Just Wondering ...
Just Wondering….
Do people read what you write? Presuming, of course, they know you have written something!
Perhaps, more to the point, do they understand what you have written – if they get round to reading it?!
Is it relevant?
Does it grab their attention?
Are they riveted to the spot?!! Hanging on every word?!!!!
I would like to think so, but … I can’t say so for sure.
BUT … maybe you’ll relate to this. (And please remember we’re not referring to the world of fantasy and fiction).
In our second book (FOPTA) on page 398, I mention a little poem by Rudyard Kipling, which I have used on countless occasions over years past, in classrooms, and other learning situations. You’ll find it after “The Elephant’s Child” in “Just So Stories”. I’ll give a couple of quotes here in case you are unfamiliar with the poem:
“I keep six honest serving men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who…”
Then Kipling has some words to say about how well he treats these servants, and how they can be used, before he says:
I know a person small –
She keeps ten million serving-men
Who get no rest at all!
She sends ‘em abroad on her own affairs,
From the second she opens her eyes –
One million Hows, two million Wheres,
And seven million Whys!
We all have these, and other serving-men, at our disposal so is it any wonder that every day we are bombarded with QUESTIONS coming from many different sources. Not only from children where it should be an essential part of the learning processes, but from other sophisticated adult sources where motives are often questionable!
Some years ago I made a list of questions that needed answering. Many of them kept coming from other people, and all of them had to do with lifestyle issues. Theoretical answers were not sufficient. Practical, down-to-earth advice gained from experience was what was needed. I decided to take two years to come to grips with these issues, and actually wrote myself a “book” outlining the ground covered and the conclusions reached.
Now surely two years is enough time to deal with a page or two of questions?! Plenty of time to wrap everything up nice and neatly?!
Well I found what everyone will probably find – I ended up with more questions than I had started with !!!!
Surprising?
No, not really. The serving-men can be let loose in millions of applications according to peoples’ uniquenesses and lifestyles. Questions inevitably lead to trying to find solutions that are required to meet individuals personal beliefs, needs, circumstances, attitudes, moods, situations, etc – short and long term. The answers will be dependent on a number of factors which we don’t always want to deal with.
E.g., Having to exercise choice.
Making firm decisions.
Counting the costs of being different.
Being in a minority category – even to being alone!
You know all that as well as I do.
Therefore it is easy to choose and manipulate our serving-men so as to come up with “I don’t know” copouts, or to allow ourselves to be talked out of a course of action which we know deep down, we should take.
Fear can be a powerful immobilizer.
And common sense is far too old fashioned!
Establishing priorities is hard work, and it just might mean having to sacrifice some personal agendas.
Dressing up old questions in a new guise can provide excuses to procrastinate.
And the mind can be persuaded so easily that a simple, straight-forward answer is invalid for the assumed complexity of the problem!
Sometimes is pays to be a little slow on the uptake. In fact, it is possible to be quite blind and deaf, if it suits!
MANY QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS ARE NOT RESOLVED BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT THEM TO BE! Is our appearance of seeking answers just a pretence?
If we are truly honest with ourselves (and with others) we would have to admit that often we know what the answer is – how we should think, speak and act. Or if we don’t know how to respond to all aspects of the question or problem, we could at least take some steps towards securing an answer, because it is often a willingness to go this far, that provides the key to implementing the convictions beginning to stir within, and just waiting to exercise their wings, if allowed the opportunities.
What about the comment, “I honestly don’t know what to do (or say)”. There may be times when a circumstance of situation arises when this seems to be the only response that can be made, but in the light of what I have written, it will not be true very often. Check it out.
I have to keep reminding myself that before anyone can read anything, someone has to write it, AND THAT A PROSPECTIVE READER HAS TO WANT TO READ IT. CHOOSING OUR READING MATERIAL IS A VERY PERSONAL THING.
So when I go back to the opening questions, I have to personalise them.
How do I react when I am faced with an article to read?
Do I always want to read it?
Is it relevant to me – now, or in the future maybe?
Does it grab my attention in some way?
Will I react positively or negatively to it?
Will my convictions be strengthened one way, or another?
Am I prepared to make the effort to understand what has been written, or will I jump to conclusions because of sloppy reading habits and mindset misconceptions?
Or will I go through the motions of reading every word, silently “agreeing” or “disagreeing” as I supposedly understand what I’m reading, pat myself on the back for bringing myself up to date, and then promptly forget it all! Nothing has “stuck”!
I was just wondering whether in your reading, you’ve come across anything about
an invitation …
or being convinced…
or The Great Divide …
or CHESM stuff …
or lots of other stuff beyond the web …
or using the old fashioned means of communication – the telephone …
and the dangers of coming out of the mould?
Maybe things blowing in the wind …
or thinking …
or just reading between the lines …
or smoke signals …
Just wondering … you know!
Maybe Heath needs to use dazzling fluoro threads on his web!
I wonder if you’ve noticed how much more creative you can be when you stick with the REAL webs.
I wonder if it puts people off? Fancy, a grey-haired young antique resorting to such kids’ stuff! What’s the point in reading that ?!
Even the serious matters of life warrant a few smiles. Yeah. I’ll keep writing – for my sake and Heath’s.
Catcha next time?
