They say a writer should write what they know.
So, I like to write about writing and about how much trouble I have doing it.
It’s a topic that I know a lot about and feel compelled to write about.
However, I’ve learned and I keep re-learning that if you put up your sails
your writing sailboat will catch the wind of mundane and magical everyday moments and
hopefully turn them into something worth writing and something worth reading.
Photo by Ryan Bernard
The Tweet That Inspired This Post
I couldn’t sleep and went online to surf on Twitter to find neat tweets to insert into my week in review I write every week and came across a particular standout tweet by a guy named Ian Patrick McHugh. Ian Patrick McHugh@PatrickMacAodha tweeted some profound worries about teaching that I am going to borrow and adapt to myself as a Catholic writer for this article. He goes on to say and I resay….
Catholic Writing is a tough gig.
I’m always worried whether I’ve got the facts right if it’s a historical, catechetical or news article.
I’m always worried about whether my interpretations are fair when I give an opinion on something somebody said about something related to Catholic teaching or living.
I’m always worried whether I’m boring my readers with my endless quotations and speculations about life.
I’m always worried that I won’t be able to come up with something new and interesting to write.
I’m always worried that I come off as nuts or insensitive with some of my views.
I’m always worried that somehow I’ve upset Jesus and or someone else.
Sigh
This very article you’re reading could be one of those boring pieces that I write.
But then again someone may find something of substance in it that they can get something out of.
This particular tweet’s wind blew on my sails and stirred me into writing this post.
Thanks Ian.
I came home from work Wednesday night burnt out from just being active all day and pondering some insignificant thoughts about a writing decision I want to make. I am timid and indecisive which causes me to want to crawl into bed and lay their till my brain is cleared of the cobwebs of doubt and lack of confidence. So that is what I did as opposed to being proactive and doing something productive or interactive with my wife. But I kept thinking about that decision as I lay under the covers waiting for my brain to reset and my energy to come alive.
What is it I was thinking and pondering my brain about?
I’m glad you asked.
The thing I’m struggling with in my head is not a dilemma on the same level as how I’m going to feed the orphans I take care of in my poor Ugandan village, but it’s where I’m at in the midst making an everyday decision about something I’m struggling with.
By the way if you are the person who likes to help others check out Mercy For Life Africa‘s website and help kids in Uganda.
The Big Decision
Do I want to pay $26 something for a theater pass to see up to 5 movies a month in the theater so I can write about them for the blog?
I mean just look at the some of the movies that are coming to multiplexes in the summer of 2023.
Marvel’s Spider-Man and DC’s The Flash both brining us multiverse movies.
New Pixar and Dreamworks animated films.
Harrison Ford is back as Indiana Jones and Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible 7.
An actual original film about the making of the Atomic bomb from Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan.
Another Guardians of the Galaxy and Transformers movie.
Not to mention what looks like a philosophical Barbie movie and so much more.
If you put real thought into writing a film review it can look like this…
What I can tell you at this point about Across the Spider-Verse is that I want to see it about ten more times. I can tell you that it’s full of the joy of discovery and the emotional generosity that is the soul of Into the Spider-Verse. It’s inventive, thrilling, funny, ridiculous, heartwarming, frenetic, and sad. It pushes the groundbreaking visual style of the original to uncharted territory. At a time when Hollywood animation is generally in a Disney/Pixar plasticine rut, Lord and Miller assemble and empower artists to deliver one revelation after another.
–Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is an incomplete triumph – Decent Films
or this.
I doubt any film review or reflection will be this profound or creative in anything that I write, but I still think I can come up with something.
Black Adam like Quantum Leap also had a big reveal at the end of the movie that promises greater things to come. Another time travel show also gave us another great surprise. Doctor Who, unlike Quantum Leap, took the older series, revamped it and made it better then the original. I haven’t yet seen the end of Jodie Whittaker’s tenure as the Doctor but I want to see what happens in the year of Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary.
Black Adam and Time Travel Surprises | Mark Wilson (patheos.com)
If I Do This…
So do I want to do this?
If I do that means I will have to pay close attention and not just be passive so I can write something about the film I saw.
If I do this I hope to God I actually follow through with my plan. I’ve tried this before and failed. This makes me timid to try again.
If I do this I will have to be away from my wife for a few hours when I’m already away from her for most of the day. I like being around my wife after 13 and 1/2 years of marriage and 30 years of friendship. I really love my wife. She can’t sit in a theater and doesn’t like some of my sci-fi comic book choices. But she does love cèilidh dancing.
I could watch some of the many movies that I have access to on the streaming services I already am subscribed to.
I did recently watch Inside and Knock at the Cabin on Peacock.
We also currently watch the Apocalyptic Dystopian Silo on Apple +.
She wants to introduce me to some show on Brit Box.
BUT writing reviews of brand new spanking movies could draw readers to my site in away older movies don’t.
If I don’t write about new films then what?
I’ve thought about signing up for the Word on Fire Institute because they have some very good offerings I want to sink my mind into.
I took my thoughts to the shower. My daughter once said that some of the best thinking is done in the shower. One of the reasons you can think better in the shower is your not as tempted to look at social media. As I stood in the stall with the hot water pouring over me with its soothing relaxing heat mixed with room temperature air, I uttered this sincere prayer to God.
“God, what should I do? Should I sign up for this movie thing or do something else?”
I then went back to bed and awaited God’s answer.
The Answer
Schooling through Youtube as I sat in bed not sleeping I came across this video which seemed to answer my earlier prayer.
“Take steps and I got your back cause I’m your father and I love you. If you look at St. Paul’s journey, they zigzagged all over the place. We have this image as if he just sat in prayer and God’s like “Paul, Go Here!” Paul put his sail up and he went places and God blessed it. We take these steps and God blesses it.”
It’s amazing when God speaks to you and he actually does it sooner rather than later. I then had to get up and go to my laptop and type all these words up.
Now with this decision and all other decisions one could make it’s time to put up our sails and see where God takes us.
This includes what charity you might give to, what you want to write about and even about how you teach kids.
At the end of the day I want to be able to say something like this….
Shemaiah Gonzalez@shemaiahng (June 15, 2023) Great summer day that included love, coffee, reading, live baroque music, Piroshkis, a walk downtown, literature, phone call with my sister, texts from sweet friends, and dinner with my family with new dishes. Can’t wait to see what mundane and magical things happen tomorrow.
I can’t wait to see what mundane and magical things happen when I put up my sails and see where the Holy Spirit blows my boat.