I'm supposed to be writing. Which is why I've commented on all your blogs and still am not ready to face the music of two short stories due in two weeks. What kind of writer would I be if I did not drag out the Wiki drama until it was just about (not completely...but oh so close) dead on the tracks where I should have left it? So, here's a little thing or two or three. You'll need to brush up on Wiki posts to get the full...brunt.
Observation #1: According to Wiki, "Wild ass may mean the wild donkey, or it may mean its wild relative the onager, also known as a "half ass" - animal of the horse family." Did you have any idea that a half-ass was an actual animal? To be frank, we all half-ass things every day and I don't think we do so with an animal in mind. I certainly don't, do you? An alternative definition lists this (I did not make this up and I did not offer money as a bribe to post this, but my word this is delicious): A card game also known as "President." I've clearly underestimated the Wiki editors.
Observation #2: Wiki actually has an entry for "i told you so" which I pretended I would look up in jest after being a bit of a braggart about my wiki-worry-come-true. The details are many, so I'll leave it at this: Wiki says "There are no winners in the I told you so scenario, only losers." This is where Wiki and I fall in love again. Wiki, oh wiki, you speak truth to my soul...as long as I am not a loser in your edited-by-everyone-who-has-free-time book.
Observation #3 (and this is where it gets tricky, folks): Wiki has no entries for "self-indulgence" other than the mention of a punk band (nice, i grew up on punk) which is called, aptly, Mindless Self Indulgence. As a woman (girl?) of my word, I searched dutifully on "self-indulgent writers" -- and guess what? Nothing. So, deflated/elated, I ran a Wiki search on "writer" and what did I find? "Writers' output frequently contributes to the cultural content of a society, and that society may value its writerly corpus -- or literature -- as an art much like the visual arts." This is where Wiki weighs in with the heavy stuff. I'm trying to be cute and coy and Wiki delivers a punch. Which, for me, adds pressure to the whole endeavor.
So I ask you, what do you consider to be writing that has contributed to the cultural content of society? What writing do you value? If you are a writer, does this notion challenge your view of what writing is about or does it fall in line with your thinking?
And now, with a heavy heart and culturally aware mind, I return to the short stories that need fixing...cultural contribution or not.
