Indulgence & politics
Bleary eyed today after the election yesterday, with my candidate winning re-election. Many of us so-called "serious types" were up late carrying on, talking about grave issues such as whether champagne and wine should be mixed (only if the bottle is being passed around and you're still working on a glass of wine).
Yesterday's election reflects on what is at the heart of life as a writer, which is to be deeply involved in everything. Some would say too deeply at times. Writers have a reputation for overindulgence. From Poe to Hemingway, we are a lot of drinkers, and Hunter Thompson was a case study in excess. Though I haven't tasted alcohol in more than 20 years, as a rule, writers have a reputation for it. We tend to want to experience life fully.
For me, that has meant that I want to drink up the world around me. What could be more personal than air, green places and water, and how can you avoid wanting to be indulged somewhat in these things? Because of my love for the outdoors, creatures and plants, streams, mountains, beaches and trees, I became politically active with the environment. I soon plugged in to the political element.
Still, it's not an entirely new turn of events. In high school I ran for class president, and in the fifth grade, too. In college I carried around petitions protesting apartheid. I was writing in those days, too. There must have been an early sense of connection.
