Composing our Thoughts
Do you find yourself making mental notes about the letter you’re going to write to a friend, explaining how you really feel about something ? But do you ever send the letter? If the first answer is yes and the second answer is no, it’s all right – you’re just like the rest of us. I sit every morning at my “home office” desk, trying to get organized, and to communicate with my friends, family, and those people that I never quite got to know but wish that I had. It doesn’t matter that I have my personalized stationery, my commemorative “Cowboys of the Silver Screen” stamps, and my favorite rolling-ball black-ink pen at-the-ready. The thoughts are in my mind, but I don’t pull them together. I don’t write the note and mail it. (“post it” as the British say.) I have the time, I have the materials, I have my version of a Latte Grande cup of coffee at my right elbow. But I don’t put everything into action and send that all-important missive.
The book, Herzog, by Saul Bellow, is about a man who is constantly composing letters in his mind, but never writing them or sending them. Since I’ve mentioned the book, here is a snippet from Wikipedia:
Herzog spends much of his time mentally writing letters he never sends. These letters are aimed at friends, family members, and famous figures. The recipients may be dead, and Herzog has often never met these people. The one common thread is that Herzog is always expressing disappointment, either his own in the failings of others or their words, or apologizing for the way he has disappointed others.
Is this what we all do ? We lapse into a constant state of explanation ? Either we are explaining to ourselves or to others what we did, what we were going to do, or what we plan to do. With Herzog the problem became more extreme. As the book ended, there was no longer a difference between his letter-composing and his real life. Reality had become a never-ending series of ideas, apologies, etc., that never made it onto paper. Composing the next letter became reality.
Let’s avoid Herzog’s fate: A good start is to keep these letter-writing materials convenient to us. Yes, the stationery, the Roy Rogers postage stamp, and the rolling-ball pen. We will finish our coffee and put that pen to paper !
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Madeleine Cahill, Dallas TX
Barret, you speak the truth. And so does Saul Bellow, it seems. I am always penning notes in my head but I don’t get them down on paper — it just doesn’t happen. But I am going to reform myself.
29 June 2010, 11:39 amDusty - Columbus, Ohio
I have found myself sitting in the kitchen, looking out the window, letting my mind wander. But when there is something I need to write down, jotting something down didn’t seem ‘convenient’ at the time because I had nothing to write on. I couldn’t imagine how organized my thoughts could have been if I wrote what was on my mind. Thanks for this info, now I want to read the book.
29 June 2010, 1:21 pmDiana Rieger
It does take some discipline to pick up the pen and write the note. Then it takes some discipline to put the stamp on the envelope, and get the note in the mail. But it’s worth it. People still love to get notes in the mail — something they can touch and hold.
29 June 2010, 5:29 pmDonna L. Conley
It is difficult to get the thoughts written out and really send the note off. It is easier to walk around and think about it like Herzog did.
29 June 2010, 7:55 pmHarold L. Evans
Yes, I’ve spent my share of time waiting to get my writing done. It is easier to look out the window as Dusty says, above.
29 June 2010, 8:04 pmChris J. Calderone
Yes, it’s difficult to get those thoughts committed to paper, and it takes effort to get the stamp on the letter and mail it. Nonetheless, in some quarters a written or “typed” letter still carries a lot of weight. Chris Matthews from “Hardball” on CNBC was talking about how to influence members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was being interviewed by another television commentator a few months ago. He surprised me by saying that a physical letter, not an email, gets the attention of these powerful people.
30 June 2010, 6:06 amEdward Hoover
I am also guilty of the same bad habits as well. I have always been one to think of something I would like to write my friend in a letter but then don’t make the effort to write it down while fresh in my head. Then once I make time to sit down to actual write the letter I spend too much wasted time trying to remember what originally popped in my mind. Recently I have gotten better at taking a second to jot a note to myself. I purchased the Currency Cotton Memo Square here from Giftsin24.com and it has assisted wonderfully. I have placed this on the kitchen counter and it is always available for my thoughts. This has assisted me with getting better at remembering my thoughts that I want to later express in my letters. I hope you find yourself doing the same.
30 June 2010, 9:25 amDTS Louisville KY
Excellent blog on a good subject !
30 June 2010, 12:05 pmLoveToWrite
This is the best-written blog at this site, and I come her often to pick up a few words of wisdom, so that is saying something …
1 July 2010, 11:11 amJeannie G. Decatur, MI
This kind of blog post is the most interesting.
8 July 2010, 12:38 pmGarcia San Diego
Speaking of having your writing materials ready on your desk … I see that the post office is getting ready to request a rate-hike for postage again. So it is wise to buy the “Forever” stamps or else you face this rate change pretty often. It seems like an annual event, but it seems more often than that.
10 July 2010, 9:04 amCaryn L. D.
Saul Bellow is an excellent writer. I did not read Herzog, but I did read Humbolt’s Gift, and thought it was a wonderful book.
10 July 2010, 3:33 pmWendy Lee Sun
I like the book review and the movie review here. Whoever said that Barret is the best writer got it right. I’m starting to like Barret ! I have not seen Letters to Juliet but might buy the DVD. I haven’t read the book, Herzog, either — it sounds kind of deep — I do only light reading in summer…
11 July 2010, 7:08 amDonna Wasilewsky
Barret,
Whoever you are …… you write the best blogs at this site.
15 July 2010, 6:32 am