*Spiralic

I have said, recently and over the years, that these are generally easy to write.  They just come, flow.  This is true.  But take, for example, "Flow".  It was not easy to write.  Not, because it flowed.  I had no idea what it was about or what was coming or how it held together.  And I do like, want things to hold together.  Even those things, that I say are random -- they're not.  But the connections could be intuitive, and it's a distraction to explain.  Am I not wordy enough?  (No, I'm not, as you know, when I seem to leap around.  More words would show the links.  Like this parenthetical.)

I didn't know that the flow of "Flow" was, um, tributary.  Heh.  It came together.  I didn't do that, even though I said I did.  Both are true.  Gravity and gravitas.  In the end of course gravity pulls everything together.  Big bang, big fizz, big suck.  Everything changes, and everything is the same thing.  In the end.  If that's your religion.  As I said here, oh, 15, 18 years ago, William James awoke of a night and wrote his dreamed insight, and the next morning did not understand -- everything is circular.  No, everything is spirals.  What's the adjective form of spiral? -- circular, spherical, spiralical.  

It was not easy, I say, because I didn't trust.  I knew it could would be pulled together, but as a courtesy to you, I didn't want it to be too long.  As if that has meaning, "too long".  How long is that?  Everything can be commented on -- c/would, w/could, c/w-ould.  Who could possibly care about this sort of thing.  

It is entirely true, that since the advent of "word processing" (not typewriter, pen, quill, stylus, chisel, rock), books have gotten longer, much longer.  I can barely read my own handwriting, but, as I said here, 15, 18 years ago...  Well I forgot my point.  I have bad handwriting.  ...it's so easy now.  In olden days, in college, it was literal cut and paste.  I'd type it out, use scissors,  arrange the sentences and paragraphs into better order.  Scotch tape and yellow legal pads.  Then retype the whole thing.  Onerous.  Exonerate. A man, a plan...

So question marks.  They are tonal.  The rising inflection identifies an actual question, wanting a response. The mere use of question-words often is just rhetorical.  I am aware when I don't use them.  It's idiosyncratic.  Same with contractions, as "do not".  And colloquial spelling, gonna, git.  Words matter, like saying hello and taking out the trash.  They're for neatness, and courtesy.  They create an impression.

Same with "I".  I am aware that many sentences start with "I".  Well, first, yes, because the sentence is about me.  This is a surprise?  But stylistically, or rather linguistically, it's English.  We don't have verb endings specific to person.  Third-person singular, only.  So we use/need pronouns.  And look at the mess that's gotten us into.  English is deeply problematic -- as McWhorter says, our magnificent bastard tongue. So, I I I.  You'll take it and like.  

This has been about writing.  Attention to detail, while being open -- receptive to how the mind works, but also how the brain, as it were, works.   A habit I respect is that I am curious.  That's a trait -- the habit is that I look for answers.   I have an okay memory and way too much information.  It's like a christmas tree: I don't stress over the pine needles.  It's the ornaments that matter.  There's the structure of my thinking, my paradigms, and I don't need to concern myself with its metabolism; it runs itself.  I remember what improves it, explains, fulfills.  An odd metaphor.  Here I stand.  I can do no other.

Details exist to provide meaningfully complete answers.  What time is it? -- moonlight.  Where are we? -- the sound of lapping waves.  Why? -- she takes my hand.  Who what where why when how -- to whom, how much, how often.  Questions exist to be answered.  Answers exist for truth.  Truth is the meaning of life.  

I just made that up.  Maybe it's true.  The true and the beautiful -- people have added the good, but good is just a blend of truth and beauty.  I made that up too.  Or maybe it was Socrates.  I get us confused.  Oh, and what I said about Socrates?  I probably wasn't right, about who owns what, or what owns who.  I'm right only if being American is right.  That's been on my mind, ever since america committed suicide.

J