Wednesday, October 7, 2015

I'm a Half Dragon and I like things in half.




During the vacation of my favorite nephew here at the Cave, I had to sit and watch with him a lot of his favorite shows. One of them is an old, very-low-budget-version of the Muppets show. And when I say low-budget I mean that. Anyway, they introduced the Half-man (a standard action doll that was cut in half.) What called my attention is that this Half man lived in a half constructed house, asked for only half steaks and half salads as meals, drove half a car and wanted to buy just half the pants, half shirt, one sock and one shoe. Whenever people complained about his requests or life style, his answer was "I am the Half Man, and I like things in half."

I laughed and my 5 year old nephew laughed too, because I am his hero (second after his daddy) and he mimics me when we're together. He was clueless that my laughter wasn't about the "funny" sketch. It was my instinctive reaction to express I had just been hit by a brick of realization. A dragon size brick. I have whined a lot about all the things I've left unfinished. Various stories, paintings, sculptures, comic strips, drawings, dreams, efforts, goals, all abandoned halfway because... just because.

Why, in the name of Dragon Ancestors, do I do that? I really don't know. Truth is there is a number of things half made enough to fill... half a living room. Two posts ago, I said I started writing again. It was a short story and I said it was "pouring out of me". Guess what? That's right. It joined the ranks already. It wasn't that I didn't have anything else to write. I had multiple ideas. I just dug my heels in the ground and forced the stop overnight. I also said it was a journey to my inner self. Eventually, I told myself maybe there was no actual need of written records from such a journey. Maybe it wasn't about writing it. It was about living it. Maybe I'll finish it later. Yeah, later. Whenever that later is. Probably after the later that I'll use to finish all the bunch of other half projects awaiting for a time that will never come because, as the Dalai Lama said, there are two days in the year that you can't do anything. One is yesterday, the other is tomorrow. The time to work and live is NOW.

Later is brother of tomorrow on the road to never. Mostly if it doesn't have an exact date to turn into now. Yes, I have a perfect command of theory. Pity it is useless to me as long as I don't figure out why I subconsciously but actively resist to finish things. I would like to believe it is part of being a genius since Leonardo DaVinci did that a lot too, but I'm far from having DaVinci's accomplishments. My finished art (like in properly finished) is so rare that might become precious one day. People might say "Lo and behold! I do have an item Father Dragon actually completed."

Anyway, as long as I don't solve the riddle of why, I'm the Half Dragon and I like things in half.

But I do give my whole heart in Dragon Hugs!
****
This post was part of the IWSG group, created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. For details and joining the group, click on the links.
Remember that the IWSG Anthology Contest is open until November 1. For details – http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/2015/09/iwsg-post-day-and-special-anniversary.html
You MUST post for either October or September to be considered for the anthology. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity!

15 comments:

  1. Maybe turn it around and say it's half finished instead. I hope you go back and finish your story. Best wishes to you my dragon friend :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. How lovely to see you back in the blogosphere.
    I am pretty certain that someday a project will come along which DEMANDS that you finish it. Until then, keep flexing your very varied creative muscles.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I suffer from this as well and lately I've tried staying focused on one task until it's done. I've only just begun so I don't know if it'll help or not.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Perhaps it's because while it is half finished, it can't really be judged?
    You are a whole dragon though!
    Actually, it's cool you only do things halfway. I shall forever remain a better dancer than Lord Baldernot.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's why I am really pushing to complete my collection of novelettes. I really want those stories completed and done.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "Later is brother of tomorrow on the road to never."

    That was pure gold, Al. I'll never look at procrastination the same way again. And when you feel like half a dragon, I hope you will see us as being your other half, holding you up. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Like David said, pure gold, and it's funny he said it, since one of the projects you actually did finish was the drawings you did for his/your A to Z this year!!!! Love you Half or Whole, Dragon!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Such a quandary. But I think most writers have more work half-done (or a quarter done or a tenth done) then you realize. Ideas, premises, and characters come onto the stage of the mind, dance into words on a page, then suddenly seem to exit stage left (or right), and poof, we have no idea where the rest of the story is! So the segment gets set aside. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Well there you go, a reason for all the halvsies. Maybe you and Half Man can work on the opposites together.

    Full hugs and smiles at you Sir.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Father D - love the half man .. and what a great time you and your nephew must have had .. hysterical laughter together is so good for us all.

    Lisa perhaps has the best idea ... get your A-Z drawings etc for 2016 done now? It has a beginning and an end, and you will be prepared ...

    Like you - I've loads of things on the go - it's deciding to do that one thing ... you will ... good luck with whichever project you pick ... good luck - cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hey! Maybe you can work on a second half of a story, then send your dwarves to go digging through your pile, find the first half, and then have one stitch them together. Do you think that would work?

    ReplyDelete
  12. I echo our beloved Knight DPK's thoughts on us being your 'other half'. Any which way you look at it, having a full dragon heart is all that matters. Hope you figure out the answer to the riddle of why. Love you dearly, Dragon. HUGS. Eva

    ReplyDelete
  13. Its tough when a story digs its heels in like that. Its a bit like Galaxy Quest when the ships pilot, Tommy Webber is flying the ship out of spacedock. Everything is looking great, fantastic - until the NSEA Protector (what a great name) veers to the left and poor clueless Tommy slams the brand new ship into the spacedock. Tommy nearly wrecked the bl--dy ship! LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I think your project is nagging you. Man I hate nags, but they have their value...I suppose.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have the same problem as you. I finish half of what I start. Part of my problem is the time factor and I guess the other half is I need to see the full vision. I think once I see where the road will go it enables me to stay focused. I guess I am looking for the missing piece.

    Have a wonderful week it is raining today and fits my mood.

    Time is indeed now.. Now is the time to awaken.. arise and be whole!

    ReplyDelete