SING! even when no one is listening

  Posted on by Kendall Fredrick Person

  33 Comments

Sing your own praise

To improve is to change;
to be perfect is to change often.
– Winston Churchill

∞∞∞

from Boston
Steis feat. Termanology & Erin Daneele
with Who Would I Be

∞∞∞

Republished for a new, yet frustrated Author (big smile)

SING! even when no one is listening
by Kendall F. Person

A funny thing happened yesterday….

In the scores of individual and collaborative work I have written and published, never before had silence prevailed as loudly as it did with the series finale of The Exorcist. No comments toward the story in any forum, by anyone. No voices from personal friends or relatives, nor long term fans or staunch supporters – in neither praise nor condemnation, just a silence, that only I could hear. No arrows to my pride, nor sense of despair (I like to think) for my mother often told us “Not everyone is going to like everything you do“. So instead of fretting, I used the silence as a teachable moment, for myself. sing even if no one listens

I reached out to readers – something I have never done – with the specific purpose of discovering how The Exorcist’s ending was interpreted. My thoughts were two-fold: either I delivered a finale that had crashed and burned, making a mess of a promising beginning OR with the assistance of a brilliant assembly of artists, produced the perfect short story, that fooled them all.

Each character, firmly established; plot line of the 3-part drama, remained on course throughout. But short stories can be more difficult than long form or novels, since the exact same elements must exist without cheating the audience.

Sing your own praiseI sing because The Exorcist may have reached perfection in the short story genre. The small, but nonetheless informative study revealed, that while the excitement and adrenaline rush of a thriller/horror were felt, and the overall premise of good versus evil was understood; the intricate dynamics, along with an abbreviated use of words, combined to overwhelm, and the bombshell moment, flew overhead, even though every single clue was there.

We long to be recognized on a grander scale, but be that as it may, it is vital that we sing even if no one is listening, and that we offer praise to ourselves. Not with a sense of bravado or self-importance, but sing if for no other reason, than we were gifted with a voice.

Del Paso Heights

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33 Comments on “SING! even when no one is listening”

  2. Reminds me of the song—-“Sing”—-lyrics goes like this—-Sing,sing a song,make it simple,make it strong—I believe the late Karen Carpenter sang it.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Pingback: The Underground’s 7 Best Performances of 2015 (so far) | Kendall F. Person, thepublicblogger

  6. Thanks for stopping by my blog and following. Hope you enjoy reading it – I love writing my blog! And what a fascinating blog YOU have… I’m going to enjoy following yours too.

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  8. Okay, maybe the third time is a charm… I’ve tried responding to this twice but the technical devil follows me everywhere! Love the post, your attitude is the mark of a true artist that captures the gut- level prose of disappointment and perseverance in writing. I lost years of my best poetry two months back due to external hard drive failure. Yet, we shake off the dust because… we can, because we are writers meant to forge ahead through every terrain. Best of luck and once again, a beautiful post.

    Liked by 1 person

    • The third time is a charm. Thank you for being persistent. So nice to receive your words. Losing our work can be so devastating at the time, but you are so right, we just shake it off and keep going. Thank you so much for adding your voice and welcome to The Neighborhood. so glad you are here.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. You are soooo right! I love the writings of Winston Churchill too! Thank you for sharing this; it is encouraging. Sometimes our cultures dictate that we do not sing our own praises, but we can’t help but share what is good from our own lives with others and that is usually done or seen through good works we do. That’s all the world needs anyways, a small kind deed of one to another. I’m going to keep singing and hope to inspire someone.

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  12. I found the quality of the Exorcist finale up to par, but like quiall I was simply rushed at the time. I follow your writing hit-and-miss so I’m not the best critic, but I found this piece interesting and thought-provoking as usual — and I responded a little differently than quiall in that I found in the prose a kind of turbulence with forces of hope as well as darker forces.

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    • Thank you for adding your voice and honest critic of The Exorcist. Even within a story of darkness, without hope what would be the use. I am glad that you found hope in a place that we do not often look or feel. So good to have you in The Neighborhood.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Such a great message for our Ohio dreary Saturday! I am heading in the afternoon to see, “Cinderella,” with 4 and 6 year old granddaughters. Smiles, Robin

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  16. I did not comment on The Exorcist for a couple of reasons. When I read it I was in a rush and didn’t have the time. And more importantly I found it disturbing. Usually within your work there is a thread (at least) of hope, of something positive. I didn’t find that. I know there is darkness around us but I will always strive for even a hint of goodness. I am still pondering . . .

    Liked by 1 person

    • quiall – {big smile} – You know The Neighborhood shows very well, and you know my thread most of all. When time permits, reread and with the knowledge, if you did not consider the first time, that while Silence can be viewed (and has by the sole commenter) as its own essay, it is actually the prologue to the series finale. Your thread can be found in there. Thank you for adding your voice as always, but in particularly in this forum, it carries such honesty and relevance. to ‘our study’ {still smiling}. – KP

      Liked by 1 person

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