itsmecindi

itsmecindi · Mar 13, 2004

Yeah you're right. It would be cheaper just to buy another computer. I bet when you go through that software package you'll find some kind of pub software. Even the cheapest computer I bought had microsoft web publisher in it. And if you don't have it, you can build one at a lot of different places online. Did you get a scanner?

RichZ · Mar 13, 2004

Yes we got a scanner, printer and fax all in one unit. We haven't even hooked it up yet, that's tomorrow's job. We just got back from an all day dairy goat conference, that was great!!

We got several software packages, and we haven't checked them all out, so actually one of them may have publishing programs. Neither of us are the most computer literate people, so we're going through all this very slowly!!

wroughtn_harv · Mar 13, 2004

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I shrink under close scrutiny. It messes with me, bad.)</font>

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

They say the first thing a good writer needs to develop is a tough skin. That's only as true as saying gravity will let you down.

It would be nice if we were born with all this information and we didn't have to pick up as we go. It further complicates things when the observation is at the expense of a friend or family. It's one thing to expose ourselves but it's a whole nother when we expose someone we care about.

Even worse is what can happen when we expose someone we don't care about but they happen to be bigger and stronger than they are dumb.

In one of my articles for World Fence News I mentioned that watching a crew install some chainlink made me ill. They were mickey mousing the installation. The term I used was "rinky dink". I then told how the foreman one the job, young fella, came by later where I was working and told me how much he admired my work.

The point I was trying to make was quality work is not disappearing because there isn't people interested in learning and doing it. But it's disappearing because management doesn't think it's important.

There's a couple of months leadtime in magazines. So when the story came out I didn't think much about it. But the guy who had the "rinky dink" crew did, not the foreman, his boss.

He went to all the suppliers screaming about my calling him "rinky dink". I called him to explain but he wouldn't talk to me.

I can smile now about it. But for awhile I was a little nervous about meeting him at a supplier or just in public. Not afraid, you understand, just a little nervous. If he was having a bad day and we met he might decide I was a chance to make it all better. I doubt either of us could walk away from that unscathed. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Of course the biggest decision a writer has to make when telling a story is whether the tale is worth the discomfort it might cause a friend or family member. I have so many of those, observer by nature, but, darn friends are so good to have, especially when you need one.

As for your fear of scrutiny, might call that a blessing. Or you could even call it humility. For some weird reason we feel we should be the character we want to write about if we're going to write it. If it's a hunk or a beaut then a plain person can't do it justice or they don't have the right in the first place.

The ridiculousness of that assumption can be confirmed by looking at hunks and beauts. They're too busy being hunky and beautiful to have time to write about it. And someone's got too, write? right? So why can't someone not so hunky or beautiful with time on their hands do it?

Of course the biggest reason to write is we are all human beings. We're all the same 'cept different. So the emotions you feel are felt by the rest of us. The observations you make most of us are aware of but it's like seeing through the fog of living. And when you write your observation it's like someone blew the fog away and what we've seen there all along is now clear and so real.

Someone the other day gave me a great salutation. They told as we were saying our good byes, "I hope you make money and don't hurt anyone doing it."

I hope you write and your writing is profitable. And you don't lose friends or perspective on friendship doing it.

itsmecindi · Mar 14, 2004

That last line is a beaut and I can relate to it on so many levels, because who do I write about? My family, customers, acquaintances. I have a very firm rule. My material can rarely if ever be considering 'ranting'. I have seen examples of columns written where the author arbitrarily goes on a tangent and drags along particular members of society as victims in order to make a point or to produce a 'good' article or column, and I think it's unforgivable. In the first place, people who take the time to read what I write are entitled to a good experience. If they don't get that satisfaction, they don't come back. If I haven't learned anything else, I have learned that people like to laugh and to cry and to be uplifted, maybe even educated on some level, and reassured. Otherwise what's the point?

So you have some very good rules to live by, there. My motto is, 'first, make no enemies', and it has stood me in good stead. There are certain advantages to writing for a newspaper in a small community. The person you write about could easily recognize themselves and like you said, I may have to deal with that and I am not prepared to get smacked around in public (grin)

You had every right to stand up for quality, and you're right. It is a thing of the past. Sad but true. Chances are you struck a nerve with that guy and he didn't like the sensation. Oh well. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Rich, let me know when you get everything hooked up. I'll be glad to help you in any way I can, and you'll be surprised how fast you pick everything up. Getting the terminology down is ninety percent of the battle. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif