If you would not be forgotten
as soon as you are dead and rotten,
either write things worth reading
or do things worth the writing.
Benjamin Franklin
This is simple. How can anyone not take this advice? Especially when there are two choices.
I know of things worth reading that can’t be read, things written in French that non-French speakers are missing out on. I write those things. In English.
And when not rewriting someone else’s things, I do things worth the writing (which must then, according to B. Franklin, be worth reading). Visiting France in its secret villages. Tutoring little kids, big kids, young and old adults, Italians, Swiss, Croatians, Chinese, Koreans, Australians. Redeeming my father through his war photos and poetry and paintings. Committing to a daily task of observing unusual things.
You can do this. Don’t be forgotten.
Wonderful advice from Mr. BF
Yes, I agree. This little verse convinced me to do what I do.
Trish–THANKS for visiting my “pun-ny” photoblog and leaving a couple of “likes.” I can’t help hearing plants, animals, and objects “talk.” I’m sure that one day you will bring some wonderful French stories to the English-speaking world.
I’ve committed myself to the weekday task of posting one of my photos with a funny title and caption. I’ve never missed a weekday post since “launch” on Nov. 1, 2010 (almost 600 posts)! I’m sure there’s no direct French translation, but my blog is the “funnest” thing I’ve ever done, and I love the community of bloggers who have become my favorite social network.
–John R.: http://TheDailyGraff.com
Quite obvious to me that as a matter of some urgency I need to get out and do things “worth the writing”, since my immediate reaction was that I did not really know how long a buried corpse needs before we can pronounce it rotten. Not long, I suppose!
Oh yeah! Please tell me when you’ve done them. Especially tell me when you’ve found a publisher for the vine book.