Saying What You Mean

The feeling is present. It is undefined in the moment but it is there just the same. Moving on to other duties of the day the feeling peeks out from time to time but remains mostly hidden. Its presence melts into the day’s context. Later, much later, in a moment of quiet, feeling pushes its way forward. The sensation has moved beyond feeling to thought, an idea. A word, perhaps, or a short phrase. The mind has been mulling the feeling for many hours and finally, a cohesive thought forms.

How is this then handled? Does the thought get written down, jotted on the edge of a scrap of paper? Or maybe, it’s an idea that is carried forward to a better, quiet time later in the evening? The kind of time used to ponder things of interest when you know you will have time to think. Maybe you have a routine in which you consider these things and write about them? Perhaps a blog? Or a diary?

Whatever the form, the idea is now front and center and ready for articulation.

Articulation. A good word. Parsing the thought with words that exactly describe what you have been thinking. Maybe the exact words do not come readily. Maybe a phrase, but not full sentences or paragraphs yet. The mind is struggling for exactness of expression.

Writing is both a joy and work. Sometimes the words flow effortlessly; often they come in spurts. Such is apt expression of unformed thoughts. They cannot be expressed fluidly until they are embraced and understood. Then terms flow like a river, coursing through the twists and turns of life fully explaining their journey. The logic engulfs the ideas. They have a meaning pressing for expression. These ideas must break free of the mind.

Thus, a script, an essay, a letter or a novel comes to life; indeed, comes fully into being. The act of doing this is oddly pleasant. A group of colleagues struggle with the meaning of a problem, and how it can be communicated to others. A lot of discussion follows. Then, someone in the group silently pulls words together, then a phrase and finally a sentence. The group looks up and sees how fitting the sentence is. Now they push on to a larger explanation, a paragraph, whatever it takes to fully communicate the concept. They are back to work pressing forward.

A concept is born; words follow; more words describe and expand meaning. Written material results. So it goes; people working out details, the logic of them, their logistics and chronology. There is a precision in all of this. When missing, the minds continue to struggle for resolution. The words must match meaning or minds continue to flail for the right words, the right sequence.

When the words are right you know by feeling them. Sometimes you eye the phrase for an improvement and find none available. The words remain right for each other; they mean what you needed to express. Others agree. You are home.

Usefulness of words improve with use. Reading and writing frequently ease the creative task. Ideas flow smoother. Written words then follow. Too much thought on the process and the task suffocates in effort. A clean page is then needed.

This ability to write clearly is a gift at first, then a useful tool in so many activities. What comes next? Applying the skill to situation. A journalist’s story or report. A speech to colleagues, or the public, or to a special group of people who will know your special jargon and terms. How is meaning conveyed? What is needing to be conveyed? What is the intentionality of the communication? Is there an honest intent to inform and help others understand something of importance? Is that subject matter complex and difficult to grasp?

Think about that. The author has purpose in writing the material. Is this a trade journal? A user manual article? Perhaps this is a news story. Or maybe propaganda in which the author intends to mislead the reader to a conclusion otherwise unsupported. Is this the purpose of the piece? How do we tell?

How can we tell in this media age of ill formed ideas and news? Who is telling the truth and who is not? Is this merely a matter of opinion? Or is there factual basis to the words?

Understanding is not just in the writing. It is also in the reading. And comprehending.

December 12, 2017