“Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That’s why it’s so hard.” ~ David McCullough
I’ve pondered this David McCullough quote for months. Literally. I’ve read it, mulled it over, thought and written about it. I’ve deleted the writings, written some more, and considered the idea more thoroughly. And now I’m ready to confess and profess. I’m a little bit cocky about my ability to think. Some might call me an intellectual conceit.
From earliest memory I’ve considered myself a thinker. My intellect has been my pride and my strength, most acutely during times when my looks, circumstances or experiences were lacking. I am a smart girl grown into a wise woman. Mind you, I don’t claim complete and utter wisdom on every topic known to man, but I’m confident in my ability to learn easily, understand without judgment, assess character accurately, express myself with clarity and precision, and love easily, freely and completely. I enjoy all of this because I’ve been blessed with a brain that works very well, and I’ve always worked hard to capitalize on it.
My best tool, the method by which I’ve developed my mind, my thoughts and opinions is, and always has been, the writing process. For me, writing is the ultimate route to understanding myself, my thoughts and feelings, and the people in the world around me. Like David McCullough, I think more clearly because I write more precisely. And this can be hard. Over the years I learned that, when speaking, I sometimes lack the precision I summon in writing, although this is less troublesome as I get older. Perhaps all the years of writing have created an inner proofreader/editor who kicks into autopilot when necessary. Is this an unsung benefit of aging? I think yes.
Another benefit of aging… nearly everything intellectual or emotional gets easier. All the practice does make perfect. Despite challenges caused by diminished eyesight and arthritic joints, I feel more alive, more relevant, and more right than ever before in my life. Hard work and persistence deliver just rewards. The thinking, the learning, understanding and assessing, the expressing, the writing, the processing and practicing, living, loving and accepting… they all pay off. Big Time.
Here’s to the years!
