I like the thought of mindfulness in analogue ... it feels intentional, slowed down, more deliberate. I am taking my time over the article about Andrea Cohen ... fascinating. Your drawing technique is a good reminder that everything we create should be part of the process, something to celebrate, not erase.
That's so kind, thank you, Ben. The graph paper has been a happy accident ... they seem to be the only pads in French supermarkets ... I would usually prefer lines but I'm adapting. I have five fountain pens, it transpires. I get a lovely flow from the thicker nib of my Mont Blanc but I enjoyed this thin-nibbed Sheaffer (I have an even thinner Lamy). I do manage to type in a creative flow but this felt good ... deliberate, thinking about the story a little more as it went along. I'm pretty sure I'd find that hard for a longer piece though. Thanks so much for reading.
Wonderful, both build-up, story and handwriting! I say that even though it brought back chilling memories of 'lines' from Grammar School. The Prefect's favourite was more challenging than that in your story ..."Obedience is the fundamental foundation of every organised organisation". Writing that a couple of hundred times did nothing but give me wrist cramp and further degenerate my handwriting. I'm guessing such meaningless punishment is no longer handed out?
Oh, I suspect there are small independent boarding schools and power-hungry science masters handing out petty punishments to free thinkers ... phew, got all my experiences and prejudices out in that one sentence!
Thank you so much for the kind words, Harry. Always encouraging. I have to admire the Prefect's alliteration! But yes, wrist cramp and bad handwriting ... life's scars not life lessons!
Brilliantly orchestrated Barrie... the build up and, somehow you’ve managed to make writing on graph paper not only acceptable but beautiful too - I have such a gripe with the lack of clean lined paper available here... what is it with the French and their graph paper? Even in class French grammar is written, sadly not in ink with a fountain pen, on graph paper. It just seems wrong....
I'm adapting, but I'm not happy! I need a trip to a stationery shop with my pocket money in hand!
Thank you so much for the generous words. Such a strange feeling to be moving through the drafting process so deliberately knowing that I had one shot and a precise mark to hit, but wanting the story to be worthier than the word count!
Ok, so here's how I see it. The number 108 has a special meaning in Buddhism, it's one of those numbers that shows up everywhere, and once you know it, you start seeing it in all sorts of places.
There’s a teaching that says we have 108 defilements, basically, 108 ways the mind can get tangled up in things like craving, anger, or just plain confusion. So, when we chant a mantra 108 times with a mala, it’s not just repetition for its own sake, it’s a kind of symbolic untangling, one little knot at a time.
There’s also a kind of poetic maths behind it. In Buddhist thought, we have six senses, not just the usual five, but also the mind, which senses thoughts. Each of these can be experienced in three ways: pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Those experiences can come from either the past or the present. And we tend to respond to them in one of three ways, either by clinging, pushing away, or spacing out. When you multiply all that together, you get 108 states of mind, a map of how we experience and react to the world. The idea is to sit with those, see them clearly, and let them go.
So, when you said “about 108 words,” I couldn’t help but smile. It felt like a little wink from the Buddha, or maybe just a lovely coincidence.
I just love the order you brought to the randomness of my estimate of the usual first draft … this thinking has a real application to the writing process, I’m imagining … just haw much more could be discovered if we sit with out thoughts and see them more clearly. Thank you so much for making me think a little deeper. Fascinating.
Wonderful. Having just gone back to using a fountain pen, probably the first time in four decades, this jumped out at me. Wonderful story and handwriting. I don’t think I could share mine and assume people could read it 😂
I like the thought of mindfulness in analogue ... it feels intentional, slowed down, more deliberate. I am taking my time over the article about Andrea Cohen ... fascinating. Your drawing technique is a good reminder that everything we create should be part of the process, something to celebrate, not erase.
That's so kind, thank you, Ben. The graph paper has been a happy accident ... they seem to be the only pads in French supermarkets ... I would usually prefer lines but I'm adapting. I have five fountain pens, it transpires. I get a lovely flow from the thicker nib of my Mont Blanc but I enjoyed this thin-nibbed Sheaffer (I have an even thinner Lamy). I do manage to type in a creative flow but this felt good ... deliberate, thinking about the story a little more as it went along. I'm pretty sure I'd find that hard for a longer piece though. Thanks so much for reading.
Wonderful, both build-up, story and handwriting! I say that even though it brought back chilling memories of 'lines' from Grammar School. The Prefect's favourite was more challenging than that in your story ..."Obedience is the fundamental foundation of every organised organisation". Writing that a couple of hundred times did nothing but give me wrist cramp and further degenerate my handwriting. I'm guessing such meaningless punishment is no longer handed out?
Oh, I suspect there are small independent boarding schools and power-hungry science masters handing out petty punishments to free thinkers ... phew, got all my experiences and prejudices out in that one sentence!
Thank you so much for the kind words, Harry. Always encouraging. I have to admire the Prefect's alliteration! But yes, wrist cramp and bad handwriting ... life's scars not life lessons!
Brilliantly orchestrated Barrie... the build up and, somehow you’ve managed to make writing on graph paper not only acceptable but beautiful too - I have such a gripe with the lack of clean lined paper available here... what is it with the French and their graph paper? Even in class French grammar is written, sadly not in ink with a fountain pen, on graph paper. It just seems wrong....
I'm adapting, but I'm not happy! I need a trip to a stationery shop with my pocket money in hand!
Thank you so much for the generous words. Such a strange feeling to be moving through the drafting process so deliberately knowing that I had one shot and a precise mark to hit, but wanting the story to be worthier than the word count!
Oh, what a delight, Barrie: a great intro/build up and then a lovely image of beautiful handwriting and a good story!
That's really very generous, thank you. Just the encouragement I needed today.
So black ink. No maroon , blue or green cartridges. Your handwriting draws the eye to follow the words as they flow
In truth, I was a little disappointed not to find any of my more eccentric ink colours to hand!
Love it...which reminds me I have a pen and cartridges....
Oh do write something with them!
Absolutely loved this! Such tidy handwriting too and I do prefer a fountain pen ✨️✨️
Ah, thank you so much.
Even a caretaker cares. As to the lines ‘I will not read in maths class’ oh how many times I did that which is why I read well…..
story fabulous as ever!
Merci. Yes, maths was never my thing! Thanks for the encouragement
Not sure how to add photo so emailed it! Jean
Got it 🙏
Did you know the significance of the number 108 in Buddhism Barry?
I do not, Lisa, but now I’m intrigued to know …
Have you googled it, or do I need to tell you. Being a Buddhist myself, I immediately read the number as being significant.
I deliberately didn’t google it. I would love to learn from you, as you understand the significance 🙏
Ok, so here's how I see it. The number 108 has a special meaning in Buddhism, it's one of those numbers that shows up everywhere, and once you know it, you start seeing it in all sorts of places.
There’s a teaching that says we have 108 defilements, basically, 108 ways the mind can get tangled up in things like craving, anger, or just plain confusion. So, when we chant a mantra 108 times with a mala, it’s not just repetition for its own sake, it’s a kind of symbolic untangling, one little knot at a time.
There’s also a kind of poetic maths behind it. In Buddhist thought, we have six senses, not just the usual five, but also the mind, which senses thoughts. Each of these can be experienced in three ways: pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Those experiences can come from either the past or the present. And we tend to respond to them in one of three ways, either by clinging, pushing away, or spacing out. When you multiply all that together, you get 108 states of mind, a map of how we experience and react to the world. The idea is to sit with those, see them clearly, and let them go.
So, when you said “about 108 words,” I couldn’t help but smile. It felt like a little wink from the Buddha, or maybe just a lovely coincidence.
I just love the order you brought to the randomness of my estimate of the usual first draft … this thinking has a real application to the writing process, I’m imagining … just haw much more could be discovered if we sit with out thoughts and see them more clearly. Thank you so much for making me think a little deeper. Fascinating.
Wonderful. Having just gone back to using a fountain pen, probably the first time in four decades, this jumped out at me. Wonderful story and handwriting. I don’t think I could share mine and assume people could read it 😂
Aw, thank you. I have a couple of pens and every time I roll them out, words flow. I must get scribbling. Thanks for reading 🙏