© 2008 -- 2011 the Grandpa at The Word Mechanic. All rights reserved.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

This is why I blog

So I can say things when I need to remind myself

There are things that happen as you get older. There are battles that are lost that never should have been lost. There are dreams that never should have been left unfulfilled. There are projects that should have been completed. And there is time that you can never get back.

I have done things that have made a difference in people’s life.

I know that because the people have told me—called me out of the blue and said thank you.

I know that because I’ve run into people at random—people I don’t remember—who have said something I did made a difference in their life. I got off the train at South Station in Boston, was walking with what seemed thousands of other people in Boston who had gotten off of other trains and heard someone—a total stranger—say to me “Professor [grandpa]? You don’t remember me, but you were my teacher in business writing when I was junior at St Anselm. I use what you taught me every day. I’m vice president at [a big bank in Boston], and the way I got there was knowing how to write. And it was your class that taught me how to do it. I always meant to call you and tell you thanks..

And I’ve seen writers who wrote for me as their first editor win awards for work they did for me, win awards and publish books when I was the first editor who believed in them.

But you get older, and the work you set out to do hasn’t been done, and you think you’re starting to run out of time. The clock hasn’t stopped ticking yet, but the tick-tocks are coming faster and faster and sounding fainter and fainter.

It’s the angst that destroys. So how do you answer it?

  • Trust the people you know.

  • Know that you have influenced other people’s life.

  • Understand that no work ever gets done by whining about the fact it’s not getting done.

  • Accept the fact that when you die you die. What you’ve done to that point is the sum total of your work.

  • Accept the fact that you’re alive.

  • Work.


It’s hard to imagine I’ll ever be satisfied. But I can still keep working.

10 comments:

  1. Okay Professor Grandpa...are you a Virgo? You're being awful hard on yourself. I'm a Virgo and do the same thing often.

    Wonderful post here. You should be proud. You really should be.

    Have a terrific day. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. YOUR WORDS CAUGHT MY EYE, CAUSING ME TO STOP AND PAY ATTENTION.AND I THOUGHT I HAD THE EXCLUUIVE ON THE WHINE, THE PARTY FAVORITE OF GRUMPY OLD MEN.

    IF I RECEIVED ONE THING FROM WHAT YOU'VE SAID, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. EACH OF US GOES THROUGH CHANGES AS WE FACE AGING ISSUES.THANFS FOR THE MOST EXELLENT WRITE. NICK

    ReplyDelete
  3. What an interesting perspective: difficult, but somehow reassuring. Good luck with all your work.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Accept the fact that when you die you die. What you’ve done to that point is the sum total of your work.

    With all due respect, Grandpa, I disagree..

    and...

    Your first point was "Know that you have influenced other's lives"

    The student at St. Anselm...

    And me! I constantly strive to grow as a writer because of your encouragement and helpful advice.

    As long as the lives you touched touch other lives I'm afraid your work will never be done...

    and there'll be no whining about that :)


    Peace - Rene

    ReplyDelete
  5. Words of wisdom - now heed them yourself :)


    Aloha, Friend!

    Comfort Spiral

    ReplyDelete
  6. What an interesting perspective: difficult, but somehow reassuring. Good luck with all your work.
    How to make a website

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great post! Keep up the good work, Grandpa. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. THAT is exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you--very likely you've changed my life. (Grin) ((hugs))

    ReplyDelete