not as odd.)
Don’t call me a liar because you didn’t see what I saw. You and I didn’t see the same thing, even if we were walking side by side when we saw it.
Father’s Day Fun
Our dog wasn’t clear about the kind of puppy he wanted. Then again, we don’t seem to be able to choose the dogs that come into our lives. We end up with the dogs we’re meant to have. The puppy in question quickly grew to twice the dog’s size and three times his weight. Yet, he’s still the puppy.
As an early Father’s Day outing, we had a friend’s puppy over to play, figuring the youngsters could wear each other out and everybody would get a good night’s sleep.
Seems to have worked. We enjoyed a peaceful evening.