So Much to Say
Now our book. It’s coming along, a bit slowly, but that’s ok. We need to take our time with it, really manipulate each evolvement. Once we discuss each one in detail, the real writing can begin. It may be a few months, nothing really, when we consider the bigger picture.
A Dearth of Substance
The writing above is taken from our journals, 10/1/2006. I find it both touching and laughable. Touching in that we were writing a book together with pens and paper, laughable in that we had so little to say. Sure everyone has a story to tell, as most bloggers will urge, but some stories are simply better than others. It would have been an unforgivable crime to subject anyone to such a dreadfully boring tale as our story up to 2006. We worked a lot, we ate a lot, we liked the Houston Rockets a lot. There you have it and hopefully I expressed in so few words that you hadn’t enough time to fall asleep.
200-Year-Old Lessons
As an example of waiting until you have something worth saying, Brahms was 43 when he composed his first symphony and it took between 14 and 21 years to complete depending on the source. It turned out spectacularly well, hailed as one of the greatest first, or any for that matter, symphonies ever composed. And this under the shadow of Beethoven’s towering reputation. Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op, 68 is still routinely performed in concert halls all over the world along side the symphonies of Beethoven and Mozart.
We could say and write whatever we liked, but what of the quality of that material? How was our story going to help anyone or even be an agreeable alternative to Dancing With the Stars? What would make us want to read our own material without a drowsy yawn?
Artless Naivety
The word evolvement from our journals refers to ten big changes we had made in our thinking from reading a few books such as Gerry Spence’s Seven Simple Steps to Personal Freedom: An Owner’s Manual for Life orLive What You Love: Notes from an Unusual Life by Robert and Melinda Blanchard and discussing them. It was a start, but we had overlooked diet, fitness, finances, fun and overall purpose. And we had plenty more reading to do. I had opened up my guitar studio, but it was less than robust. Tammy was still trying to escape the public schools and we were unsure how she was going to do it. Our journals took the place of actual face time because we were working opposite hours. In some cases journaling about what we wanted and what we thought, took the place of action. Although it is nice to have our words written where we can draw from them, actual shared experiences are still much preferred.
When we began to put thoughts into action and do the hard work of transforming ourselves, by addressing all of our short comings and not just the low hanging fruit, then our story began to be share-worthy.
You may want to check out Tammy’s guest post on 4020 Vision this week.
16 comments about "So Much to Say"
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We are Tammy and CJ, and we are tickled pink you chose to spend time with us. Frolic about
a bit, poke around, and get
your snicker on. Now, get over here, so we can pet you and
feed you nuts.
You always have something great to say, what are you guys talking about? I love reading hoombah for that very reason! You’re always quirky, interesting, insightful and fun every time so I’m sure the book would have been great and I hope we get to see a version somewhere down the road.
Still I do know what you mean on the quality control level. You have to please yourself before you can please others. Only you know where that line in the sand is. Still my brother has some regrets about all the music he wrote but never did anything with. He was a great songwriter but hated performing so all his songs ended up on just his ipod. I listen to them and wonder why he was so critical of himself. His view was effectively that if it wasn’t better than the beatles/beach boys/Dj Shadow and Boards of Canada rolled into one then he wasn’t going to waste anyone’s time letting them hear it. Such a shame as it beats 90% of the stuff you hear out there. Still at least he is content. Makes you wonder how many masterpieces are out there… maybe yours is one? So definitely give to others for feedback when the time is right!
Big love and happy writing
Grace
Grace Pamer recently posted..Pampered for the Day: A Marriage Proposal
Grace, I wish everyone could begin their day with such a comment as yours. Thank you for such kind and thoughtful words. I am glad your brother is content. It is hard to ask for more than that. If there is a way for me to listen to one of his tunes, I’d love to.
As for my music, I made recording just last night. Now I have to do battle with the device and YouTube because there is some issue with syncing video/audio.
And as for our book, we wrote another, more substantial, one in 2012 and are tweaking it in 2013. Hope to have it out by this summer. Again, thank you!
Year Number Eight?! That is so awesome and inspiring! It gives me a bit of pause in terms of how long I’ve been estimating for some of my projects though… they may need recalibrating… a lot. Oh well.
Love your guys’ writing- its honesty, frankness, and no-bones-about-being-positive. Looking forward to the book!
Margaret recently posted..Processing with Perspective
And what a delight to have Margaret Pinard over to the Hoombah! We can hardly believe 8 years ourselves! Considering it could have easily failed 7 years ago tossing us back into the ring of 9-5 teaching (or 7-5, actually). Your projects appear to be well in hand at TLT, but you probably have several other items on the burners too.
We certainly do strive for writing that is honest, frank, and has no-bones-about-being-positive. Perhaps positive with a chip on its shoulder? In a good, nice way? And thanks for mentioning the book! Tammy is writing what may be the last, though not chronologically, chapter and I am dying to read it myself!
G’Morning Margaret!
This is one of my favorite new sayings: “Don’t compare your Insides with other people’s Outsides” …
Some projects flow faster than words can say, some come together ve-e-e-e-ry slowly, maybe never! (Like, the difference between a sandwich steak and a pot-roast?)
Dayum! now I want beef for breakfast!
Karen J recently posted..Aaahhh! Fairyland…
My life seems to be chock full of pot roast. Good thing I like it. Any composition, post, recording, etc that I feel good putting out there is a pot roast. But I know there are Mozarts out there who can crank out quality time and time again. Great insights as always, KJ.
Fabulous post, guys. I really like this one. It’s so great to see put into words the ideas that rattle around in the back of your own head, especially when those words come from others, and thereby confirm that you’re not crazy for having had those thoughts in the first place. Or, at least, if you are nuts, you’re in good company.
I love the illustration of Brahms. I think in our entertainment-driven, sensation-driven society, people want fast and good to be constantly in correlation. But those two things aren’t – at least, not always. Good can take time, great can take even longer, and rushing to produce something can sometimes destroy the impact that thing would have had, simply because it’d never been given time to grow, develop, and just breathe.
Thanks again for this post.
Megan Joel Peterson recently posted..Liebster Award
How grand to have MJP for a visit! And thanks so much for saying such nice things about our post. Having said that, we may very well be crazy but we can address that in subsequent posts.
Brahms is an extreme example, but I think it captures the spirit of striving for and maintaining intellectual integrity. I want my writing and composing to be great and I want it years ago, but just isn’t so. Like you suggest, I will give my creations time to grow, develop, and just breathe…
Oh, no worries – we *know* you’re crazy! (But so is everybody – in their own ways!)
“time to grow, develop, and just breathe…” –Ooh, like wine! /
Karen J recently posted..Aaahhh! Fairyland…
So fine to see Karen J!
Indeed. And anything that can be compared to wine must be good.
I like the idea of journaling as a means of communication. Not as a substitute for face time, but as a medium in its own right. Like blogging, but just for two.
Rosemary recently posted..Devil of a Blue Dress
Rosemary! It’s as if our blog has taken the place of our journals. The difference being that we are deciding content together. Our communication has improved vastly since we have more face-time. But we did the best we could at the time and reading back through the journals is a romantic, revealing and touching experience.
Wonderful read, Tammy and CJ!
I’m going to play devil’s advocate, if I may …
I’m in love with “ordinary” — ordinary, down-to-earth, we-can’t-compete-with-Tolstoy, kind of stories. Real people. Real life. Along with all the simple pleasures.
What I enjoy most about this post is all the mounds of transparency that flow throughout!
Good morning Melanie and thanks a ton for your most Jolly comment! The devil’s advocate is often our best friend – takes us beyond our smug contentedness. So your comment made me consider the ordinariness of our lives. And our ordinary walk, coffee-time in an ordinary cafe, blogging about every day stuff, ordinary simple (2 minute) meals, reading ordinary paper books together, etc. are all very ordinary, but here’s the catch: When you take them as a whole and consider the consistency with which we do them and joy we take from our routines, it is anything but ordinary.
This beautiful expression of your journey truly connected with us, as we are traveling along a similar path. It is refreshing to connect with another couple who shares our joys and woes.
It is so great to hear about your successes, and struggles, and wholeheartedly agree you are ready to share your story.
We are listening. Intently.
Mark Adam Douglass (@MADouglass) recently posted..Facebook Free February, Or Not
Thanks for your most generous words, MAD! Nothing could be of more value than others that can (somehow
) connect with and get something from our story. And we, Mark and Jess, are listening to and fascinated by yours.