Comments on: Recovering http://willspirit.com/2010/03/03/recovering/ Where Will meets Spirit Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:04:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: lili http://willspirit.com/2010/03/03/recovering/comment-page-1/#comment-1156 lili Fri, 26 Mar 2010 23:19:51 +0000 http://willspirit.com/?p=3114#comment-1156 Sometimes one can get lost in ones head. Like a rat lost in a huge maze. It's okay to believe that good times may elude you but lo sometimes they sneak up on you. Let them. Store them in your head for the times when things get hectic. Sometimes one can get lost in ones head. Like a rat lost in a huge maze. It’s okay to believe that good times may elude you but lo sometimes they sneak up on you.

Let them.

Store them in your head for the times when things get hectic.

]]> By: Will http://willspirit.com/2010/03/03/recovering/comment-page-1/#comment-1074 Will Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:13:33 +0000 http://willspirit.com/?p=3114#comment-1074 Mark-- Thank you for the bible quotation; it is very appropriate to the discussion. As for finding anything new to say, that's not exactly what I mean. I would draw a parallel with sculpture, an art form I used to practice before my neck got too messed up. Every sculpture I made was uniquely mine, but I broke no new ground in the field. Everything I did was derived in some way from the work that went before, but it still had my unique stamp on it. One begins to practice art rather than imitation when one has a style of one's own. That's all I aim for: to say the same thing as everyone else, but in my own way. --Will Mark–
Thank you for the bible quotation; it is very appropriate to the discussion. As for finding anything new to say, that’s not exactly what I mean. I would draw a parallel with sculpture, an art form I used to practice before my neck got too messed up. Every sculpture I made was uniquely mine, but I broke no new ground in the field. Everything I did was derived in some way from the work that went before, but it still had my unique stamp on it. One begins to practice art rather than imitation when one has a style of one’s own. That’s all I aim for: to say the same thing as everyone else, but in my own way.
–Will

]]> By: markps2 http://willspirit.com/2010/03/03/recovering/comment-page-1/#comment-1070 markps2 Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:14:52 +0000 http://willspirit.com/?p=3114#comment-1070 Will "I have recognized one important fact about my old work that seldom occurred to me before: it could be done by anyone with proper training." and "I could write or speak or in some other way produce a message that could only be delivered by me." and finally "It’s not being remembered that matters; it’s being seen." Being proud of ones good work is good , and displaying it is good indeed, but it is next to impossible to discover anything "new under the sun". Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. 3 What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun? 4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. 5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. 6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. 7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full: unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. 8 All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Book of Ecclesiastes - an Old Testament book consisting of reflections on the vanity of human life; is traditionally attributed to Solomon. Will “I have recognized one important fact about my old work that seldom occurred to me before: it could be done by anyone with proper training.”
and
“I could write or speak or in some other way produce a message that could only be delivered by me.”
and finally
“It’s not being remembered that matters; it’s being seen.”

Being proud of ones good work is good , and displaying it is good indeed, but it is next to impossible to discover anything “new under the sun”.

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full: unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
8 All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Book of Ecclesiastes – an Old Testament book consisting of reflections on the vanity of human life; is traditionally attributed to Solomon.

]]> By: Will http://willspirit.com/2010/03/03/recovering/comment-page-1/#comment-1065 Will Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:38:17 +0000 http://willspirit.com/?p=3114#comment-1065 Sara-- Those are good suggestions, and it is probably time I try to find work like that. I'm averse to doing claims evaluations, another job that's often offered up as an idea, but marketing would be tolerable provided I had at least some belief in the product. Thanks. --Will Sara–
Those are good suggestions, and it is probably time I try to find work like that. I’m averse to doing claims evaluations, another job that’s often offered up as an idea, but marketing would be tolerable provided I had at least some belief in the product. Thanks.
–Will

]]> By: Will http://willspirit.com/2010/03/03/recovering/comment-page-1/#comment-1064 Will Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:36:37 +0000 http://willspirit.com/?p=3114#comment-1064 Markps2-- I'm not sure what in my writing gives the impression that I fear being forgotten. You are certainly correct that I have difficulty believing in good times, past or future. But as I once pointed out in a <a href="http://willspirit.com/2010/01/12/humility-gets-no-respect/" rel="nofollow">post</a>, almost no one is remembered beyond five (often just three) generations. And those that do survive the mass forgetting survive only in the abstract; no one remembers <em>them</em>, just their names and their works. That kind of fame would mean little to me, even if I were grandiose enough to think it possible. The yearning you hear is for a sense of creativity and expression. I've always viewed myself as an artistic personality, which led to no small number of problems working in medicine. Also, given the above-average amount of trauma I've suffered in life, it would help me feel better about things if I could somehow transform that suffering into a positive message. To take what seem like the dregs of my story, and make them into something beautiful or helpful would make it all seem (almost) worthwhile. To the extent that I care for recognition, It's not being remembered that matters; it's being <em>seen</em>. --Will Markps2–
I’m not sure what in my writing gives the impression that I fear being forgotten. You are certainly correct that I have difficulty believing in good times, past or future. But as I once pointed out in a post, almost no one is remembered beyond five (often just three) generations. And those that do survive the mass forgetting survive only in the abstract; no one remembers them, just their names and their works. That kind of fame would mean little to me, even if I were grandiose enough to think it possible. The yearning you hear is for a sense of creativity and expression. I’ve always viewed myself as an artistic personality, which led to no small number of problems working in medicine. Also, given the above-average amount of trauma I’ve suffered in life, it would help me feel better about things if I could somehow transform that suffering into a positive message. To take what seem like the dregs of my story, and make them into something beautiful or helpful would make it all seem (almost) worthwhile. To the extent that I care for recognition, It’s not being remembered that matters; it’s being seen.
–Will

]]> By: sara http://willspirit.com/2010/03/03/recovering/comment-page-1/#comment-1063 sara Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:40:33 +0000 http://willspirit.com/?p=3114#comment-1063 If it's money, thought of working for a drug or surgical equipment company? That's good $$. I've thought of it. It's stressful as marketing, but compared to medicine, fucking nothing. Ask about a job as a "medical director" - that's the job for doctors. Basically you write and coach their sales pitches. If it’s money, thought of working for a drug or surgical equipment company? That’s good $$. I’ve thought of it. It’s stressful as marketing, but compared to medicine, fucking nothing. Ask about a job as a “medical director” – that’s the job for doctors. Basically you write and coach their sales pitches.

]]> By: markps2 http://willspirit.com/2010/03/03/recovering/comment-page-1/#comment-1062 markps2 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:02:55 +0000 http://willspirit.com/?p=3114#comment-1062 When feeling despair, it is difficult to remember good times (in the past), or believing good will come again. From what I read here you fear being forgotten when your time here on earth is over. You want to live on in the memories of your fellows. That is what the Egyptians presumably wanted with the pyramids. A tough thing to live up to amongst six billion others. When feeling despair, it is difficult to remember good times (in the past), or believing good will come again.
From what I read here you fear being forgotten when your time here on earth is over. You want to live on in the memories of your fellows. That is what the Egyptians presumably wanted with the pyramids. A tough thing to live up to amongst six billion others.

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