16/7/17

​Remain In Light?
Yes, the title is borrowed from that great Talking Heads album. But what does it have to do with writing?

Actually, you can fit it in any way you wish, here it has to do with:  can you keep writing practically every day and what does that mean to you - can you remain in (writing) light?

But then, maybe the question is not can you sustain your urge to write but whether do you need to sustain it at all, does it just simply come by itself, do you feel that in the moments you are not writing something down during the day you feel a bit of emptiness creeping up?

As The Beatles themselves were, I am a big fan of Badfinger an ill-fated band that was one of the first signings to The Beatles Apple label. They came up with a cute little ballad called “Without You”. Like with all they did Badfinger themselves had not much luck with it. Another big fave of mine, Harry Nilsson did. So did Mariah Carey.

Leaving Mariah Carey aside,  and I never bothered to listen to her version of the song, even though I like both Badfinger and Harry Nilsson I didn’t care much for either of the versions, Badfinger version just slipped by me, and Harry’s, even with his great voice, always sounded a bit bombastic.

But then, thinking about the urge to write, the title, “Without You” brings in the essential question, can I you stand a day when you didn’t at least write down a few lines?

Of course, it might not be something that is immediately obvious, you do have to get in into some kind of a writing groove, until it starts forming a habit, like grabbing that cup of coffee in the morning as soon as your eyes are at least half way open. 

But if you have some free time, are reading something that might seem inconsequential, or are about to doze off and you just get the feeling that something is missing, like writing down those few thoughts that just crossed your mind, you can be sure that you can’ do without it. You need to write.

Sure, there will be times when you just can’t pick up that pen, or sit by that keyboard, or whatever, but even at those moments, if it turns out that you would feel more at ease to write something down, you’ll know you can’t do without it and that you’re doing the right thing.

Maybe then, like me, you can digest any version of “Without You”, even though it is by Mariah Carey not lip-syncing it.

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