This week: Observationally Speaking ... Edited by: Fyn  
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To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe. ~~Marilyn vos Savant
Observe constantly that all things take place by change, and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the Universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are, and to make new things like them. ~~Marcus Aurelius
I'm not smart, but I like to observe. Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why. ~~William Hazlitt
If you can't sit in a cafe quietly and be ignored, how can you observe human nature and write a story? ~~Evangeline Lilly
You can observe a lot by watching. ~~Yogi Berra
The special skills necessary for being a storyteller are really very simple. I actually talked about them in a book of mine called 'Tell Me a Tale.' Those basic skills are to listen, to observe, to remember, and to share. ~~Joseph Bruchac
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You simply never know just where you may find an idea or inspiration. This is why I constantly and consistently observe what is going on around me.
We went to a funeral last Friday. It may sound 'odd', but it was the 'best' funeral I've ever attended! It was a church funeral, but not over laden with religious fervor. Some wore black but many didn't. This was nice to see. My grandmother always said that black was fine to show mourning, but that there should always be a pop of color for the joy that person brought into your life. In fact, she expressly forbade black at her funeral.
There was laughter far more than tears. There were the old 'funny stories' and things the man did that drove the family crazy. There was joy wafting through. No dirges, but 'You Raise Me Up' and a country song about living and not wasting time. Afterwards, as he was a veteran, there was 'Taps' and the presentation of the flag. My tears didn't flow until the first note on the bugle. It is a very moving ceremony. A side note was that I wanted to take in every detail as there's a military sendoff in my new book. Something that absolutely needs to be described correctly.
A couple of elderly gentlemen were talking about somebody or other that should have been at the funeral, but, for some reason, wasn't. 'He's just an old fogey," commented one of them and they laughed. My thought was that the older (as yet unnamed) couple on the block where a character lives should be have 'Fogey' as a last name. Perfect!
Funny how last November, when it snowd the first time everyone was saying, "It's snowing!" in an excited voice. Friday, I heard, "It's snowing. Again." You could hear and feel the negativity in the way it was said. Time and perspective have a way of changing things.
Between the main hall of the church and the room down the hall where lunch was served, people seemed to switch emotions. Now friends were greeting friends, laughing about the children who were now happily running about after having been little angels during the service, and getting caught up with the other people they seem to only see at funerals. I don't know why that is, but it seems to be a side benefit of funerals.
My friend's mom (it was her husband's funeral) was taking pictures of everyone who came. That was unexpected, and yet, I found it rather endearing. We were given seed packets to save and plant come Spring. We were told to contact the family when we planted them, to get in touch with a picture when they began to grow, and yet again once the flowers bloomed. Too many times, once the funeral is over with, people pick up their lives and don't really think about their friend who is still grieving. We're going to do that. Think about them and get in touch!
Although we didn't stay long afterwards (we ate some dessert and left), many people stayed for hours. Just sitting, drinking pots of coffee and talking. Then they all hung around and helped clean up.
The laughter is my biggest take-away from that afternoon. He'd have loved that!
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For Authors: March 26, 2025 Issue [#13049]
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