Sharing Ideas

I was recently in Key West with my family and some dear friends.  We had a wonderful time exploring the island, and joining in on the frivolity of Duval St.  We ate some outstanding food, especially seafood, heard some great music, and found some amazing beaches.  Watching the sunset in Mallory Square with all the other revelers was great.

But for me, the high point was visiting the Hemingway House. You literature geeks probably know, Ernest Hemingway lived in Key West for 10 years or so during the 30's and did some of his best writing there.  He would write in the mornings, and then troll the bars and clubs the rest of the day. He shared his home on Whitehead St., with his family and some 6-toe cats, where their descendants (the 6-toe cats) still live.  The house tour was fantastic (if you like that kind of thing) and for me brought me back to my early college years in the 60's.  I remember as a college freshman at Youngstown State University reading Hemingway and marveling at his quick prose, and descriptions done so crisp and clear.

As the son of a writer (my dad wrote and was the editor of our local newspaper) I have always had a drive to write and to this day, love the opportunity to share ideas in writing.  Of course, in this day and age, it seems that writing (and reading) are becoming a lost art. With YouTube and quick references of Wikipedia, the art of reading is becoming a bit lost.

Still, it seems that when I read something, as opposed to watching a clip, or hearing something, I am so much more impacted.  Neurologists feel that this is driven by the brains ability to see, or interpret what you are reading makes a deeper impression.  To this end, reading will always trump the other options for gaining and understanding new information.

So the next time you want to share an idea, remember Hemingway. Think about what you want to share and be quick with your prose, and clear and distinct with your points.  People will understand your idea in a much more impactful way!