“Blessed are they, who have nothing to say, and who cannot be persuaded to say it!” (James Russell Lowell)
American poet James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) penned these words a long time ago, and they still ring true today. As I was scrambling for a blog topic the past couple of days, his words kept popping back into my head, and I began to realize that perhaps I really have nothing to say. And until I actually do have something to say, maybe I should stop trying to force the issue.
Yet, I could write about the mess that the world finds itself in, particularly the evil that is ISIS and how our government is attempting to deal with it. But even though I have very strong concerns about this latest threat to our precious way of life here, I don’t want to come off as just another reactionary, spouting that “we should have done this…we should have done that!” As always, I leave it to those folks—our leaders—to make sense of it all and stow the politics long enough to protect our country and all of us in it!
Of course, I could devote hundreds of words to the current sordid state of affairs in the NFL, with its rampant, out-of-control domestic/child abuse, but what really more can anyone say to make much sense of a league gone mad, featuring massive humans—wealthy beyond reason—operating in a world that places them way up on pedestals and adorns them with crowns for being so good at what they do—on the field of play, that is.
I could throw out several paragraphs detailing my continued struggles to get much writing done on my next novel, the one in which I’ve been becalmed and landlocked for such a long time. However, I really don’t like to whine and complain, beating a dead horse over and over again. I’m sure readers don’t deserve having to read any more about it, either.
Amidst all of the sadness, sickness, and horror that swirls about in this world of ours, I’ll keep it to a couple of pleasant and good things. Yesterday, my one grandson, Jack, turned nine. We celebrated with one of his favorite dishes—Grandma’s lasagna, salad, and cake and ice cream. Before we ate, he and his younger brother spent an hour or so out in our back yard having a terrific time playing whiffle ball and laughing and running and sweating.
They knew nothing about the tragedies that surround them or the growing evil over in Syria and its neighboring countries. They couldn’t care less about professional football players who don’t know how to behave in a civilized manner. And they most certainly couldn’t give a rat’s patooty about Grandpa’s writing issues!
In their own beautiful world, life is still very good. They have a mom and dad who care and provide for them. They have warm beds to sleep in—safely—each night and a good school to get to every morning to learn and grow and try to be good citizens of the world.
As we all sat down to dinner and enjoyed the delicious offerings from my wife, I couldn’t help but feel a real sense of pride in my son sitting across from me and my two grandsons, one on each side of me—my legacy!
I do hope the world will turn out OK for them in the years ahead.
So I guess I really didn’t have anything to say after all!
Down Many Roads... 
What a wonderful post for someone who has nothing to say. I loved it. I feel that same pride when I look at my own teenage sons. I hope we don’t saddle their generation and the next with unfixable problems that could have been fixible had our elected leaders actually decided to work with each other and get things done. But I guess that’s a separate blog post…
Hi, Carrie: Thanks. And I’m with you on the elected leaders who have done very little in working together to get things done for us and our children and their children. Another post, indeed, although I try to avoid politics when I’d much write about writing, reading, and other fun stuff! By the way, I like your new blog header. Cool! 🙂
Thanks!
I hear you about the politics. Although I love discussing the topic in real life, I avoid writing about it on my blog. There’s enough out there already on the subject without me annoying people with my views. 🙂
No whining and complaining allowed on your blog, Mark. Don’t stress and you’ll always come up with something to write about, just like you did with this post. 🙂
Happy Birthday to Jack! He’s a fine looking young man…takes after his grandpa.
Thank you, Jill! Your kind thoughts are always greatly appreciated. Jack has had a wonderful birthday week, and I’ll get to see him and brother Matthew after school today. Definitely a good thing after all the yard work is finished here. 🙂
Happy birthday to Jack! It sounds like a wonderful time was had by all! I agree about all the horrors today, and I keep feeling as if I ought to write about them, but really nobody wants to read the stuff that is too huge for us to get our minds around.
Thanks, Luanne. I hear you about all the crazy stuff happening in this world! 😊
Wow, Mark. For someone with nothing to say, you said it very well indeed. 😀
Thanks, Elizabeth! Your kind words are greatly appreciated.