Of all the American presidents, the one I emulate most is not Thomas Jefferson or John F. Kennedy or Andrew Johnson or even FDR (heaven forbid!). It’s Gerald Ford, and not because he was a reluctant president and wisely chose not to run again — traits that I wish applied to every president since — no, I emulate Ford in his inability to do two things at the same time. The “I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time” president.
I feel his pain. I can’t multitask either. Walk or chew gum, not both. At least simultaneously. Sequentially, I’m OK.
I remember when I first started proofreading professionally; it was right around the time multitasking was the new buzzword in business and every other document I edited was about multitasking. Everyone juggling balls in the air, getting things done, streamlined, efficient; and there I was thinking I can’t tie my shoe and sing “Mary Had a Little Lamb” at the same time. I was never going to make it in this world. Some years later, they did some studies I guess, and it turns out they had it wrong, that one thing at a time is the better way. Tie your shoes, then sing. Ah, we live and learn.
I’ve been reminded recently of this inability of mine to do two things at the same time. Remember those 47K words I have to pare down to 10K? I believe I have figured out how to do it. What it’s going to take is rewriting. Bunches of it. This is the fun rewriting that everyone waxes poetic about.
This past year hasn’t been waxing poetic — it’s been all slash and burn. Cutting, not writing (or rewriting). There was the odd place after a sever burn where I had to come up with a new sentence or two, but nothing that needed the creative juices to gush forth. It was pretty much all mechanical — cutting down, not dressing up. But that’s all changed as I tackle that 47K. Gone are the sword and scythe, replaced by pen and paper (yes, I write with pen and paper). I’m back writing the book. And I’m loving it. Of course I am. Writing is way more fun than slashing.
That’s the good news. The bad news is I can’t do two things at the same time, in this case, write my book and write a blog.
Despite the odds, though, I’m going to make a stab at multitasking, try to do both. But instead of weekly posts, perhaps they’ll become monthly for the next while.
If some Monday morning rolls around and you’re missing my weekly blather, think of me, slavish to the book.
This week, we’ve got the motley crew of Blind Faith …
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