Reminder 13: Bad Advice, by Drew Myron
In my early days of poetry, I attended a writing workshop in which the instructor gave a list of don’ts:
Do not write about the moon.
Do not use these words:
muse, moonlight, soul, eternity, thee, thus, lavender
While I agree the world needs less musing, I love lavender. But because I was green and eager-to-please, I did not question authority. It took me years to sneak lavender into a poem. I still shrink from mentions of the moon.
Advice sticks. Good or bad, it tends to hang around in the head.
Growing up my mother warned us to avoid white bread and McDonalds. Good advice that still hounds me today. But she also frequently told me to “Go play in traffic.”
You take the good with the bad, and hope for the best.
It’s Thankful Thursday, a weekly pause to express appreciation for people, places, things and more. Why give thanks? Because joy contracts and expands in proportion to our gratitude, and these difficult days call for more peace and joy. On this Thankful Thursday, I’m grateful for advice — good and bad — that got me here, still alive & writing.
What are you thankful for today?
More Reminders:
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