I’m going to do the equivalent of a ‘retweet’ (re-blog?), and share a great blog post I just read. The story behind it is kind of interesting.
The other night, I was out in New York City’s Greenwich Village neighborhood, having drinks with a friend. We were jokingly celebrating the ‘end of the world,’ which was rumored to take place on Sat. May 21st (which, as anyone with an ounce of intelligent, independent thought figured, came and passed without incident). I excused myself to use the restroom of the bar we’d stumbled into, where framed on the wall I saw the typewritten document in the picture.
Despite being ‘off duty’ from the creative process for an evening, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of inspiration coming on. I had no idea how the words of some unfamiliar man in Wisconsin with an old typewriter got to be posted in the bathroom of this hip restaurant/bar in Greenwich Village. All I knew was that thanks to what I’d just read, I eagerly looked forward to the next time I’d be sitting with my laptop, guitar or any other creative tool. I was reminded of why I do what I do, with music and words.
Next to the frame was a handwritten note indicating that copies of this typed document were available for free, simply by asking at the bar. I did so to the delight of the bartenders, who considered it a victory anytime someone asked for a copy (and rightfully so). As they were very busy, the bar was packed and very loud (Saturday night in Manhattan, and ‘The Rapture’ no less…), I couldn’t quite catch their brief explanation of the document. But the next day, some quick internet searches revealed the full story behind the ‘One Fingered Manuscript.’
I’ve decided to post these inspirational words and the story behind them here. Start by clicking on the picture and then read the typewritten text. Next, read the words below from the blog post. That will explain everything. I Hope you get as much enjoyment out of this as I have.
GRANDPA’S ONE-FINGERED MANUSCRIPT STILL SHOWS ME THE WAY.
By Brian Bartels
If you ever have the chance to drop by Joseph Leonard, a restaurant in the heart of Greenwich Village, inside you will find a framed, typed letter written by my grandfather, Roland Bartels, during the 1980s. The full-page call to action is titled “Why Write????” It offers a retired man’s contemplations on the creative possibilities surrounding his own life, but if you take the general sentiment away, you’ll find a point-blank ode to being creative, no matter what artistic pursuit one engages in.
Roland, or “Rollie,” as he was called, lived in small town Shawano, Wisconsin, most of his life. When he retired, he made a very dedicated effort to not sit and watch television for his remaining years. He felt television suffocated his responsibilities as a human being. And though his arthritis would act up on occasion, he persevered in a myriad of ways, writing stories on his typewriter one finger at a time.
In our contemporary Digital Age, some may have even pigeonholed my grandpa as a good old-fashioned blogger of sorts. His writing was honest, confrontational and sincere, embodying curiosities of the world at large and, more specifically, his neighborhood and community. Many of his articles reflect a voice of unending curiosity toward the world: “Why does the world act this way?” “Who did this person at the Post Office budging in line think he/she was?” “Where’s the best fish fry on a Friday evening?” The one-finger-typed letters harbor grammatical and physical errors, which I believe celebrates their uniqueness, since I feel that mistakes are beautiful.
My grandpa was a poet, an essayist, a lover of image and soil and word — a philosopher with a Hallmark smile and the grace of a soul singer. Yet amassed within all these spiritual odysseys, my grandpa was, at his finest, a very good person, one willing to help his fellow man at the drop of a hat.
I am grateful that his writing is on display at Joseph Leonard, where “Why Write????” is framed in the restroom. He would chuckle that “Above the toilet is the perfect place for such drivel!” Joking aside, “Why Write????” is a mantra for anyone aspiring to find creativity in life. We keep copies behind the bar for people who ask for one — we had to when people kept stealing the framed copy!
Complete post here.