Late, but getting around to it.

The last few weeks have been a blur.

Quite literally, I'm losing track of what I've done and not done. Writing things down is useless, since I'm not in the habit of checking a planner and so don't remember to do so if I really do write something in one. Which is ironic considering how much writing I do otherwise, and the fact that writing things down has supposedly removed the need for us to remember things.

Unlike many, I know that writing is one of mankind's greatest technological advancements. Without the written word, today's society wouldn't exist as we know it. Perhaps there would be another in its place, but it would not be the society we live in now. As Walter Ong put it; "we find it difficult to consider writing to be a technology", simply because we've grown to see it as an innate part of our natures. Humans can write, therefore they do.


But the written word has in the past been overshadowed by artworks or theater, music and philosophical debates, yet it has never been stamped out of our history. Rather, it's more like it simply grew stronger for the adversity.


Understandably, I'm biased. Being a writer, I have a great respect for the written word. It allows me to convey my thoughts in a way that I could hardly manage to do with words. The time delay given when putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) is a much needed buffer for people these days, where saying the first thing that comes to mind is often the worst thing one could say, or not what they're really trying to say.


The prime example - Social Networking Sites. Where once, face-to-face meetings were the way to go, now people can communicate and stay in touch with mere text. Admiring artwork come down to a picture and a few words via SMS. A review for a play; a Tweet on Twitter. But all of these methods can be carefully considered before they are sent/posted/etc. (not that they always are, humans being the imperfect creatures they are).