Ellie Mae

Ellie Mae
Beautiful Ellie Mae

Freddie, the French Bulldog

Freddie, the French Bulldog
Lazing on a sunny afternoon

The artist

The artist
Ollie Mac

Ollie and Annie

Ollie and Annie
Azorean grandmother

Acrylics and watercolors

Acrylics and watercolors
Cannabis and sunflowers

Papa and Ollie Mac

Papa and Ollie Mac
Priorities, Baby

Acrylics and watercolors

Acrylics and watercolors
Hollyhocks

Mahlon Masling Blue

Mahlon Masling Blue
My friend and brother.

Mark's E-mail address

bellspringsmark@gmail.com

Friday, February 10, 2012

The Salon of the Fine Line or The Fine Line Salon

The Salon of the Fine Line
or
The Fine Line Salon
Good News!  I have named the salon The Fine Line Salon, after contemplating the nature of the moniker, that would be the designated gathering place for “eminent writers.”  Remember, that was part of the definition of “salon,” and I figured nothing was better than “walking a fine line between two opposing sides or aspects.”  We still have to enter through the swinging doors, and sawdust is available upon request, for those who desire.
A “fine line” represents a gray area.  Here are three examples: candidates wanting to get votes from everyone, walk a fine line, and campaign promises are much more likely to depict those nebulous “shades of gray;” drinking with friends, and alcoholism; speaking your mind and being a bitch (bitch being non-gender specific); being careful and being neurotic.  That’s four, and that’s why I taught language arts and not math, he said lamely.
Do not confuse “fine line” with “thin line.”  To walk a “thin line” is to be in danger, or close to danger.  A parent tells a child she is walking a thin line, when the child may be pushing the wrong buttons, a little too methodically.  Kids who get embroiled in organizations which place unrealistic expectations on parents with staccato-like regularity, walk a thin line.  Innocent bloggers, who get embroiled in their colleagues’ sites, walk a thin line as far as how long partner and kids will tolerate said thin ice, not to mix my metaphors.
I had to first reject “Scrawled Offerings,” which I loved, until I put the word salon after it, and saw S.O.S.  I mean, sos can also stand for “slop on a shingle,” or “sounds of silence,” but I decided that was a good enough  reason to stick with The Fine Line.   I’m still relishing the part of the definition that includes “eminent.”  I mean, first I had to clarify for myself that we were talking important, and not about-to-happen, as in imminent.  That was my first thought.  The second and more lasting thought, is that we are “eminent.”
We scrawl (that would be me) or we sculpt, it’s kind of all the same thing.  Maybe one in seven, lucky seven, of my written pieces, is one that makes me say, “That was kind of sweet,” keeping in mind the gold mine of available synonyms for sweet that can be applied.  Otherwise, it’s like exercising: you do the same basic task, in the same manner, hopefully with some semblance of routine, and the effect is the one you desire.  It doesn’t make a shred of difference, ultimately, what anyone else thinks, though if you go it alone too frequently, you just may find yourself thinking solo.  But you are still eminent.
What makes us eminent, is our efforts to complete the process of transferring information from within our minds, with all its swirling, infinite existing tracts, to our computers.  In my description of myself, when first accessing my blog, I comment that my therapy last year, has freed me up to do just that.  It’s a miracle to me.  Words on paper, that used to be located in all of that built-up morass that was my anxiety-ridden self, with a happy-to-comply brain.
Whatever path got you to the point where you attempt to do this writing process, without pay, for whatever reason, also got you eminence.  For once, there’s no “fine line.”  Just the occasional well-turned phrase, or fine line.

7 comments:

  1. The Fine Line Salon-- there's power in a name.

    "...it’s like exercising: you do the same basic task, in the same manner, hopefully with some semblance of routine, and the effect is the one you desire. It doesn’t make a shred of difference, ultimately, what anyone else thinks, though if you go it alone too frequently, you just may find yourself thinking solo. But you are still eminent."

    I hope so, and thanks for reading my blog-- your comments have helped me become a better writer, Mark. This Nablopomo daily blogging has benefited me, even when I can't always see the progress.

    Also, wow, what a post you've written!

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  2. Thanks, Melanie. High praise indeed, and much appreciated. We are all part of each other's forward progress, because we "listen" with our eyes.

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  3. I love that you pointed out that double-meaning thing at the end because I was thinking it the whole time as I read. Considering how, er, well-seasoned many of us are, "fine line" could also apply to facial "anomalies." ;)

    Excellent choice!!

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  4. That bottom line was certainly the fine line I was ultimately aiming at. I just try to avoid using the maul, because of a bad shoulder. :)

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  5. Oh, and masked Mom? As far as the Facial "anomalies" go, that's where the mustache comes into play-keeps them off-guard, and they don't notice...

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  6. I'm still working on the "speaking your mind" and "being a bitch" part of the fine line......

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  7. Well, not anyone we know, of course...

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