On Writing
And its power
On Saturday my friend W. Patrick gave me a copy of Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations.
The Emperor lived from AD 121 to AD 180. His book, ‘Meditations’ was never intended by him to be read by others, rather he wrote to enhance his own understanding of life and the world.
This has me wondering. How important is writing to clear thinking?
If it is important to thinking well, can it be replaced by some new technology?
Considering new technologies, I ran across the following quote:
“You can't replace reading with other sources of information like videos, because you need to read in order to write well, and you need to write in order to think well.” -Paul Graham
I suppose that the most common form of writing as an aid to thinking is journaling. The common diary, journal, or log.
Do you use a journal as a part of your Masonic practice? As a way of recording your insights and experiences?
Does your Lodge?
Would not a log of Lodge activities add a great deal of value to the history of the Lodge? Would it not be something vibrant to exist alongside the factual minutes of the Lodge?
While VW Clayton and I were visiting the Richmond Masonic Library last week we were shown a very large book (about the size of a Lodge Bible) with the word Trowel printed on the cover.
Apparently long ago, a group of Oregon Masons would travel throughout the Jurisdiction with that book, a blank book, in hand. And when they visited a Lodge, they would ask that the Lodge record something interesting and wonderful within it. Over time, that blank book was filled and became a true treasure.
That seems to be journaling in another form.
How important is writing to Freemasonry? Can the written word be replaced?
Let’s chat about it…
Writing is an incredibly useful activity regardless of whether you are writing professionally or simply journalling to benefit yourself on a personal basis. Terry Pratchett indicated that one should always write at least 400 words a day, it gets the writing muscles supple and polished as as well as as practised in retrieving better words for better prose. Richard Dansky is a professional game writer and indicates that a lot of times words build up like Flotsam and Jetsam around the kitchen sink drain that need to be flushed and by writing over and over during the day you get this Flotsam and Jetsam out of your way so that you can write the good words.
Writing also accesses a different part of the brain than simply speaking , it contains a whole additional level of thought , allowing comprehension and coherent construction as well as oiling comprehension and assisting in meditation.
Strangely enough, I started my first journal about 2 hours ago. It wasn't much. Seven lines and a poem, which is strange as I've never written a poem. And that proves to me that the written word is very much different than the typed word.
If writing important to Freemasonry? I believe it is, but I can't put it into words yet as to why. I'm just discovering it myself.