Writer @ MindSay 
writing
In recent times, I have been plagued with a seemingly unanswerable question: who or what do I want to be as an adult? Which career will I choose?
I think, however, I finally know the answer.
I want to be Eric Rohmer.
Eric Rohmer, for those who are not familiar with international cinema, is a French filmmaker who has been making unusual, excellent and intelligent movies for almost 50 years. My concern, however (and this is unrelated to the fact that he is one of my favourite film directors), is more to do with his career prior to filmmaking - that of an intelligent, intellectual film critic for the influential French magazine Cahiers du Cinema (other names who shared this pursuit were Chabrol, Truffaut, Rivette, and one of the most famous names in cinematic history, Jean-Luc Godard).
Of course, I fully realise that I may never have the necessary talent that Rohmer possessed to move into the world of filmmaking. However, I believe I do share his passion for analysing films, and perhaps some of his critical writing ability - could this alone be sufficient for me to become a film critic, even a great one like Rohmer was?
However, one does not become an esteemed film critic overnight, and I am puzzled as to how exactly I would achieve my goal. Some have suggested looking into a journalism degree, but, to be honest, I am held back from exploring this field by the sheer immoral populism of the mainstream media. One of the last things I want to become is some writer for a major newspaper, with exaggeration, fear, and looseness with the truth being my main weapons, in a desperate search for irrelevant, barely existing news. That is the opposite of my dream, yet I fear that that is where a degree in journalism would leave me.
And, more than anything, I see such a degree as unnecessary - surely, possessing a basic writing ability as I do, a degree in journalism seems useless, especially in relation to being a film critic. Surely film studies would be a far more relevant field of study for the work I want to find.
At least I'm thinking about it, I suppose. I hope that counts for something.
Those are the words of a co-worker of mine. I don't think that a book like that would be all that good as many people would basically take it as I was a dumbass for taking him back three times and then see a pattern of all my past relationships. If I wanted my love life analyzed, I would go back to therapy.
Anyways, haven't heard from the guy who visited in November since his visit. Rather disappointing, but I guess that is life. Had a date last week with a local guy. All went well, but scheduling is a bit of an issue....big surprise there, eh?
The other day I asked Doctor Andy to marry me again. What does he do? He laughs at me! Then he reminds me that he doesn't like to rush into things. Hell! Andy and I have known each other for at least five years! Rushing into things? What world are you in? lol
October 23, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Military-Writers.com is a website committed to listing servicemembers who have authored books. The website added a free, completely downloadable, novella on Sergeant Jim Heitmeyer’s experiences as a Military Police Officer in Desert Storm.
According to Jim Heitmeyer, “Trucks and equipment were loaded quickly for deployment and all soldiers received their necessary overseas vaccines. Large musters were formed to insure all soldiers were present as activated. All soldiers’ 201 files were checked for updated information. New dog tags were issued with name, religion and blood type.
Some troops were transported by buses to their assigned duty bases for the necessary training in NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) warfare and tactics. Everyone was present and accounted for and ready for transport to their newly assigned staging point.
Some members of the 745 Military Police Company were activated in October of 1990. At 0400 hours on 28 November 1990 I was called to report to the capital hill armory off 44th and Pennsylvania Street. The remainder of our unit had been activated. We were told to report to the armory with all our gear. Being activated must have affected Vietnam vets in a similar manner when they were called to war.”
Later, after the war had begun, Jim Heitmeyer writes, “Then it dawned on me. I didn’t have any aerial markings on my vehicle and that was a serious problem right now. The gunship continued to track me for a mile before banking off. I thought, “Ok Jim, you have nearly been killed four times already on this trip and only GOD could have saved you.” I was shaking like a naked man in a snowstorm from fear. Just about the time when getting my senses back two F-16s scraped me, flew in front of me and turned back my way. They lowered their altitude to about tree level headed directly at me. “I am definitely toast and dead now!” I thought.”
Jim Heitmeyer was born in Phoenix, Arizona and raised in Paradise Valley. Jim joined the United States Marine Corps and completed his service to our country. Jim later joined the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 745 Military Police Company. Jim served during the “Just Cause” war in Panama and Operations Desert Shield & Desert Storm. Jim Heitmeyer attained the rank of sergeant (E5).
Jim Hietmeyer is a retired lieutenant from the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office (Oklahoma). After his retirement from the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office he worked as a police officer for the Arcadia Police Department from 2001 through 2004. During his career, he worked as a jailer, deputy sheriff, CLEET instructor, American Red Cross Instructor, and biohazards instructor. He is the author of two books under the pen name of Jim Daly: Lockdown Madness and Behind Steel Doors.
Military-Writers.com currently lists 52 current or former military servicemembers and their 132 books.
Having a drink with one's self is a momentary bliss. Somehow you find a spot where you can be alone and uninterrupted. You ease into your own thoughts. You revel in the fact that there truly is such a thing as a moment of silence. Everything around you comes to a complete lull and you can actually hear yourself think. The drink is just an accessory.
A drink with myself is an infrequent but personal celebration. Sometimes I celebrate the fact that I caught every green light on the way to work or, that I got a free coffee because the cash register was jammed. For me, it's that simple. So,to you I say, celebrate the small things and have a drink--alone.
On Sept. 19, 2006, Southerner readers opened the paper to the opinion page to read about a grown man’s fear of mice. One year and 26 columns later, I’m still afraid of mice, but hopefully you haven’t grown tired of reading the “Jabberwocky.”
A little background on how I got to this point: I spent nine months in 1996 working for the Rocky Mount Times, a now-defunct weekly newspaper. I started out doing film reviews before coming on board as a reporter. Because of my interest in politics, and with it being an election year, I asked my editor if I could write a weekly political column, and he consented.
If you could read some of those early right-wing rants, you’d probably find it hard to believe that they were written by the same laid-back libertarian who now thinks the only difference between the government and the Mafia is that one of them is organized.
Fast forward ten years. I’d been bitten by the writing bug once again. I’d had a couple of short stories published, and I really wanted to write full-time. Attempts to get a job at a couple of area newspapers fell through, so I thought maybe I could write a column again. After all, that had been the most enjoyable part of my job at the Times.
I emailed Terry Smith, the editor of the Southerner, and made a pitch for what I described as a humor column with a libertarian slant. We emailed back and forth a few times, I dropped off copies of my stories and Times clippings for him to read, and then we met face-to-face, and he gave me the opportunity to write “Jabberwocky.”
So why “Jabberwocky?” That was the title of my old high school newspaper, of which I was also on staff. At the time I thought it was a dumb name. I had never even heard of the Lewis Carroll poem, nor did I know that Webster defined the word as gibberish. Our principal, a real piece of work, claimed it meant “excited talk,” which is what our paper would be full of. I think he was full of something, too, but I digress.
When looking for a title for my column, “Scratch Pad,” “Give Me a Break,” and “Inside Report” were all taken, so I decided on “Jabberwocky” as an homage to my old high school news rag, and also because of the subject of the poem.
For those not familiar with Carroll’s “Jabberwocky,” it tells of a knight going out to slay a terrible beast known as a Jabberwock. Sometimes that’s how it feels writing a column. Picking a topic, getting it written, and making it interesting can be as arduous as chasing down a monster, so “Jabberwocky” just sounded appropriate.
Actually, I just made that whole last bit up, but you’ve got to admit it sounds good.
What really makes all this worthwhile though are the readers. When one of you stops me on the street, or calls me on the phone to tell me how much you’ve enjoyed something I wrote...you have no idea how much you make my day. I write because I’m a writer. I do it because I love it, not to seek glory or fame...but I’ll admit that when someone tells me they liked something I wrote, it’s one of the greatest feelings in the world.
And so, in closing, I’d like to thank those of you who’ve come to me personally or via a third party to offer kind words about “Jabberwocky”: Megan Blice, Bruce Burgess, Elmina Cashwell, Roberta Cashwell, Mary Flanagan, John and Doris Gray, Gloria Guill, Keith Hale, Buddy Hooks, Rawls Howard, Charles and Tracy Johnson, Gary Jones, Susie Keel, Sam Noble, Ronnie Pittman, Brandon Richardson, and James Smith.
If I missed anyone, I humbly apologize. You are appreciated as well, and so are my Mindsay and Myspace readers. Thank you all so much for making this first year of “Jabberwocky” a great one. Hopefully this was the first of many more to come.
© 2007 by J.D. Lewis
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