Today I am ranting from school. It is indoor recess because of the lousy weather outside, so that's what I'm going to rant about. Last Friday, we had a snow day because there was about 7 inches of snow. Winter started abruptly, (not that I mind) but the weather hasn't been exactly pure white since. Today I can barely believe that we even have school because there's like, 2 inches of slush which are already turning into ice, AND there's a blizzard warning from 1:30 pm today to 4:00pm TOMORROW. So at least there has to be a snow day tomorrow. It's dark, gloomy, and depressing, and it's raining really hard. Anyway, recess is over so I have to stop,and I'm really hoping that I have to go home early today, but until then, I just have to wait.
Sadly, I can't change the weather.
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Phil--
ReplyDeleteHow is it that, at your young age, you can
write so beautifully?
You are one brilliant young man.
And nice to see you blogging again.
The Ancient Mariner
Hey Pip,
ReplyDeleteI hope you got a snow day today. All we've gotten is rain and wind in NYC. BORING!
Sharon
Phil,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you noticed how uncharacteristically
brief--and, serious--my comment of yesterday
was.
I didn't, for example, go on to tell you a long story about how, in 1968, I became a platypus for over seven minutes--and then, changed back into a grain elevator, only to then fall down a flight of stairs while drinking an entire squeeze bottle of Hershey's Syrup.
So: in my comment, why was I so subdued?
I really wanted you to know how amazingly
gifted you are.
Look: the first job of a writer is to express
clearly what he sees, feels, thinks. To make
you care about what he cares about.
Well, when I read what you wrote about the
weather, I could just see you there at school, the elements raging outside, and feel
the depth of your melancholy about the whole
thing. You didn't seem silly, or whiny, or
childish about the situation--in fact, what
you wrote was just perfectly balanced observation and expression, as mature as
any professional would achieve.
And you even threw in what I have come to expect as one of your trademarks--the single-sentence final paragraph, written as almost
a sigh of resignation:
"Sadly, I can't change the weather."
That sentence reminded me of another post you did in which you ended your remarks
by referring to how sickness only came after the Fall.
When you write, you like to finish up by referring to ultimate things--the Fall, or
God's mysterious decision to affect our lives
with something we call "weather."
This shows me that such ultimacies are part of you, are never far from your thoughts.
And so, you have depth beyond your years.
And so, what you wrote affected me. That's the test of great writing: instant, stop-in-your-tracks affect.
It doesn't happen very often.
I have forgotten your age, so I won't guess--
but whatever your age is, your abilities are
so precocious, I just want to compliment you,
acknowledge you, and encourage you in every
way.
And I hope all of this hits home with you,
and makes you feel happy and proud and just
plain good.
And I hope your sinuses aren't giving you
any trouble.
Or, those morons you have to go to school with, either.
Your big fan,
The AM