On Writing - And the U. S. of Anarchy 3/23/26

First thing this morning before I even got up, my mind was writing my obituary. It is a project cooked up with my friends Pat Fitzgerald from the Haddon Fornightly Annual Art Show and my old high school classmate, Sue Troy, also in the Art Show this year.

My process was to just brainstorm lists of things that were important to me. Then to write a free narrative - not trying to fit it into anything and not restraining myself. Then, I just let it sit in my mind for awhile, and this morning I woke up with a bare bones version writing itself in my head. When I say bare bones, my vision of it was one of those bodies put out in nature for the birds and the elements to strip of its flesh until only the skeleton remains.

I reduced two or three pages down to 3 or 4 paragraphs. I sent it to Sue and Pat. Pat sent hers to me. Hers was so much more fleshed out and lovely. You could see the whole person in it. We did call them drafts, so I will go back after a time and try to inject some soul into mine. So far it is "Just the facts ma'am."

So many people over the years have said to me they felt the desire to write or that they felt they were creative and imaginative and would be good writers. My advice to all is to WRITE. Here is what I suggest: Get a nice size diary or journal, even a copy book and keep it near where you sit with a good smooth gel pen and write in it freely - your thoughts, your complaints, your hopes and fears - anything! Just write for free and for fun. Soon it becomes as natural as breathing and very satisfying. Watched two FRONTLINE programs this week, one on our USofA) invasion of Venezuela and the other on our war with Iran. The programs are pbs and very authoritative and comprehensive. I began to understand more of what is going on, not that it matters. I am a small fish in a big ocean watching a huricane. I live in the US of Anarchy. Everything Trump looks at turns to destruction. He is a true SATAN - a Destroyer of epic proportions, a historic madman.

Today in the SuperMarket, I talked to the Deli counter clerk, an old man I have seen all the days I shop over the many years. But the Deli counter is usually so crowded and busy you can't talk. You have a number and behind you numbers are waiting so you don't chat. Today I was the only one there. He said he has worked there for 30 years and is retiring this summer. I told him that as of this year I am retired 20 years - 2006 to 2026. I asked his age and he said he was 90! NINETY!! I couldn't believe he was still standing for a shift and doing stocking and slicing and working every day! My neighbor, Eleanor told me she and her husband Jim were talking to him one day and he said he had been in the navy for 30 years before coming to ShopRite. She said he had gone to college before the Navy.

I bought a lot of forbidden foods at the ShopRite because of the dismal day and my weakness. I bought ice cream, and two slices of cheese cake, plus a box of Tandy Kakes - 6 little cakes of chocolate over peanutbutter on a cookie wafer.

On my next blog post - perhaps - I will post my obituary draft. Maybe not. It just made me nervous to think of it. I have had a premonition that I am going to die in the next 5 years - I HOPE NOT! I am enjoying life so much, but my heart makes me nervous. Sometimes I have difficulty breathing, like I had run up a mountain, from my heart working so hard. I feel as though it is warning me of impending doom.

Uma is sleeping on the other end of the sofa and she is snoring. Dogs are such interesting and mysterious people - mysterious because of being a different species and so we can only understand one another on the most basic and simple levels. Same with the cats but with all of them I feel there is an invisible channel of understanding that we share.

Happy Trails - in ink! wrightj45@yahoo.com l