less isn't always more

foothill_puddle Originally uploaded by rfin.

"Dad, you should write more in your blog," advised my son.

My excuse, "Well I write in my journal. That's where the quantity is. When it comes to blogging I try to keep it short."

"But your stuff's too short. Why don't you try for at least 150 words?"

I didn't agree to anything, but I did listen. I do appreciate his point of view, and funny thing, here I am writing more, but only about half of the quantity he'd like to see, at least to this point. But what else can I say?

Ok, I'll tell you this. Short entries are not always reflective of how much time you have. I thought quite a bit about the "run, ride, swim" entry, and I will tell you what I told my son about the process I went through. "I was trying to create an original quotation, but I borrowed the form, first from Confucius and then Ben Franklin. The Confucius quote is, 'I hear, I forget. I see, I remember. I do, and I understand.' Franklin's variation is just as elegant, 'Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.' Then I thought about triathlon competitors and came up with my March 3rd entry."

I can hear the old censor, the editor, the critic in me saying, "You're no Confucious, you're no Franklin." True enough, but hey I know some of my opponent's game. It's to tie me up in second, third and fourth thoughts, hoping I'll give up and not write at all. "Not this time, my old companion, not today."

So that's the backstory, Joe. It certainly creates more text. More story. I'm not sure if it's really more interesting. My old broadcast training still says, "Cut to the action, make it lean, eliminate the clutter." But sometimes, I suppose, writing should be more like an easy conversation, not just headlines. Thanks for challenging me to stretch. (336 words, yahoo!)