The Ponder Room

Being in the right place at the right time (Writing a column)

11
By on blogging, Writing

Why is it that just when you’re about to thrust your fluffy white towel of surrender into the air, something or someone, comes along to steady your hand and suggest you keep meandering down the path towards your goals? A few weeks ago I was reminded about why you should never give up on your goals, and how you never know when an opportunity might be just around the corner.


There I was going to yet another writing workshop, this time at Katherine Pritchard Writing Centre link.

As I sat down and perused my fellow students I pondered how many of us were on the cusp of reaching our writing goals and how many of us were on the brink of throwing in the towel. There was no way of knowing just by looking at us. No furrowed brow or twinkling eye that gave our status away.

In a staggering example of ‘you never know who you might meet’, at the end of the workshop I was offered an opportunity – to consider writing a monthly column for a West Australian made magazine! Talk about being in the right place at the right time. I’ve written sporadic pieces for several magazines over the years, and continue to do so, but had never been offered a dedicated column.
This was all the more staggering considering that the day before the workshop I was all set to be 150 kilometres away at another Perth event. At the last minute I decided I’d rather be sitting indoors at a writing workshop than walking around in 34 degrees heat.
The column on offer, is based on the premise of Idle thoughts of an Idle mind.  


Dr Samuel Johnson

 

Clearly the 500 odd (some very odd) posts on The Ponder Room would suggest that there’s something deep in my DNA that might make me eligible for such an offer. However it was when I found out more about the column that I began to ponder whether I could fulfil one of my dreams, or if I’d be letting it slip away in a sea of insecurity.
The column you see was named after Dr Samuel Johnson. No not Samuel L Jackson, Samuel Johnson. Those of a literary bent might recall that Dr Johnson compiled the first ‘useable dictionary of the English language’. No pressure then …

My childhood was filled with the refrain ‘look it up in the dictionary’ whenever I enquired about a word I didn’t know. Sadly however the trees in the backyard would suddenly take on an insurmountable allure that no dictionary could ever compete with. And so it was that I had little use for Dr Johnsons work as I grew up. Long term readers of this blog no doubt regret that as they deal with my less than pristine grammar. So how would I go? Did I have the right to write for this column?

 

 

Then I read that from 1758 to 1760 Dr Johnson wrote a series of essays entitled The Idler, and he did so in order to avoid completing a book on Shakespeare. Many of my ponderings arise from that adrenaline fuelled space between writing 50 pages of research findings, and staring at a blank page that needs to be filled with a handful of conclusions. Perhaps this was going to be okay.

Dr Johnsons birthplace

 

But then I read that Dr Johnson was ‘a noted wit, essayist author and cat lover’.
‘A noted wit’ hmm.  
While I can easily see my ponderings fitting in the ‘idle thoughts from an idle mind’ category, the degree of ‘wit’ behind them I couldn’t guarantee.
Now as I beaver away each month trying to reach my 800 word quota, I give thanks to Dr Johnson for not just giving me the words to weave into some semblance of the thoughts running through my idle brain, but for inspiring the column which has allowed me to fulfil one of my dreams. I also give thanks to Dr Douglas Sutherland-Bruce for the opportunity and the Katherine Pritchard Writing Centre for holding fantastic workshops.Here’s hoping my idle brain doesn’t stall. Just in case I’m off to buy a cat. Wish me luck.

Footnote: To those Perth residents living in the hills area where the magazine is delivered … I apologise now.

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11 Comments

  1. ricki on

    Congratulations on being asked to write a column Glennys. What is the magazine so we can try and watch out for it (or in my case, stalk the Hills area?

    Reply
    • The Ponder Room on

      Thanks Ricki great to hear from you. It’s called The Swan Magazine and might be online so you don’t have to stalk anyone … though don’t let me stop you if you’d rather do that

      Reply
    • The Ponder Room on

      Hey there Nan. Thanks heaps for that. Sadly it’s anything but idle at the moment as I try to complete a heap of work before Xmas, but hey it’s in these crazy times that the mind goes off in weird directions while cleaning my teeth etc so you never know. Considering that I’d better stop typing now just incase

      Reply

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