I’ve been in Skopje a few days now and am feeling good, relaxed, and at home. I’ve gone out to see the city and to visit with friends. A couple of times I’ve sat down on a shady bench in the center to do some journal writing. Even in the hustle and bustle of the capital city there is always a quiet, peaceful place to sit. I’m learning though that can’t be done at a restaurant--food comes too fast. And no matter how much I tell myself the tavche gravche can wait for me to finish a sentence, I find myself a liar.
Yesterday I began the process of revising pieces from last year’s Master’s thesis. I’m really glad I am here to do that. Being away from home gives much more focus--although:
- I have to repeat to myself that coming all this way, to one of my favorite places, I can stay inside and do my work. Well, not “work”--I can stay inside and do what I came to do. I’m not wasting anything by staying inside and working on my computer. I can go out later when it cools off.
- This writing is still hard as hell! I ask myself, “Will I lose the reader here? Did I say enough?” “Or am I belaboring a point?” “Is this too whiney?” “Does this sound arrogant?” "Why can't I just write down what happened? Why doesn't it just flow out of my fingertips?" Hard as hell.
But at least I am at it.
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For photo updates:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=186088&id=536094266&l=613be715f1
Hey, just discovered your blog. Began reading and became immediately engrossed. I put the baby down for a nap and sent (unfortunately yelled at)the older one who wants to talk incessently about video games to his room so I could finish reading all of it.
ReplyDeleteThis most recent post and the poignant questions you pose to yourself reminded me of McCourt's "Teacher Man". I just recently finished listening to it, so I heard very clearly his voice saying, "Clarity, man. What about clarity?" (Here he is confronting a student whose writing was overly verbose and obtusely erudite) Anyway, your writing demonstrates the beauty that that clarity creates.