Sunday, December 23, 2007

Lion Award Thingy

I wish I knew how to put pictures on my blog. I have no idea. I tried once to put my picture on the side but failed. Even to put the OUCH symbol on my blog I had to get my friend, blog princess, to help. If I could put pictures on the blog, I'd put the picture of the 'Roar of Powerful Words' lion that's given as an award by another blogger for 'powerful writing'. I was given this once before and then again on my birthday by ettina of abnormaldiversity. I went to her blog to see what it's about and apparently I'm supposed to give three bits of advice about writing and then award the 'lion' to others.

OK

Pay attention. I never go out, go to work, go to the bathroom without a story happening. People are interesting, their reactions, their relationships, their way of being - to me being a writer (or playing at being a writer) means being alert to the world, seeing what's hidden in plain view. Almost all of my blog writing is about day to day events, things that just happen. I'll admit it's probably easier for me because I'm different from most others in three ways - differences call forth responses that are fairly easy to note. But I'll bet if you are honest with yourself, you're different from others in at least three ways yourself. Use that. Pay attention. One of my regular readers is a friend of mine who calls moments where she really notices things 'Dave moments' because she is now alert to and alive to what's happening around her. She says she's learned that from me and from my blog. That's a great honour.

Develop boundaries. There are some things that are just mine. There are some things that are just Joe's and mine. These things I won't write about. Having a private garden in your heart where you grow sensitivities, where flowers unique thoughts - gives you the 'spices' you need for your writing, this is what makes your writing uniquely your own. I care for my private garden, no one's feet has ever trampled therein, I visit there daily, I take comfort there, I nurse hurts there, it's the still, quiet place where I talk to God. Its not for public view. That boundary allows me to share much, much more than I would - because I know what's sacred and be damned with all the rest.

Keep focus. I decided that this blog would be about disability. Someone 'joked' (I put that in quotation marks because it was a 'joke' that hid a 'criticism') that my blog and my life was 'all disability, all the time'. While I think that's an unfair criticism there may be some truth in it. Chewing the Fat was set up to be about disability so that's what I write about. I work in the disability field, so that's what I think about, I have a disability so that's what I live. I'm guessing that most people who read Chewing the Fat do so because of that focus - they know if they come here I'm going to be banging on about disability. I'm not writing for a general readership - I don't have those skills or that broad an emotional palate. I think focus helps.

Now I'm supposed to award this to five others. I'm not going to do that. It's not because I don't recognize powerful writing in others, it's because all the blogs I read, I read because of the powerful writing. Having been a child never picked for a team, I can't pick one and leave out another. So, I'm awarding the award to anyone who wants to do this. It's kind of fun to stop and think about your writing - so if you want it ... the Roar for Powerful Words award is yours. If you want the picture, go to abnormaldiversity.blogspot.com and find it there under the blog entery entitled 'Lion Award Thingy'. I don't know how to get it from there to you but I'm assuming most of you know how to do that.

(Please don't write me back with detailed instructions about how to put pictures on my blog, I'll read what you say but after step three I'll start crying. I don't want to cry. I need someone to show me, not explain it to me.)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks Dave. I know just the person to pass it on to...Anne's blog at (www.archiesroom.com) She's a great writer that not only tells a story but evokes such emotion in her words that I laugh and cry and rejoice when reading them. Of course I know I'm a bit biased but that's ok isn't it?

Betsy said...

Dave,

You are absolutely one of my very favorite lions, and I love coming here every day to listen to you roar - proud, strong, and courageous, and sometimes, with just a little ruffle around the neck ;)

Betsy

lina said...

Congratulations on another deserving award!
And great advice as usual.

Unknown said...

I think it's great you can't leave anyone out by giving an award to just one, two or three particular person!
Mieke.

rickismom said...

I definately come here because of your focus. My blog is also fairly focused on "special needs". Which my family critisizes the focus. But I also feel that I am aiming for a specific audience....

Belinda said...

"I know what's sacred and be damned with all the rest." That's the kind of statement that will have me smiling all evening as I stand in my kitchen cooking! :)I will probably break into moments of spontaneous laughter and Paul will look at me strangely and wonder if I've finally snapped.

Thanks! :)

Susan said...

"I'm guessing that most people who read Chewing the Fat do so because of that focus - they know if they come here I'm going to be banging on about disability."

Well, that's why I first started to come to CTF. It was for what I could "get" from your writing. All those keen insights, and things to share with my team, etc. It was a place to learn and a place to grow. It was a "resource".

But that focus has certainly shifted. I'm checking in now because of you, not what I can get from you. Now it's about who you are not what you do, or for what I can get from you.

Does that make sense? It does to me.

It wouldn't matter what you wrote about now... Disability or not, I'd still be checking in.

Anonymous said...

Good JOb! :)