Inspiration - A Curious & Evanescent Thing...

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'It is a most remarkable thing. I sat down with the intention of writing something clever and original; but for the life of me I can't think of anything clever and original - at least, not at this moment.' Not my words, obviously, but those of the great Jerome K. Jerome; he of 'Three Men in a Boat' fame, in his first observational open epistle in a splendid little book entitled 'The Idle Thoughts of An Idle Fellow: A Book For An Idle Holiday', published in 1890. Now the sentiment of blank page syndrome he expresses so eloquently applies to me most afternoons/evenings as I wonder what the beejesus to scribble for the day's post. Sometimes I've already cooked up a notion for a post in advance, or on rare occasions will have written most or all of it the day before - the ideal situation - but for the most part there's much head-scratching to be done before an idea comes to me. I guess the idle fellow in this case would be me, and tonight the idler offering inspiration 134 years down the line would be Jerome K. Jerome himself. To quote the Welsh poet W.H. Davies: 'What is life, if full of care, We have no time to stand and stare...'. If you have the expedient opportunity, or even better the choice to do so, a little idling and staring will do you and your soul nought but good.



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