Every great individual follows a routine, a ritual if you can call it. Writers, poets, painters, musicians (from the book Daily Rituals, Mason Currey). These people normally refuse to let anyone and anything disrupt their routine. So aspiring to do great things and use my time excellently, i’ve been working on my own routine for quite a time now, and guarding it with all my might but with very, very little success. I thought it was because i’m undisciplined, but later on realising that it’s mostly because of the “little things” i give in to. Such as choosing to spend more time with the family, the wife, helping out on little administrative chores and household errands, choosing to deliver Jacob’s Well packages personally.
Growing up i’ve been convincing myself that i wanted to become a writer, and a musician. But there’s something about it that feels missing until i came across a poem by W.H. Auden, The More Loving One. And i figured, now that’s who i really want to be. For sure i still want to become a published writer, and i also still want to write music. And there are still days when it seems like those are the only thing that matters. Achieving great things is obviously well and good but without love, it’s incomplete. And knowing what i know now, it actually pales in comparison to being the more loving one. I choose to be loving.
The More Loving One (an excerpt), W.H. Auden (1907-1973)
How should we like it were stars to burn?
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection can not be,
Let the more loving one be me.
ralph
P.S. Have a great and loving week ahead!