Initiation Tool - create "Morning Pages", writing 3 pages longhand every morning (90 days straight)Friday 13, 2010 – Morning Pages - Day #3 – Bay Ridge Starbucks
This is where the legends wrote. And by legends I mean, you know that guy Ted from 86th Street that hands out the Metro every morning, yeah him. He wrote his grocery list many-a-days in this very Starbucks. Other legends, like, well, I’m not sure, but I’ve heard the legends about the legends writing here and I think this is where I’ll create a name for myself…maybe not in writing, but they are hiring, I saw the sign on my way in – and if I apply, maybe I’d get hired and get one of those name tags - "Hello, I'm Garrett, welcome to Starbucks, what's your name so I can write it on your cup so you don't forget which cup is yours like the preschool children do"...no, that's my cup...see, I chewed the edges and that's how I can tell it's mine...Starbucks people – Starbucks.
Starbucks – they are everywhere! Forgot the comedian's name, but he pointed out that there’s so many Starbucks now that you can use them to give directions – “Yeah, you want to go down two blocks and there’s a Starbucks, take a left at the Starbucks and you’ll go two more blocks and there will be another Starbucks, take a right there, go down two more Starbucks and you’ll find that particular Starbucks where those legends wrote”…I’m paraphrasing (and not stealing his joke. I know I’m fucking up the joke, I know…no, I’m giving credit – “Good observation, ‘I’ll never forget oh-what’s his name’”)…Another comedian, Lewis Black, who my brother claims to have done a commercial with, two years later, no commercial yet Jonathan! Lewis Black likes talking about Starbucks too. He said he once came out of a Starbucks and looked across the street and saw another Starbucks. There should be Starbucksland. And all the Starbucks regulars, those people, and by “those people” I mean the people I’m about to explain. These people that stand in the Starbucks' line for over a half hour just to get their large, I mean, Venti? coffee...Starbucksland would give us a chance to control these people - because they ARE, out of control and enabling Starbucks to take over. It will soon be The United States of Starbucks, or The Starbucks' States of America, or simply America will become Starbucksland...todaboconoma, I know.
If such a Starbucks-hater then why go there? You're right, I'm allowing them to take over too. First Starbucks will take over your "Morning Pages'" topic and then your neighborhood corner, then corners to blocks to whole neighborhoods...I thought about bringing in a Dunkin' Donuts coffee, but I'm not THAT much of a rebel. I am rocking an orange beard, which is rebel-esque, but my orange beard and I can't stop the Starbucks' takeover ourselves. I'll play my part though and first stop writing about "it" (do not mention again in this piece!)...
Now what to write about? I didn't choose to write about "the above". Like Ms. Cameron says, writers channel the writing by listening. And I agree, and this allows me not to have to take responsibility for anything I write anymore. I'm just channeling, not writing. I'm not mocking what she's saying. I actually understand because much of my best writing has come from writing very fast and not thinking, or questioning, what I'm writing. I think that's what those legends did. I'll ask Ted when I see him around the way.
This is where the legends wrote. And by legends I mean, you know that guy Ted from 86th Street that hands out the Metro every morning, yeah him. He wrote his grocery list many-a-days in this very Starbucks. Other legends, like, well, I’m not sure, but I’ve heard the legends about the legends writing here and I think this is where I’ll create a name for myself…maybe not in writing, but they are hiring, I saw the sign on my way in – and if I apply, maybe I’d get hired and get one of those name tags - "Hello, I'm Garrett, welcome to Starbucks, what's your name so I can write it on your cup so you don't forget which cup is yours like the preschool children do"...no, that's my cup...see, I chewed the edges and that's how I can tell it's mine...Starbucks people – Starbucks.
Starbucks – they are everywhere! Forgot the comedian's name, but he pointed out that there’s so many Starbucks now that you can use them to give directions – “Yeah, you want to go down two blocks and there’s a Starbucks, take a left at the Starbucks and you’ll go two more blocks and there will be another Starbucks, take a right there, go down two more Starbucks and you’ll find that particular Starbucks where those legends wrote”…I’m paraphrasing (and not stealing his joke. I know I’m fucking up the joke, I know…no, I’m giving credit – “Good observation, ‘I’ll never forget oh-what’s his name’”)…Another comedian, Lewis Black, who my brother claims to have done a commercial with, two years later, no commercial yet Jonathan! Lewis Black likes talking about Starbucks too. He said he once came out of a Starbucks and looked across the street and saw another Starbucks. There should be Starbucksland. And all the Starbucks regulars, those people, and by “those people” I mean the people I’m about to explain. These people that stand in the Starbucks' line for over a half hour just to get their large, I mean, Venti? coffee...Starbucksland would give us a chance to control these people - because they ARE, out of control and enabling Starbucks to take over. It will soon be The United States of Starbucks, or The Starbucks' States of America, or simply America will become Starbucksland...todaboconoma, I know.
If such a Starbucks-hater then why go there? You're right, I'm allowing them to take over too. First Starbucks will take over your "Morning Pages'" topic and then your neighborhood corner, then corners to blocks to whole neighborhoods...I thought about bringing in a Dunkin' Donuts coffee, but I'm not THAT much of a rebel. I am rocking an orange beard, which is rebel-esque, but my orange beard and I can't stop the Starbucks' takeover ourselves. I'll play my part though and first stop writing about "it" (do not mention again in this piece!)...
Now what to write about? I didn't choose to write about "the above". Like Ms. Cameron says, writers channel the writing by listening. And I agree, and this allows me not to have to take responsibility for anything I write anymore. I'm just channeling, not writing. I'm not mocking what she's saying. I actually understand because much of my best writing has come from writing very fast and not thinking, or questioning, what I'm writing. I think that's what those legends did. I'll ask Ted when I see him around the way.
Writing about places is cool. NYC is a great place to do that (link to Grand Central paper). But also, forgetting the place (like that place above!) you're in is important as well. Being in the present as much as you can. That gets harder the older you get. And I think that's why as adults (I'm 28 today - am I there yet?) we don't get bored often. It's another reason why we resort to vices like this here ice coffee that's got me hooked -- CA coming soon - that's Coffeeics Anonymous...my name's Garrett and I'm a...I'm an insomniac that, well, I wouldn't say I'm addicted, I just enjoy coffee very much. That's what he said - about alcohol, and he being Ted, that legend that wrote at that "above place"...Insomnia's the addiction. Man could I write when I wasn't sleeping. The sleeping's been much better this past year, thanks for asking Ted. I'm a little sleep deprived this morning though and now I've realized Ted doesn't exist and I just talked aloud and that's why the woman that just blew up the bathroom gave me an odd look. When a woman that blows up public bathrooms gives you odd looks you might reconsider your system you're living. Yeah, I've got a system I call living. You've got yours. We'll see whose works - in the long, long run. Also, added to this woman was a Fanny-pack. I can't tell you when, but I'm guessing Fanny-packs will come up again in these "Morning Pages" - along with "that place above". I like to complain about Fanny-packs. And the people that wear them should be placed in Fannypackland next to that other land we discussed before. I'm channeling now people! And not responsible for this writing. So, forget your emails complaining about how you love your Fanny-pack and how I shouldn't mock it. A teacher once told me, there are no stupid questions. Well, President Clinton once asked what the word "is" meant, equaling a stupid question. Another teacher once told me that mocking others is a sign of low self-esteem and you should treat others the way you want to be treated. Well, both those "teachers" (yes, quotes) wore Fanny-packs, and, well, some people just deserve to be made fun of - ok?...I digress. I'm not sure what that means, but I'd like to do it. So I will pretend to digress and the others in Starbucksland will believe I'm doing it. Yes, I said "that place". Ah well. I will more than likely overcome. My mom once put a Fanny-pack on me and I overcame that (right?)...And I've overcome.
I've learned something today. A teacher once told me you learn one thing everyday (that's it?). Don't tell me what I'm learning. What are you, a teacher? Well, anyways, I did learn today from my writing like Ms. Cameron said I would. She said you can learn lots from writing - about relationships, career directions, etc (more great examples to come, I don't promise...or maybe I do, and a teacher, or Ted, once told me that promises are made to be broken)...Anyways, I have learned from today's "Morning Pages". First, start this channeling thing. I've channeled and will channel again - remember, I'm a rebel. Yeah, I've channeled, or another words, just written and written without picking up the pen and just listening to the voice (or voices) inside my head (Ted). Check out my "Sunday Mo Jos" and the songs I've written. That's channeling people -no idea how I wrote those. Or like Ms. Cameron said, maybe I shouldn't take complete credit for the creation of those. Maybe I was just listening to Ted talking to me. Who knows? Yeah, exactly, who knows?...
Again, I'm hencing...hence, first channel, then start pretending, then others will start believing, and one day maybe I'll actually be living. What I'm talking about is first I'm going to pretend I'm a writer - it's Halloween everyday! "What are you this year, a writer? Oh, awesome costume, " joked that dick wearing the Fanny-pack. He's hilarious. First pretend, then a few people will start believing I'm a writer. Ted already believes it! Then a few more will start believing it. And then one day maybe I'll believe it and wake up one morning, maybe tomorrow, and find myself living it. But first, I've got to escape from Starbucksland. I'm still overcoming. I digress...and digest and will continue channeling my inner-beard, a stroke at a time.
No comments:
Post a Comment