The question of effort versus insight in writing

When I take a moment and ponder the question of effort versus insight with respect to writing, I begin to see clearly that all of the effort that I could muster could not and would not inspire me to write anything of value or merit. When I try to write in terms of mere effort, it seems my efforts are all in vain, as the writing does not flow freely. In fact, it becomes a burden to write and is no longer a joy, as is more work than pleasure. In other words, speaking from a personal perspective, it is not mere effort alone that creates writers.  

Take for example some simple reflections and insight on my Christmas 2007.

I was playing with a young child who had a brand new water pistol. When I consented to the fantasy play in his world and stated that "I am so gone," and assumed a lifeless pose, after he had pointed his water pistol at me, the child panicked immediately and let me know in no uncertain terms that it was only a water pistol and that there was no water in it. At that moment, I graciously came back to life. I could not help but smile. He knew that I understood what he had done and he smiled too. We probably bonded for life.

I would not write this out of effort. In terms of insight, I see it as an interaction between a child and an adult, one that is worth writing about.

Take another example like this one, also from Christmas 2007.

At a Christmas celebration, a fragile looking, elderly woman immediately downloaded the entire events of a fall she had suffered a number of months prior to that time, complete with all of her aches and pains, the direct result of her fall. I had been aware of the event prior to that time, but stood quietly and listened with empathy and concern. After she recounted the details to me, she said almost nothing else to anyone. She just sat there and graciously smiled at everyone for the next couple of hours. She had stated what was important to her and more importantly to her, she knew that I had heard and understood it. She did not need to say anything else to anyone. Her communication need was satisfied.

This I would not write out of effort either, but rather from what I see as my own insight into the event.

A third example is that of the interaction of a middle-aged disabled woman, who needed to give me a present that same Christmas.

She had a plastic flute that she could not play properly because of her physical limitations. She decided that I could and should learn to play it. She seemed thrilled when I graciously accepted the gift from her. Then she tried her best to instruct me with respect to how to play the flute, simply by playing along with me on the organ, one note at a time. We actually succeeded in making music together and having some fun. Her face beamed with joy, as we played several Christmas carols. I was glad that I had accepted her gift, even though we did make a bit of noise too.

Writing this was not out of mere effort. Rather, it came from insight into the reality of this woman’s need to give a gift at Christmas time.

Here is another example of insight rather than effort in terms of writing.

Being quite busy over the holidays that same year, but at the same time, not wanting to interfere with anyone else's Christmas Eve preparations, I decided to leave a gift at the door of a neighbor. As I approached her house, I could hear people inside and knew someone would probably hear the doorbell. I placed the gift in front of the door, rang the doorbell and quickly departed. A little while later, I called to see if she had found the gift.

"Why didn't you come in?" the middle-aged woman asked.

"I wanted you to have a surprise," I replied.

A few moments later, I was pleasantly surprised when someone rang my doorbell. When I answered the door, a kindly neighbor handed me a gift, gave me a hug and a quick kiss on either cheek. Never have I had such a wonderful heartfelt hug. Actually, it took me totally by surprise and he knew that it had been the right thing for him to do.

That event in itself is not something that I would write about out of effort, either. I wrote it out of my insight into the happening.

Looking further, this time at life in general, not just at Christmas 2007, I realize that great writing comes from the insight that we have into the reality of what is happening in our lives. We have the opportunity to pen each insight in such a way that others can comprehend it and relate to it, but without the insight, there would be nothing to pen.

To write for the sake of writing would be meaningless, if it does not reveal the insight of human beings attained in day-to-day interaction with others. While each instance is relatively insignificant on its own, collectively these kinds of events portray a life or life style that is worth the effort of living and writing about.