There is a brilliant description of the power of writing in Ted Chiang’s short story “The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling.” He concludes with insight about the impact writing as a technology that fundamentally changes the users fortunate enough to possess it. Jijinga, a key character learning literacy as an adult, explains his discoveries while watching a user of this technology:
“As he practiced his writing, Jijingi came to understand what Moseby had meant: writing was not just a way to record what someone said; it could help you decide what you would say before you said it. And words were not just the pieces speaking; they were pieces of thinking. When you wrote them down you could grasp your thoughts like bricks in your hands and push them into different arrangements. Writing lets you look at your thoughts in a way you couldn’t if you were just talking, and having seen them, you could improve them, make them stronger and more elaborate.”
I’ve done a lot of thinking in the last year. It’s also been full of many wonderful and insightful conversations. The extra time has allowed me to read more than ever. But among all these thinking experiences there has been very little writing.
I feel blessed to have this unanticipated year of reflection. I also worry that if I don’t take some time now to place some of my thoughts into “bricks” of new arrangements for future consideration before jumping back into the busy routine of school leadership life that they may just fade from memory.
With that aim in mind I plan to put down a number of reflections in the coming month or so. Some may be reflections on the whirlwind of world events since early 2020, many will likely reference the books I’ve read and others might simply be a summary of memories that have returned to me frequently as I’ve been able to spend more time near my family and first home.
As Chiang highlighted, I hope this will let me consider some thoughts in new ways. Perhaps as I write, these “bricks” might start to assemble something bigger or at least end up in some stacks of order to consider ideas for future reflection. Or they won’t. I’m not entirely confident this will lead to improved, stronger or more elaborate ideas but it can at least help sustain my memory of a unique year by documenting some “pieces of thinking.”
In any case, it’s a long overdue gathering of my thoughts.