Conversations with Calliope- Writing and Meaning

(Allegheny Sunset)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I wonder about your wisdom project and why you chose it.
JOE: Good question. I think it sprung from my mother's recent ninetieth birthday. It made me stop to think what's important to me at this point in my life.
CALLIOPE: What did you discover?
JOE: First, I discovered what's not so important. I have been pursuing marketing as a way to make money.
CALLIOPE: Something wrong with that?
JOE: No, but to do justice to the Guerrilla Marketing I have been reading about as a path to making money, I would need to devote the bulk of my time and energy in the pursuit, pushing writing meaningfully to a secondary importance.
CALLIOPE: I see.
JOE: I am starting to see what's important to me. I think more money would be nice but would also distract me from my goal.
CALLIOPE: Which is?
JOE: To help other see the value of the collected wisdom of the ages and live in tune with our earth and its community rather than selfishly grabbing what we can.
CALLIOPE: A tall order.
JOE: I know. It's not one I can do alone. Others have gone before me in the effort, others are active now and I am sure others will follow. But I want to do my part.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you want to make your contribution to living meaningfully.
JOE: Correct. Now to do it. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: In high gear. it has been a very busy week and today does not look any quieter.
CALLIOPE: How was the training conference yesterday?
JOE: Interesting. I was looking for some more marketing ideas. Most of the ones mentioned were already familiar to me. I guess I am beginning to know my way around the Internet marketing field, at least a little.
CALLIOPE: Did you learn anything?
JOE: Yes, but it was a bit of a surprise. I learned what was important to me. The focus of the training was on making money. One point early in the presentation was that your book was one of the least important elements and that it was leverage for making real money. I realized that I am not in this for the money. I would not mind earning some from my writing but my main focus is on what I have to say.
CALLIOPE: Which is?
JOE: My mission is to help readers understand themselves and their impact on others. I realize I need to do marketing to make people aware of my writing and also meet my expenses along the way.
CALLIOPE: Noble of you. How do you balance your communication and the business aspects of writing?
JOE: Good question. I have been thinking about that one for quite a while. There have been times I have been tempted to try writing something which would make a lot of money. Then I realized this was a distraction from what my writing is really about. I am struggling to keep a balance and stay focused. I wonder if there are other writers with this same dilemma. I would like to hear from them.
CALLIOPE: So what are you up to today?
JOE: I am off to Tonawanda shortly to do a police candidate evaluation, one of the few remaining psychological tasks I have. Then I will be back at the computer exploring the writing world and my place in it.
CALLIOPE: Any specific goals for today?
JOE: Yes. I have been planning to design a logo for my writing and plan to at least start working on it today. Time for work. Talk with you tomorrow.

(Sitting in Herman Melville's pew- Seaman's Bethel, New Bedford, MA)