Blog 662 – 06.13.2017
Prolific – Again?

As I have mentioned at least a couple of times in my blogs, early on in my blogging career, perhaps about blog number twenty, a woman that I first met many years ago, when she was a girl and I under thirty, commented on one of my pieces that she thought I was “prolific.” Like most writers I would have preferred “terrific” But, hey, I was and am just glad to be read. I did look up the word to be sure that she was not referring to some darker shade of meaning that I might be unaware of, and I found:

“prolific

1.  producing offspring, young fruit, etc.

2.  Producing in large quantities or with great frequency, highly productive.”

I assume she meant the second for I have only fathered two children, both of whom have made me proud, but left me with no great desire have been prolific in that sense. I do sometimes think of my words, my blogs, my books, my poems as my children and as the proverb goes I am happy to have a quiver full of them. Having just a day or so ago posted blog number six hundred and sixty I wonder if my friend was not a bit premature or prophetic in her pronouncement. Prolific – Again?

It was said of the incomparable soul, rhythm, blues, rock and roller, James Brown, that he was the hardest working man in music in his day. I do not want to be the hardest working or even the most famous writer but as much as I want to write quality pieces I do intend to leave a healthy volume of my musings. There is so much beauty in the world and so much to write and to say about it. I just want to do my part and to give back a little of all that has been given to me.

Sadly, many do not find a lot of encouraging words in their lives. Frankly, if you are looking to Fox News, or other Cable or Network News for encouraging uplifting words you just are not going to find that many or on Social Media for that matter. I began a sort of fast from Social Media a few weeks ago, and am still suffering some withdrawal symptoms, but I have yet to decide whether I will go back to it, even a very limited diet, or just stay off the stuff entirely. I have so much more time without it and most of that time a clearer happier outlook on life. The News and Social Media are, after all, sales and propaganda tools used to get us to spend our money and attention, shaping our world view, making us first and foremost consumers and loyal to “the party line” which is usually something like “You cannot trust the other guys, our brand is best.” And to me with my skewed view that is just utter nonsense. With the Gene Pitney song of my youth, “I wanna love my life away, I wanna love my life away, I wanna love, love, love, love my life away with you.” And there just is no longer a lot of room in my life for buying a bunch of crap or believing the crap told on my brothers to keep me in the camp of the merchants of death and destruction or even those that promise pleasure and pain relief in a pill. To me the only true pleasure, purpose, or relief from pain comes from loving and being loved, from caring for ourselves and others. And that my friends you cannot find at Walmart, on the News, Internet, on your computer, or on your smart phone but only in the eyes and arms of a human bean. And, yes, I spelled it that way on purpose, ole Bean. We just need to use our beans and exercise a little sells resistance and restraint. We have been made attention addicts, our minds so full of ads for this or that that we have little time to think – “Who am I really? What do I really want? Where is health and happiness to be found? Why do I need a new car, house or clothes anyway?” And how long have I been sitting in front of this screen?”

Turn it off, take a walk, play with your kids, wife, dog or yourself. Meet a new friend. Have some fun. Remember fun? It is what people used to do using most if not all their body parts, not just their eyes and thumbs. And once we were all quite prolific about having fun and not just watching others or blaming them for the lack of fun in our lives.

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White