I can’t write ‘off the cuff’. Spontaneous, without editing, or Thesaurus embellishments (more like text photo shopping). And never without changing, revising and re-writing drafts after drafts.
Methodical. Research-oriented. And absolutely format and style controlled. It’s tedious and painstaking, but that’s what I do best. Or maybe, it’s just by practise and positive reinforcement (via praises and comments)
So to break away from my safety net, I thought of going Virginia Wolf, or at least attempting to. It’s more difficult than how it sounded in my head. Stream of consciousness, at least mine, is quite, err what’s the word, erratic, choppy and has serious ADHD.
Ok so what do I talk about? If I start penning down every thought that crosses my mind, Ms Wolf is sure to resort to some serious back flips and turns in her grave. That would be quite a sight though. Before I start digressing again, I need one stellar, strong thought-provoking thought. My mind talks in alliterations, although a bit rusty. I wish my brain could search like my Macbook does. Oh wait, a search for ‘deep brooding thought’ would surely yield no results on both. Self-deprecating thought. It seems to be my modus operandi. Either that or husband-deprecating. But the latter makes me a witty, funny wife. Which I totally am.
Enough of aimless wandering. But then, ‘not all who wander are lost’. Rightly said J. R. R. Tolkien. Indeed your heroes and hobbits were bitten by wanderlust. Long journeys to faraway places, each peppered with thrilling adventures, strange occurrences and unpredictable experiences. The pleasures and dangers of the unknown. I wish we could all just take off. On a whim. To follow what we fancy.
‘Hello…”
Static. A few garbled words. Low buzzing. The line dropped.
“Hello. Can you hear me now?”
“Yes! Where are you?”
“Oh I am in the hills of Sikkim. An impulsive trip. Got here a few days ago. I walk around in the markets; eat fresh food. But the nights; oh, they are the best. I spend hours gazing at the stars. It’s like a city up in the sky. It is so overwhelming and inspiring.”
“That sounds incredible.”
“Wait let’s Skype. Let me show you where I am.”
She was in a small cabin in the hills, almost floating in the clouds.
I wasn’t the least bit surprised. The friend in question has always been a free-spirited wanderer. This was one of her ‘head clearing; inspiration searching trip’. In her case, these spontaneous getaways actually fuel her creativity, leading to more success at work.
For most regular folks, who can’t take off on a whim, a random detour on your way back home from work might be a good start.
Step out. Run. Walk. Just explore. Your city; your town; your neighbourhood. A world trip can come in later.
Take off aimlessly, without a destination in mind. The beauty of the mundane and the familiarity of the exotic will both astound you. Or you might end up loosing all those extra pounds from sitting in front of the laptop at work and telly at home.
Seriously, we live in a virtual world, where Google knows everything. Instagram clicks everything. Facebook experiences everything. Twitter hashtags everything. The only wandering we do is virtually. From one viral You Tube video to another.
The world wide web. You are Pandora’s box 2.0.
Is this going anywhere? I think not. But I am. Off for a stroll. Be back in a bit. I think…
Signing off…
…”This unfiltered blabbering isn’t going to make for a good read.”
…”Or maybe it will.”
…The tiny voices in my head debate on….
On A Polysyllabic Note... 