Why I Write
Some may question my decision to sit at my laptop from 8:00 a.m. to noon every day. “You’re retired,” they might say, “Why not sleep in, meet friends for breakfast at the local café, or just relax?” Other folks recognize the value of staying active but suggest “something useful, like woodworking,” as a hobby. “After all,” they point out, “how many writers get published, let alone make any money?”
“It is true,” I respond, “that most writers don’t get rich, or even come close to minimum wage, for the time they devote to their craft. The same could be said for musicians, athletes, or woodworkers. However, any activity that requires commitment and continuous improvement and that benefits the participant and others is useful work.”
I choose to write, and this is why: to keep my brain active, to make sense of my life, to nurture my relationship with loved ones, to perform my civic responsibility, and to inform, persuade, and entertain readers who may read my published work.
Like music, sports, and woodworking, writing stretches one’s brain. Surely, the creation of a fictional world, believable characters, and dialogue that “rings true” milks childlike wonder from the brain of an otherwise unmalleable senior citizen. Even the most practical, non-fiction writing require creativity. For example, how can a press release about an upcoming book sale at the local library be made more appealing? Or, can such narrative techniques as plot, sensory description, and odd juxtapositions engage readers and motivate them to volunteer for a fundraiser?
Some might object, “If you are lost in your ‘childlike’ fantasy world, aren’t you abandoning the hard-earned cynicism that helped you survive to retirement?”
I say, “On the contrary; writing cultivates critical thinking skills.” When formulating an argument about an important current issue, or even when describing the setting of a fictional story, it is necessary to research and evaluate information. A critical thinker strives to examine multiple sources and a wide range of perspectives to determine the truth. What are the author’s credentials and experience relevant to the content? Who is the audience, and what is the author’s purpose? Are the claims and conclusions logical?
So, writing fosters creativity as well as critical thinking. It also demands the ability to organize one’s thoughts and to choose words that express those thoughts precisely and vividly. After deciding on the main points to be made and gathering credible facts, statistics, stories, images, etc. relevant to those main points, one must arrange those main points in the most effective order and place the supporting material appropriately. This process of organizing material stimulates the brain, as does the technique of matching words to the content, the audience, and the tone befitting one’s purpose.
“Shouldn’t your retirement years be devoted to travel, to the study of new languages, and the development of other skills, rather than the solitary drudgery of writing?” I am asked.
My answer is that writing is my preferred road to such learning. As suggested above, writing is not simply spewing the contents of one’s brain. It starts with asking questions and seeking answers. If my interests take me to sixteenth-century Nuremberg, Germany, for example, as it did when I was writing The Mentor: Shaping a New Generation (2012), I would have to invest countless hours in research—online, in the library, and in the field. After outlining and drafting The Mentor, I actually spent time in Germany, visiting the scenes described in the book to ensure the accuracy of my descriptions. This is an example of how writing and experience go hand in hand.
The research necessary to ensure accuracy of the setting, historical context, and knowledge that characters of that period possessed is one example of learning. Another example would be a case in which the author chooses to explore subjects ranging from science to politics and uses the knowledge acquired to write non-fiction material for general readers. If I wanted to understand my pet, “Fluffy the Wonder Dog,” better for instance, I could immerse myself in canine psychology to create a realistic narrative called The Isle of Dogs.
So, writing has obvious benefits for the brain, but what of one’s soul? Making sense of one’s life is like cutting a rough stone into a faceted gem. Filling the gaps in one’s knowledge is one part of that process. Another part is the recording of one’s memoirs. As each facet is uncovered, other facets from childhood, young adulthood, career, family, and spiritual insight emerge. The result is a gift more precious than diamonds to oneself and to one’s loved ones.
I believe that the heart of this gem, this diamond, that which determines its weight and value, is one’s philosophy of life. Many young people go off to college, are exposed to new ideas, and develop their own value system and something approaching a philosophy of life in the process. That is perhaps ideal. However, I, like many people in my working-class situation, hit the ground of adulthood running. We reacted to what life threw at us and did what was necessary to survive without taking the time to think too much about the meaning of life. Retirement gives us the time to reflect on what happened to us, the relationships among events and people in our lives, and what it was all about. Writing facilitates this work for, as noted above, it helps to clarify and organize our thoughts. (“How do I know what I think until I see what I say?”—E.M. Foster) Writing binds our thoughts and feelings in time for our loved ones and descendants, in the hope that they may understand us better and perhaps learn from our experience.
“All this navel gazing seems a bit selfish,” it might be said, “shouldn’t you be using your remaining time on earth to help other people?”
I appreciate that view. In fact, I agree that my writing should have some social benefit beyond the personal connection to loved ones described in the previous paragraph. To connect with the wider world, one must publish. Publishing, whether online or in print, can inform, persuade, or entertain people I shall never meet. It would be most gratifying if my work would strike a chord in the public psyche, and millions of people would read it. Realistically, however, the chances of that happening are slim. (For that matter, how many musicians, athletes, or woodworkers achieve fame and fortune?) Still, if even a few hundred people learn about a community event in the local newspaper, my efforts have been leveraged by publication. My life is not lived in isolation or in the tiny bubble of my loved ones. My writing matters.
“This is all very well for you,” some might say, “but some of us just like to talk, to do things.”
“Then that’s just what you should do,” I reply. Individuals differ in their interests and gifts. A strong case could be made that talking with friends and loved ones and doing, rather than simply writing, promotes mental, psychological, and physical health and can certainly bolster civic engagement. (I may decide to write an essay arguing that very point!) The purpose of this essay, however, has been to defend my decision to write. I urge you to consider the benefits of writing: to keep your brain active, to make sense of your life, and to reach out to your loved ones and the wider world.
“But why 8:00 a.m. to noon? Isn’t the whole idea of retirement to free you from a set schedule?”
I would say that retirement frees me from a schedule set by my boss. A self-imposed schedule, on the other hand, is an act of freedom. I’m in charge. Every writer has a style and time for writing that suits himself or herself, but the 8:00 a.m. to noon schedule works for me. It gives me a reason to set my alarm. It ensures that I will sit at my keyboard and scribble. If I scribble enough, something worthwhile may emerge. Knowing that I have devoted some time to my craft makes my afternoon and evening chores enjoyable, rather than stressful.
Bob Potter, contributing writer for Driftless Now, is interested in recording the tales of Driftless Region folks. If you care to share your story with our readers, please contact Bob at robertdaypotter@gmail.com.
