Fool on the Hill
What follows are two quotes. I won't link to the posts where I found these nuggets of knowledge and understanding. It wouldn't be fair to Shelly for anyone to read excepts. Instead, after finishing this post, head over to burningbird and discover for yourself.
"This does, though, ably demonstrate a corollary to my discussion about community and writing : that even if you do write honestly--as a writer, not a community member-- there is no guarantee that what you write will be heard amidst the communal noise." -- Shelly Powers at burningbird.net
"The best damn thing that can happen to many of us is being cut adrift by our communities. It's wonderfully liberating. It also frees us to find new communities where we don't have to choose between being a member, and being a writer. We may even discover that the community we end up a part of of isn't much different than the one we left, because the only member cutting us loose, is ourselves." -- Shelly Powers at burningbird.net
This post is entitled "Fool on the Hill" not for Ms Powers, but for myself. It's how I see myself as I write templeofme. Her quotes and the impetus behind them are key to my motivation to write here.
I am writing. I am a writer. I belong to no community, but I move in many. I write what I feel like writing. I censor myself in one area only -- my family. There are aspects of my life that will never make it to this forum. My political, religious, intellectual, common, and uncommon thoughts are fodder for my posts. There are times I'll write with child's delight and others with the cynicism purchased with experience.
I get to do that here. Without benefit or restriction of audience. There are power-elites in every plane I move. I can't be touched. I don't register on their radar. While their gravity influences me, I am fully-powered and able to make my own path. I can't be cast off since I wandered away long ago.
I write this because I hope those who read templeofme understand they also have this wonderful freedom to create. I hope they do. I want to marvel and scoff and be amazed at what they craft.
