Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Hell, Hatchlings, and the Elegance of Longing

Longing may be elegant, but it also hurts like hell.

Long too much, too long, and you invite exhaustion. Emotional and physical. Quite a frustrating situation when it is longing that fuels your writing.

Because sometimes, you'd rather just curl up in a ball and read, rather than bleed regret.

There's more to be said, you know. But you also know now's not the time to say it. If you're sick, you can't donate blood. Of course, you also can't donate blood if you've recently been to Mexico, but that has no immediately obvious parallel in the extended metaphor.

Though, upon further contemplation, it could be about an incubation period.

When longing incubates, what hatches?

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posted by Jill at 1/24/2006 12:00:00 AM

24 Comments:

  • i'm not sure, but long gone are the days when it could be easily treated with penicillin.

    By Blogger ducklet, At 1/24/2006 12:17:00 AM  

  • Oh gosh, do you think it requires an injection? I'm not a fan of needles. I hate being punctured.

    By Blogger Jill, At 1/24/2006 12:21:00 AM  

  • mmm - I went to Mexico City two months ago and let me just say our Americanized idea of the entire country is wrong. Equate it to people saying your NYC is dangerous. It's about being smart, safe, street savy, and using common sense.

    But holding on to longing? Yeah. I totally get that. "When longing incubates, what hatches?" Can be purely situational.

    By Blogger Sass, At 1/24/2006 01:06:00 AM  

  • Amen, sista! You hacked into my mind again, especially the part about longing that fuels the writing.

    What hatches? A masterpiece, maybe...

    By Blogger ChickyBabe, At 1/24/2006 01:26:00 AM  

  • Funny you should mention that now. Alex, I'll take massive confusion for 500.

    vword=guamdp...oh yeah pacific island 2 on 1...giggidy, giggidy!

    By Blogger Claven, At 1/24/2006 02:24:00 AM  

  • "Control thy passions, lest they take vengeance on thee." as good old Epictetus said. Longing, and passion, are like fire. A controlled burn is the most productive, but that control can so easily slip away.

    When longing incubates, what hatches? The latest Margaret Atwood novel? Perhaps, another British romantic comedy for the big screen? Another blog? Ah, if we're lucky, Jill's latest play/novel/etc.

    By Anonymous Network Geek, At 1/24/2006 07:26:00 AM  

  • So many answers to that question. I'd say a piece of chicklit or a romcom movie. Maybe an out-of-control night. Hmmm, that last one isn't too bad, is it?

    Good luck with your longing, and not longing too long.

    By Blogger Cheryl, At 1/24/2006 09:16:00 AM  

  • when longing incubates frustration and annoyance hatches and then you're fed up. for me at least.

    By Blogger Amanda, At 1/24/2006 10:04:00 AM  

  • i suspect what hatches is a hangover and a very large credit card bill. or so i hear.

    By Blogger kat, At 1/24/2006 11:12:00 AM  

  • I think Sass is right -- what hatches is situational. But recently, for me, the only thing longing has hatched is heartbreak. I'm patiently waiting for the situation where that isn't the case.

    By Blogger Amber, At 1/24/2006 11:53:00 AM  

  • Would you believe I've never been to Mexico? Sass, I think you're right. Situational.

    And I hope ChickyBabe is also right--that the situation will yield a masterpiece. Or, at the very least, a decent play that I can produce.

    Ah, Quagmire on Jeopardy. Claven, you're always entertaining.

    Actually, Geek, I'm thinking more of a holding pattern than a raging fire here. Holding pattern=not so useful for fueling the writing fire.

    Not too bad at all, Cheryl!

    Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Amanda. :(

    I have a feeling you are also correct, Kat, but in this case, the credit card bill dates from a previous case of longing. The kind that says, "Hey, let's go to Italy for a month."

    Amber! Heartbreak and a simultaneous break from Ben and Jerry? Say it isn't so!

    By Blogger Jill, At 1/24/2006 12:06:00 PM  

  • Ah yes, longing...real familiar with that emotion these days. Last night it left me in a heap on my bed crying. Good times. The incubation period for me hasn't been that long but I never was good with patience. *sigh*

    By Blogger Kendra, At 1/24/2006 12:23:00 PM  

  • Longing without action can lead to nothing but heartache. Longing with action can lead to resolution so that you can have those heartstrings back, and long anew.
    There's nothing wrong with longing, it's oh so human, and it provides a wonderful stimulus to action.
    Great movie example: As Good As It Gets. Jacks Character needed just that kick in the pants to get moving and change just exactly what he was.
    What can emmerge is a new being from that wonderfully painful shell.
    Longing is the impetus of change.
    Embrace it, and sprinkle in some action, you'll be surprised by the result.

    By Blogger trueborn, At 1/24/2006 01:53:00 PM  

  • What incubates?

    The sick little chick that hasn't the will to keep up with the rest, and eventually gets eaten by the cat. Resignation.

    or

    The little pecker that pecks his pecking way out of the shell, and eventually shows everyone what roosting is all about. Action.

    By Anonymous peefer, At 1/24/2006 02:23:00 PM  

  • Is longing the same as yearning, or like U2's Desire? I guess you get a fever. Sometimes one placates their true desire with whatever happens to be lying around at the time, which can be acceptable but may also lead to terrible results.

    Of course there is also the school of thought that sometimes the entire thing is about longing, and that it's the pursuit that is really the best part of the entire thing. It's better sometimes when we don't get to touch our dreams. I think this syndrome, however, can sometimes be the result of some deeper underlying problem. But now we get back into things I brought up in the first comment I ever left on your blog, I believe.

    By Blogger -J, At 1/24/2006 03:36:00 PM  

  • Oh, no, Kendra! And you're on a break from Ben & Jerry as well, no? It's all their fault!

    Trueborn, I have to say, I'm finding you very inspirational. :) Will you be my Yoda? Please? Remember, there is no "try".

    Point taken, Pecker--I mean, Peefer. I hope I get a reaction for my action.

    J -- Your first comment on my blog was about Buttercup being a priss. I'm sure you're referring to something else.

    By Blogger Jill, At 1/24/2006 04:01:00 PM  

  • Let me rephrase, it relates back to the earliest post of yours on which I commented.

    By Blogger -J, At 1/24/2006 05:22:00 PM  

  • Longlets??? When eggs incubate you get chicks so. . . .oh wait. . . not chicklets. . . .nevermind. What is a baby long exactly. . . . shorts? When longing incubates you get shorts. Yep thats it.
    Actually, I think longing breeds change. It is up to your own desires and drive to determine if that change is for the better or for the worse. Here's hoping for the better.
    I just couldn't resist the incubates attempt at funny.

    By Blogger lil'bitty, At 1/24/2006 06:07:00 PM  

  • So many horrible things hatch, so toss out the incubator and be an open wound. Sometimes it hurts a lot less.

    By Blogger Megan, At 1/24/2006 06:14:00 PM  

  • disappointment

    By Blogger a fish on a bycicle, At 1/24/2006 07:16:00 PM  

  • I've always thought that wanting was better than having. Wanting is what life's about, and having only serves to punctuate the longing.

    By Anonymous anne arkham, At 1/24/2006 08:08:00 PM  

  • "After a time, you may find that 'having' is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as 'wanting.' It is not logical, but it is often true."--Spock, "Amok Time," stardate 3372.7.

    Ah, Jill, you see, for me longing often equals unrequited love, which, of course, equals the dangerously hot, hurty kind of passion. Or, as my poor mother said not too long ago, "You always did feel everything more than everyone else".

    By Anonymous Network Geek, At 1/24/2006 08:36:00 PM  

  • Jill - once again, your inner monologue is great. I am jealous of your ability to get that inner voice into words. I struggle with it. Take care.

    By Blogger Egan, At 1/24/2006 08:42:00 PM  

  • Oh, I see, J.

    Actually, that was very entertaining, Lil Bitty. I may have to borrow that... longlets...

    Funny you should mention that, Megan. I was thinking "open wound" when I wrote this post, but I was going places that were a bit too gory with the metaphor.

    Way to look on the bright side, Fish!

    I've often liked to look at it that way as well, Anne, but then sometimes I think that's just my masochistic side talking.

    But sometimes dangerously hot, hurty passion is... well... hot. I feel things a bit too strongly myself, Geek.

    Thank you so much, Egan, you sweet thing. Let me know if I can help. ;)

    By Blogger Jill, At 1/25/2006 12:03:00 AM  

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