Saturday: Feeling Poetical
“He was a poet; and they are never exactly grown-up." -- J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan In Kensington Gardens
Hey, that applies to lots more than poets. I've heard that actors never really grow up either. At least one person has told me that all acting is is playing pretend and getting paid for it. And then she told me that she wished all jobs were that easy. I told her acting's hardly easy -- multiple rehearsals can get pretty brutal, and stage fright always picks the worst moments to strike -- but that she did have a point. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of actors got into the profession because they loved making up stuff and being the hero of their own little plays.
Honestly, though, I think it depends a lot more on the sort of person you are than your profession. People "grow up" at different rates -- a 30-year-old can be more a cantankerous old fart than a 70-year-old in some cases. I've heard it said that Harlan Ellison was a grumpy old coot by the time he hit his mid-twenties. Maybe more people who don't like to grow up too fast end up in poetry -- maybe it helps the creative process? I'm not sure. Poetry is not one of my strong points.
Hey, that applies to lots more than poets. I've heard that actors never really grow up either. At least one person has told me that all acting is is playing pretend and getting paid for it. And then she told me that she wished all jobs were that easy. I told her acting's hardly easy -- multiple rehearsals can get pretty brutal, and stage fright always picks the worst moments to strike -- but that she did have a point. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of actors got into the profession because they loved making up stuff and being the hero of their own little plays.
Honestly, though, I think it depends a lot more on the sort of person you are than your profession. People "grow up" at different rates -- a 30-year-old can be more a cantankerous old fart than a 70-year-old in some cases. I've heard it said that Harlan Ellison was a grumpy old coot by the time he hit his mid-twenties. Maybe more people who don't like to grow up too fast end up in poetry -- maybe it helps the creative process? I'm not sure. Poetry is not one of my strong points.