Tags: Bob Dylan, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin
Date: 22 March 2009 20:17:09
Today I have been sermonising again. The Little Chapel That Could had asked me to take their morning service for Mother's Day. Considering the congregation of 5 women over the age of 50 - most over 75 - it is always an enjoyable experience; you come away feeling appreciated. I have already been asked to bring my diary to book up for next year.
Today they asked me how I prepared my sermons, as they enjoy them so much. I had to be honest and say that I sit with my laptop and pray for guidance. So far it works as the words then flow. I sometimes have an idea but not always the bones or flesh until I sit down to write.
I've discovered that my writing has returned to the same method as when I was writing stories for my O level English. Then someone would give me a title, or theme, and a few hours later I'd have quite a few pages done. For someone reason the plot and story would all come out in one fluid hit. I never learnt about structure or preparing a synopsis to work with.
I'm glad about this as it means that I learnt how to right short stories with impact, rather than long, developed fiction. People tell me that, if i put my mind to it, I could probably write a book. PersonallyI know my own limitations and understand that it would not be very good as fiction. Maybe I could write a book about music, film or history but I don't really have the time or patience to do that. If I did then I know that I've to spend a long time researching as I hate "cut and paste" books - any half wit can copy someone else's interviews and put poor link sentences in to pretend that they have "created" something of their own.
What I am glad about is that writing sermons has reawakened my love of writing. They perform an intellectual exercise that helps awaken my mind. Who knows, when I get some time, I may try the odd short story again, just to see if I can do.
History Today:
1765: The British parliament introduces the Stamp Act, a tax on American documents that ignites revolution. Seems fair to me though. These colonials are so ungrateful.
1895: The Lumiere brothers stage the first public showing of a motion picture usinf film projection in Paris. 2 days later the first porn theatre opened and the sale of dirty macs increased by 500%. (Some of this maybe untrue - I'm not sure as I wasn't there.)
1945: The League of Arab States is formed. Unfortunately this wasn't a Pan-Arabic football league but an alliance to with the aim of achieving complete independence from the colonial powers.
1956: Martin Luther King Jr is convicted of organising an illegal boycott by black passengers of buses in Alabama.
1965: Bob Dylan releases Bringing It All Back Home, his first album featuring electric instruments. That worked wonders for his career with everyone but woolly hat wearing, bearded, ale with twigs in drinking, nut jobs. You know who you are.....
1974: The Equal Rights Agreement is passed by the US Senate, but in the following years fails to be ratified by all the states. See how liberal these former colonials are? Land of liberty? My a***!
2004: Sheikh Ahmed Yassin , the spiritual leader of Palastinian militant group Hamas, is killed by an Israeli air strike. Sometimes 2 bombs do not make a right - maybe they do in this case though. They who live by the bomb will die by the bomb, to paraphase someone famous.
2006: Basque separatist group ETA, sounds like a female blues/jazz singer, announces a permament ceasefire.