May 12 2008
Positive One
I am positive I will enjoy writing about positives, grin. And that, is in spite of how much I like to gripe and write deep emotional poetry. Why?
Because I have many facets. Because I have so much positive and joy in my life. Because I have written joyful things before. It is very much a part of me.
Barbara’s idea to honor our mother’s by writing on positive or joyful things if we don’t normally is such an awesome step forward for many people, that I am doing it, too, for ten days.
Now, Barbara may come kick tail here because what I say in this first positive post may seem to be mocking her intention, I hope she will get my point. I do get the original intention of her challenge - but one of my joys is writing poetry that is sad or depressing - and I decided to write about that joy first, since I don’t always write about sadness and depression, I figured I could get away with sharing it as one of my true joys.
The joy in writing sad or even depressing poetry (for me) is this: It comes instinctively, it can release inner tension, it feels right, it shares things that other people may have felt and if I get it right — it helps them understand their own feelings or clarifies something they have seen in others. And clarification and understanding are keys to getting along. I can be as excited and joyful as humanly possibly about my world and about your joys, but if I don’t have some clue about your fears, sadness or terrors - or you don’t understand your own - there will be a chasm between us, and that chasm can crash in to bury our joys.
Add to that it helps me understand others by allowing myself in what I perceive they are going through, for all the sadnesses I write about are not my own.
But, I think one thing that Barbara’s challenge points out: many of us see only the negative, we don’t allow ourselves to recognize the positive for more than the moment we live it… We seem to have shoved the positives down to a lower floor or worse yet, buried them… so today, the next ten days is our chance to dig them out! Let’s throw that dirt out of our way and share joys. Let’s let others know we actually have them! Positive begets positive. Start begetting.
So, I restate my first positive:
I love, enjoy, and believe in writing sad or depressing poetry - for on a personal level I feel connected to humanity and when successful, I have increased someone’s understanding of themselves or another human being.
