"The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better."
Stephen King, On Writing
One day follows another. Sometimes, trying to find meaning is like a termite in a yo-yo...just when you get a grip, everything changes. I was staring at tomato plants in Wal-mart and a wave of sadness crashed into me. Now, the tomato plants were not at fault, they didn't insult me or throw anything. They were actually quite beautiful. I realised as I stood there that I would probably not have a garden this year. Being on my knees, my fingers in the dirt, just seems right.
Sometimes art is like gardening, you're not exactly certain of the final result. To paraphrase Dorothy Sayers, The Mind of the Maker, the creative process loosely applies to gardening- The Idea, the Image, the Interpretation. The idea begins in the mind of the maker, seeds. Next, the idea is realised in the image, a living thing(fleshed out as vegetables). Finally the image is interpreted, or in the case of garden vegetables, consumed. The result- many are blessed by the mind of the maker.
Speaking of getting your fingers in the dirt, Natalie and I are attending the Southern Writers Conference in Chattanooga and will get to hear Wendell Berry. I came to this site to thank you for introducing the kids and thus me to him, and there you are, waxing Wendell Berryish.
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