I have a theory as to why commercial passenger aircraft cabins are kept at such frigid temperatures. The stewards and stewardesses are so busy bustling about during the flight that they must get uncomfortably warm. The climate controls are therefore for their benefit. After all, a happy flight attendant is more apt to distribute such happiness on the other passengers. And conversely, a grumpy flight attendent would lead to a miserable flight. Are we not, as passengers, merely cattle steered where we should sit and told when to buckle ourselves in? If the comfort of the passenger was truly the issue, it would make sense to put full reclining chairs in or a secure hammock in which we could recline. No? How about a “sleeper jet?” :-)

“I just wait for inspiration from God.”

Granted. Inspiration from God is the only thing that takes us from our stuck-in-the-mud methods and ideas and brings us to a different point of view…after all, he is the source of the infinite. But what about disciplined exploration? Why am I feeling so compelled to take the inspiration God gives me and run with it, farther and faster than before. While do I feel like an athlete who has been given the ability to jump high on the pole vault, but wants to tone my body, my diet, my sleep, everything to get even higher. I want to discipline myself as I explore the avenues God opens to me. To simply wait for his inspiration is to wait at the door of a fine banquet and say, “ah I have arrived”, and yet never enter and enjoy the meal and fellowship around the table.

Yeah, it’s hard work. But why does it have to be in opposition to divine inspiration?

A while back, I mentioned an article written by Paul Graham about hackers; the good variety who have a knack for finding solutions to tough problems, not the evil fiends who dream up ways to crack into government institutions for kicks. Paul has gone and written an incredible piece of work that hit me deeply.

http://www.paulgraham.com/essay.html

In his essay he speaks about the lost art of essay writing, of all things. He describes how essays, in their purest form, should be like rivers seeking out the most economical flow to the ocean. Of course, a river’s economy may not be efficient by some standards. Many rivers wind round and round, sometimes even backtrack as they navigate the landscape looking for lower ground. This search parallels what a good writer does when he probes using his pen (or more recently, his keyboard).

Writing in school (as I experienced) was all about making a case or stating bland facts. There was very little meandering and probing for information. All the facts had to be known up front so they could be clearly displayed. Granted, that is an important style of writing. But a whole world of enjoyment has been lost by teaching young people that essays are purely for stating fact.

Paul gives a few examples how he started with a question or a simple idea and explored it by writing about it. As he dug deeper and wandered around it more and more, it became clearer and he reaches a conclusion that he didn’t have before. The writing process is just as much about discovery as it is about proclamation.

Funny thing is, this is the essence of blogging. This is why I wanted to start my own blog. I want to get better at writing essays…true essays. :-)