In last week’s article we broadly examined the concept of how…what do you mean, you didn’t read last week’s article? Well now how in the holy Helsinki Sweden are we supposed to carry on week-to-week conversations if you just “pick it up every now and again?” How can we build a good writer/reader relationship if you won’t do the dishes after I’ve slaved over the stove? Oh, so you don’t like my cooking now? You’ve been lying to me all this time… but I put a lot of love and effort into that Hamburger Helper beef stroganoff. Not like your mother’s? Yes, the mashed potatoes were instant, but it takes serious skill to mix that powdery crap up right so it’ll actually look like potatoes. (Sniffle) I don’t have to take this kind of abuse! Besides I can easily pay for the kind of abuse I like! Wait, what are we talking about again?
For those who follow along, as well as those who don’t…and are a suck, last week we discussed how history devours itself with the passage of time. Along with the standing theorem that anything we do now is irrelevant because 100 years from now it won’t matter. And if it does we won’t know because we’ll be dead anyway.
So based on this logic, would that mean we can and should do whatever we want? It’s not going to matter in 100 years anyway, so naked – party – fun – time because who cares, right? Well, it may not matter in a hundred or maybe even one year from now, but maybe what we do matters now…or does it? (Naked party fun time always matters, BTW).
Each week, when settling in to compose the following week’s column, there is, always has been and forevermore will be, a slight pause. Though the slightness of the pause varies from time to time, the cause for pause is always the same. It’s a moment in writer’s time, which can span an eternity of thought in real time. It’d be nice to think that all writers take such a pause before any actual writing occurs- because I don’t want to be the only weirdo who does this. Just a pause, a minute minute, a mere moment to contemplate “Does it really matter?”
Does what really matter? Perhaps we should discuss what’s mattering before we decide if it does or does not in fact matter. Well the answer is simply everything! Does it matter what is written? Does it matter how it’s written? Does it matter who writes it… schizophrenia matters here. Does it matter if we write at all? Do I care if it matters? Does it matter if I care? Does anything I think, say or do and write down really matter?
Of course anything written doesn’t really matter unless it’s read. Once read it matters by default; because if it didn’t matter enough to be written, then it couldn’t have mattered enough to be read. So thank you for making this matter!
However, once read, what matters changes hands. Now it is left to you the reader to decide what matters, if it matters and it comes with new matters that may matter to others as well. Does it matter that you read this? Does your opinion of what you read matter? What’s the matter with it? Will it matter if you share what you have read? Does reading this matter enough to have changed, saved or improved someone’s life…maybe even made their life matter?
What makes it matter? What has to happen in order for something to “really” matter? Does it have to have a significant impact on your life or could it just impact your life at a significant moment? It’s interesting how what really matters works. Anything could really matter and in the same respect nothing could matter at all. It seems to be a matter of perspective. Meaning whatever really matters is based on the individual opinion of whoever it’s potentially mattering to.
Which brings us back to our original question: does it really matter? Well, obviously it does because it’s been written and read now and in our writer/reader relationship that’s all that really matters.
NEXT WEEK: Does it really matter if we keep shooting missiles at people?
I welcome almost all questions and comments via FOCUS, or E-mail me directly at – [email protected]. Hope to hear from you, until then try and stay focused. See ya!
