One of my favorite podcasts to listen to is The Way I Heard It by Mike Rowe. His stories are in the style of the old radio show The Rest of the Story by Paul Harvey. I used to like listening to that show as a youngster, so maybe that’s why I like the modern version as well. Both share true stories about historical figures told in an interesting and well written way. Recently Mike Rowe revealed on his show that he often writes his stories while cooped up on an airplane with a hundred or so of his closest friends.
That idea inspired me. For more than 20 years I’ve been writing short opinion or observation pieces. Most of these little babblings have been really just for family in a long standing family newsletter. Not many years ago I repurposed my write-up activity for a very low-trafficked blog. The writings are of questionable quality, as the reader of this piece no doubt can attest. My attempts at expression, such as they are, have also been sporadic.
I’m sure my air travel would be no where as often as Mr. Rowe’s. Still, I like the idea of using travel as one tool to discipline the habit of writing. So here I am, halfway between Washington DC and Atlanta, cruising at 30 thousand feet. Inspired by a podcast, I’m writing. Since I don’t fly all the time I won’t limit writing to only when I fly (sorry about that), but I will make the effort to write something each time I travel.
Unlike Paul Harvey and Mike Rowe, I doubt anything I come up with will be told in an interesting and well written way. Since my writings tend to be simple observations I gather from my own experience, chances are pretty good the ideas might not even be all that true, much less historical. I understand that all of us are influenced by our own perspective. That perspective can influence what we notice or not notice. How I view things says something about me. Then again, since you are still reading, maybe that says something about you.
That idea inspired me. For more than 20 years I’ve been writing short opinion or observation pieces. Most of these little babblings have been really just for family in a long standing family newsletter. Not many years ago I repurposed my write-up activity for a very low-trafficked blog. The writings are of questionable quality, as the reader of this piece no doubt can attest. My attempts at expression, such as they are, have also been sporadic.
I’m sure my air travel would be no where as often as Mr. Rowe’s. Still, I like the idea of using travel as one tool to discipline the habit of writing. So here I am, halfway between Washington DC and Atlanta, cruising at 30 thousand feet. Inspired by a podcast, I’m writing. Since I don’t fly all the time I won’t limit writing to only when I fly (sorry about that), but I will make the effort to write something each time I travel.
Unlike Paul Harvey and Mike Rowe, I doubt anything I come up with will be told in an interesting and well written way. Since my writings tend to be simple observations I gather from my own experience, chances are pretty good the ideas might not even be all that true, much less historical. I understand that all of us are influenced by our own perspective. That perspective can influence what we notice or not notice. How I view things says something about me. Then again, since you are still reading, maybe that says something about you.
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