Holdfast, or don't hold at all!

Blog of Kip McGrath Education Centres - Holdfast Bay

To write or not to write?

September 08
by Annie 8. September 2013 17:31

When I was a young girl, way back before iPads, smartphones and laptops, thanking someone for a present, or asking Santa Claus for something special, meant writing a letter. I’ll let that sink in for a moment for those born after the dawn of the keyboard.


Have you recovered? Yes, I really did say the words ‘writing’ and ‘letter’, ancient terms that bring to mind the horse and carriage, knights in shining armour and the invention of the wheel. But that’s not all. I am going to shock you even more: I still hand write letters! And thank you cards, and post cards, and invitations.


Why do I do this in an age when messages can be sent with a few button presses or key strokes and people no longer expect whole sentences in communications? Well, partly it is precisely for that reason, because it is unexpected, outside the norm, and I do like to be a little bit different. 


It also makes me feel good using all of those words that I have stored in my brain over the years and rarely get a chance to use. There is an undeniable pleasure in grouping together just the right words, in just the right order, and creating something that is far more than simply a combination of letters and spaces. Words can evoke emotion, describe a landscape unseen, put substance to an idea and take the reader back to a shared memory.


Can we do the same in a conversation? In part, but conversation throws words away, writing saves them. Also, when we speak we are hampered by other factors; time, convention, the natural reserve of sharing too much in public, the need to be liked and take other people’s opinions into account. When we are writing we can stretch out in our own space, take as much time as we need, be selfish, get all the emotional stuff out in the open, use those big words that would make us sound la de da in public, because we can.


There is a freedom to express in writing that is difficult to find in conversation. No matter how many times I speak by phone with my Aunt back in the UK, who I have always had a close bond with, I can somehow never get her past the discomfort of speaking on the phone with someone thousands of kilometres away. It is like talking with someone I barely know. So, in between phone calls, I write, and in those letters I can share all of the things I can’t by phone. And it works; we connect far better by writing than long distance talking.


Some time ago I began writing to my goddaughters. I have a few, seven in fact, all fast-growing girls and young ladies towards whom I feel a moral responsibility. The letter-writing with them is a little hit and miss, but I am pleased that my eldest goddaughter (17) and I now regularly write back and forth, and this has added a new level to our relationship. We share things that I am sure we would not do when speaking; writing somehow creates this lovely intimate and trusting environment, separate to the ‘real’ world.


We recently ran a contest at the centre, asking the kids to write persuasive letters to Kip McGrath, convincing him that their families were deserving of an all-costs family ticket to the Royal Adelaide Show. I was surprised by the number of entries, and more so by the obvious care taken in writing them. The winner was written by one of our younger students, who has struggled with the early stages of reading and writing, and spent three days writing his letter. He included a bribe in the form of a ‘bucket of fairy floss’ for Kip, but the main reason for his win, apart from the quality and honesty of his letter, was the use of an envelope, properly addressed to Mr Kip McGrath. I was genuinely moved by his efforts and, obviously, so was Kip.


All of which, dear reader, brings me round to you. I want you to try, writing that is. A little thank you note, or a letter to your Mum, or your children; something that forces you to stop, pick up a pen and focus on the act of writing, just for a few minutes. Then, let that letter float away from you, straight in to the nearest post box. You may be pleasantly surprised by the reaction you get, first to the use of ‘snail mail’, but then, just perhaps, to the time and care you have invested in sending them a special message.

Tags: , , , , ,

General

My name is Annie Harvey and I am a blog addict!

September 01
by Annie 1. September 2013 21:13

 

I firmly believe that the ability to express oneself in writing is a key skill that everyone should possess. Whether it is writing (emailing) a new idea to the boss, recording a daily diary, or crafting a carefully worded dissertation, there really is no excuse for not being able to tell your own story. This is after all a key part of our development as human beings.
All of which gives me an excuse to be fascinated by blogs. I can’t help myself; I love those little glimpses in to people’s lives, their inner workings. It’s addictive being able to step in to someone else’s shoes from the comfort of your own sofa with a cup of tea in hand, and so much better when the author is able to tell a story.  For example, here’s an excerpt from a blog that I read every day http://thestoryoftelling.com/the-elephant-in-the-marketing-room/


“I was raised in Dublin, the storytelling capital of the world. There is no place on earth that is more hardwired for story than Ireland, home of Guinness and oversize teapots.  Wikipedia will tell you that the Irish are some of the biggest consumers of tea. What Wikipedia won’t tell you is that in Ireland, tea (like Guinness), isn’t just a drink—it’s a lubricator of story.”


What a great start to a blog! How could you not read more? In one paragraph I am immersed in the descriptive language, mentally adding Dublin back on my list of places to see and looking forward to yet another cup of tea! Many Hollywood productions do far less with far more!
So, as I sit once again with the kettle gently bubbling away behind me, I want to tell you a story about my experience in Ireland, and how it changed my life. Way back in the dark ages of1990 I was a corporate cog in the wheel of the busy press office of Guinness, home of that famous inky pint. Ironically though, at the tender age of 24 I preferred sweet white wine to a pint of the black stuff, so the staff perk of a case (slab) once a quarter was a bit wasted on me.


And so it remained until, many twists of fate and 8 years later, I found myself on a literal and figurative pilgrimage to Ireland. Armed with the guilty cash of a soon to be dissolved marriage, I hired a car, determined to complete a circuit of the emerald isle’s coast.
It was a lonely, somewhat tragic and cathartic experience, but let’s quickly gloss over that and get to the twist. My consolations along the way were a temporary fascination with whisky and a belated conversion to the joys of Guinness. If only I had known what wonderful stuff Guinness was, I would have made far better use of my employee bonus!


As I travelled, petrol fuelled my car and Guinness fuelled my soul, or at least the wounded part of me that craved artistic output. Yes, you guessed it; I wrote a sweeping memoir of my trip, destined to gather dust in a drawer somewhere. But not only that, I also penned a number of songs of equally dark content, which, in a moment of sympathy, a friend helped me to record back in London.  The songs were depressing a full of woe, and I have not been able to listen to them since, but they served as an odd kind of closure, and I was able to move on thanks to the healing powers of Guinness.


So there you go, one interesting blog leads to an odd little story about change, which I would not have been able to share if I was not confident in being able to put myself down on paper.


The point is that the spoken word is wonderful, but can be limited, by context, social convention, by our own inhibitions. But the written word; no such limitations apply, we can write to a blank page, overlooked by no one and judged only by our own thoughts. What wonderful escapism, which is why as tutors we encourage every child to have a go, put pencil t paper and see what happens. The results are funny, challenging, confusing, but never, ever boring.


So get your pens or keyboards out and have a go. In this age of bite-sized information, where texts are the language of choice, we need to rediscover the joys of slow communication. We will be the better for it. 

 

Tags: , , ,

General

The Power of Words

June 23
by Annie 23. June 2013 20:57

This week I have been getting closer to my inner self. No, I have not entered a hippy commune, but I have joined hundreds of other like-minded people at the annual Happiness Conference in Melbourne. Not as off-the-wall as it perhaps sounds, the conference brings together speakers from around the globe to share their surprisingly practical tips for maintaining our equilibriums.

But happiness is not in fact my theme for this week. What struck me again throughout this week, apart from the resonating themes of health, happiness and well-being that formed the core of most of the presentations, is the immense power of language to convey meaning.

Imagine nearly 2,000 people captivated by the words of one man. Granted, this man was His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and warrants our attention almost by default, but where would he be without his carefully chosen words? They are his stock and trade, the means by which he engages with the world, shares the plight of his people and passes on his wisdom (his laugh does help though, it is mesmerising and will absolutely make you smile every time).

Although perhaps the most significant orator of the week, he was by no means the only one, as presenter after presenter breathed life in to their ideas through the power of language. What an amazing thing it is, this ability, unique amongst all living things on this planet, to share thoughts and ideas by linking different sounds together.

But more than that, we can also convert these sounds in to symbols, again linking them together in patterns that mean something to others. Inspired by a number of speakers, I purchased their books. You would expect that removing voice and expression from the content would somehow lessen the impact, but in fact these qualities are somehow replaced by other elements, not least the ability of the written word to inspire imagination. When reading silently, the words themselves somehow become only one part of the story, the rest of which is supplied by our minds; the characters, landscapes, even the weather, somehow taking their cue from the words but becoming so much more.

This is why, in my role as a tutor to the speakers and writers of the next generation, I encourage them to think beyond the simple structure of the words and instead consider how they come to life when presented in a certain way. Texting, blogs, computer games, and all other manner of minimised communication, add nothing to the expression that language is capable of. Please don’t misunderstand me, they have their place, as effective tools for the quick transmission of fact, but they do not take full advantage of the written words ability to inspire, persuade and engage.

I recently watched a news story about a technology-rich school in Singapore that has replaced writing skills with a focus on technology, the theory being that the latter will have more value in five years’ time as the students enter the workforce. Perhaps, but in the absence of persuasive writing skills, how will the leaders of the future inspire their followers? How will the writers of the future create those worlds of the imagination in our heads?
 
There must still be a place in education for our languages to grow and develop, as they have for thousands of years, since long before Shakespeare, and ever since. Opposable thumbs are certainly an obvious physical characteristic of humanity, but I would argue that our ability to think beyond our present state, to use words to create ideas and stories that resonate far beyond the symbols on the page, is an equally defining characteristic of our humanity.

Hmmm, a slightly heavier tone this week. You can probably tell that language is a passion of mine, one that I am not willing to sacrifice to the efficiency of technology, and one that I believe is fundamentally important for your children. So please, encourage them to read, discuss with them what they read, help them to understand how important those little symbols on the page are and how necessary it is for them to be able to understand and use them. Till next time, happy reading! 

 

Tags: , , , ,

General

About the author

Something about the author

Month List

Page List