CELEBRATING FREE FORM WRITING
By Dan Miller
August 30, 2007
I last tried this in 2005, as I pondered what to write about my wife's birthday.
At that time, I called it "stream of consciousness" writing, though I think it was closer to being "free form" writing.
They're different, but similar.... and I'd explain the difference -- but I'm really not qualified to do that. (In other words, I don't really grasp the difference.)
The precise date of that earlier effort was March 18, 2005.
THIS IS A LINK to that essay.
Anyone who reads it would have to agree -- it was easily Pulitzer Prize worthy!
I was robbed!
It had all the ingredients necessary for such acclaimed literary consideration....
Fascinating characters.... (my wife Karen -- me -- and Jim Nabors)
An exotic location.... (Hawaii)
A scrumptious delicacy.... (humuhumunukunukuapua'a, the official state fish of Hawaii)
Lines that stirred deep thoughts.... (Why is he writing this? Has he lost his mind?)
Now, I'm sitting here trying to come up with something to write about the date August 30th.
Years ago, a professor taught me a trick about "free form" (or maybe it was "stream of consciousness") writing.
Think of a few semi-related facts or ideas, he suggested.... then start writing, and see where it takes you.
Alright.... a couple of related facts:
August 30th is the date (in 1937) when Joe Louis defeated Tommy Farr in 15 rounds for the heavyweight boxing title.
August 30th is the date (in 1974) when NASA helped launch the first Dutch satellite from Vandenberg AFB in California.
My wife is not much of a boxing fan, but somewhere around 1980 -- on one of our early dates -- I completely surprised her by taking her to a professional boxing match being held in a hotel ballroom downtown.
Until we walked into that room, she had no idea what kind of event we would be attending that night.
We had front row seats.... so close to the action that sweat and blood from the fighters was something we had to watch out for.
Even 27 years later I'm still reminded from time to time about that "surprise" date.... and about the nice clothes Karen was wearing that night.... and about what flying sweat and blood can do to nice clothes.
Speaking of flying... the photo attached to this is from NASA.... a composite of more than 200 images made by satellites orbiting the earth.... showing the lights of the United States as seen from space.
The photos were made on the night of August 30, 1997.
That, coincidentally, was the date on which Karen and I got married.
So that image literally shows our wedding night.... shining like diamonds.... one of the best nights of my life.
And the first night of 10 wonderful years.... and counting.
I'll close for now.
I'm taking the day off.
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