Discuss Detroit » Archives - Connections II » VENI, VIDI, VICI, TPONETOM « Previous Next »
Top of pageBottom of page

Tponetom
Member
Username: Tponetom

Post Number: 303
Registered: 06-2007
Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 7:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

One day, my high school English instructor, Brother Brendan, began our class in dead silence, for about 15 or 20 seconds. Then his voice thundered out the words:
VENI, VIDI, VICI! More silence followed.
Then he expounded. He said, “Those words are of a historical nature. I came, I saw,
I conquered. They are profound words, but they tell a lousy story.
I came? (You came from where and where were you going to?)
I saw? (What did you see?)
I conquered? (Who or what did you conquer?”
He went on to say that a simple true story, told in a simple way, would relate a message to the reader but it might very well, not entertain or intrigue the reader.
He suggested two caveats, (coming from him, they were mandates) the first being, never embellish the plain facts of your true story and the other one was, embellish your descriptions of nouns, verbs and adjectives to a level that will make you, the writer, smile, frown, shiver, laugh or maybe bring a tear to your eye.
He said to try to reach your own limit of credibility in understanding and believing what you are writing, and ask yourself if you are being entertained.

Here is a short example of what I am talking about: When I was young and in my prime,,
I stood 5'9 ½" inches tall. (Bare feet) My best playing weight was 170. I was faster than a bullet. Well, maybe a slow bullet. My tenacity was legend. Larry Brown, later, a City Champion had me down 20-10 in our handball match. I ran off 11 points in a roll and won the game.
Today, fifty years later, I stand 5' 7" and weigh 135. The skin, covering my bones, would be more aptly identified as ‘onion skin paper.’ The eight inch scar on either knee reminds me not to lean more than 3 degrees in any direction because when gravity joins in, I do not have the strength to resist it annnnnd down I go again. I think it is the extra added weight of my titanium knee joints. O. K., so you get the picture.
Now go back to the (4th) above paragraph. I wake up in the morning and I look at myself in the mirror, I shiver. Then, I vaguely recognize the countenance staring back at me. I frown. When positive identification is admitted, I smile, hoping to laugh in order to stave off the tears welling up in my eyes.

However, there is one field of endeavor that I still reign supreme on. The United States Naval Observatory still calls me every morning to get the correct, to the nanosecond, time.
My bowels are that regular.
.
Endorsement of my contributions to the Forum, by some of the members, reincarnates an attitude that was a constant bedfellow in all of my days in Detroit. That attitude was, and still is, simply, one of excitement.
From adolescence, to middle age and beyond, there was never a day in my life that I failed to anticipate something good or something new and sometimes, something foreboding.
There was never a period of idleness of my mind. There were periods of physical exhaustion, from work or play, but that gave my friends and me time to ruminate the problems of the world , and solve none of them.
Top of pageBottom of page

Eriedearie
Member
Username: Eriedearie

Post Number: 1745
Registered: 08-2007
Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 9:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Brother Brendan would be proud of you. Your writing certainly has the smile, frown, shiver, laugh, or tear to my eye, effect on me.

Thanks for the above.
:-)
Top of pageBottom of page

Django
Member
Username: Django

Post Number: 748
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 9:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Looking forward to more of yours. And I love it that your in the "connect" section.
Top of pageBottom of page

Kathinozarks
Member
Username: Kathinozarks

Post Number: 1267
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 9:44 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

... annnnnd down I go again.

-------------

That one word made me laugh out loud. A very descriptive 'and'. I hope you meant it to be funny, because I got a kick out of it.
Top of pageBottom of page

Django
Member
Username: Django

Post Number: 760
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 2:39 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Kath, that was the one that cracked me up also. You can just picture it. LOL
Top of pageBottom of page

Kathinozarks
Member
Username: Kathinozarks

Post Number: 1269
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 9:11 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I just said it in my head again and snorted with a chuckle.
Hey Django, - I'm glad you thought it was funny too.

Add Your Message Here
Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.