By Vicki Hughes Posted March 23, 2013
Observation is the trick to writing. Noticing the obscure details, and then getting them written down, before they fly away like an eyelash in the wind.
Anne Lammott is one of my favorite authors. When I first read her book Bird by Bird, it changed my life. When she explained that I own what happens to me, a little tumbler on the lock of my writing clicked into place.
Events in my life are what I decide they are, and I’m the only one who can relate it in my perspective. Nobody besides me can see my life through my eyes. If I want you to see what I just saw, I need to write it down, to tell you the story. Paul Harvey used to conclude his radio broadcasts with, “And that’s the way it is.” Writing about our own lives could be footnoted with, “And that’s the way I saw it.”
When a writer writes a story, or shares an insight, all they can give us is their perspective, based on the view they had of the situation. As I’m sure you’re aware, there’s always another side to every story. Just ask a cop who has to write a report on a fender bender. Nobody sees it the same way, from the same angle.
At any given moment, we’re tuned into various parts of our environment. We would never be able to handle the sheer volume of information, if we were taking in all in.
Billions and billions of bits of information surround you right now. You have to choose to stay focused on these words. “Hey! I’m talking here! Pay attention!”
Your brain has to ignore far more details than it pulls into focus, in order for you to to get anything accomplished. There’s no way I could write this sentence while simultaneously focusing on every bit of other information coming at me through my five senses!
Have you ever been laying in bed and suddenly become very aware of your heartbeat? Thumpity thump, thumpity thump. “There it goes again. Again….” Suddenly, you’re counting along, and then wondering, “Is that NORMAL?!”
If you were that aware of your heartbeat, and every blink of your eyes, and every smell in the room, and every place the sheets were touching you, we’d probably have to come after you with a butterfly net. We are blessedly able to tune out a laundry list of input, to enable us to get some other stuff done.
I’m not very useful to myself, or anyone else, if I’m sitting around wondering if my heartbeat is normal or not. I’m not much fun if I’m hissing, “Shhhhh! I’m counting!”
Be glad you have the option to tune into the things you want to. Be okay with the stuff you miss, or sometimes can’t see. We all have our strengths. Most importantly, choose more of the good stuff to pay attention to, because life is short. I’d rather spend it looking at the flowers, than the dog poop.
© Vicki Hughes 2013
Paying attention requires a dedicated focus on my part! I’ve found it pretty rewarding to approach free time as a visitor or tourist! The outcome is fabulous! Wished you wrote this years ago! LovU
Yep ! We should look at things like it’s the first time we have seen it.As an avid photographer i try to look at things from every angle.Even your own house looks different when you come down your street from a different way.Just like life it can be different it’s all in the approach ; )
I love having company in town, and getting to see Fairhope through their fresh eyes!
Good to remember and easy to forget
You’re right! VERY easy to forget.
Good one and you count your heartbeats too!!??!! Hahaha
Who, me? 😉
Lotsa people seem to have trouble focusing on things nowadays due to all the inputs we do get or can get.I think a lot of people feel they are not going to stay up with things if the do read or hear all the news or gossip.Well if i read all the news on the internet i wouldn’t even have time for sleep at all.Nearly all the news i can’t do anything about and most of it doesn’t affect me so why be distracted about it.I was at a music venue last night and there were people there staring at their phones the whole night afraid they were going to miss some gossip on FB,It also seems people can’t drive nowadays without their phones in their hands thats another distraction you don’t need.If ever there is a time you need to focus it’s when your behind the wheel.These people truly need to learn to live in the moment what ever your doing. Anne is going to be at a church here in Fort Worth so i might just hafta get in the moment and focus on what she has to say.Hope people aren’t there staring at the phones but i know i wont : )http://www.arborlawnumc.org/pages/vineyard_anne_lamott
I am JEALOUS!!! I would love to hear her speak! I hope you go, and report back!
One of my high school friends informed me of Anne coming to her church. Evidently she saw that i had “Liked” Anne’s page on FB.A few days ago i never had even heard of Anne Lamott now i’m going to hear her speak due to friends on FB . How cool is that ; )
That’s the coolest thing I heard all week! <3