Think On These Things

Research Materials or Organized Clutter?

     In my last post I said that “my home office is strewn with papers, magazines, newspapers, and other research materials. Most of them laying open to certain pages, articles, dates, and so forth. Books are everywhere, opened or closed. I straighten it all up occasionally. While I’m working on a project the material has to be out within reach. And I’m usually working on several projects.” It is certainly the truth. In that particular instance, I was portraying it in a good light. But it does have another side.

     I refer to it as organized clutter. However, there is a point at which it stops being organized and begins to detract from the work at hand. When I am looking for a paper and look through four stacks - still not finding it - I know it is time to file and re-organize. When it takes ten to fifteen minutes to find the paper, book, or such and less than a minute to check the fact I was looking to validate.

     The point at which it ceases to be organized clutter coincides with the times when I have what is generally summed up as writer’s block. Yet it is never as simple as that. Oftentimes, for me, it comes down to life with three teenage boys overcoming the mind-set it takes to write. So I spend a day going through all of the piles - including the bills - and cleaning up the clutter.

     I straighten the floor first. Which entails scanning the newspapers before moving them to the recycle stack. Rotating the magazines from floor to research table to coffee table. Ending up with those for filing or recycling. Filing stacks of research papers that have overflowed from the desk and research table.

     Moving to the desk and research table, I make notes I need before filing materials in current use - eliminating them from the piles. Then I file the stacks that have been waiting patiently for me to place them in their respective folders. I transfer books in stacks on the desk and research table to stacks on overflowing bookcase shelves. I make another mental note to put the three bookcases together that are still in the box.

     Hopefully, by this time my muse has awoken and an idea is germinating in my mind. In that case I just start writing - typing as fast as I can - keeping on the heels of the train of thought. If the train stalls, I wash the dishes and think about it. There are times when I dry off my hands and run to my desk to type frantically - still wearing the gloves (I have sensitive skin and my hands dry and crack easily).

     On the other hand, if the muse stayed dormant and did not appear, at least I am organized again. Maybe I can get to those bookcases.

     Peace be with you.

Writing Church Histories

One of my current projects is writing a book about the history of our church (Christ United Methodist Church, Farmers Branch). Which means my home office is strewn with papers, magazines, newspapers, and other research materials. Most of them laying open to certain pages, articles, dates, and so forth. Books are everywhere, opened or closed. I straighten it all up occasionally. While I’m working on a project the material has to be out within reach. And I’m usually working on several projects. Fortunately, technology allows having the pictures I need on cd - scans of older pictures - or I would have a few extra boxes rather than a stack of cds that is growing faster than the weeds in the yard.

Today, I picked up a large batch of church newspapers from the 1980's at the church that a long time member dropped off. I am finding myself as temporary archivist while I write the history and file the archives when I complete it . The newspapers are a wealth of information. They help to fill in several holes in my research and open up other avenues of information. As I was sorting through them, answers to questions were popping off pages. Not to mention sending me mentally back to the 80's.

One of the idiosyncracies of writing a church history - or any history for that matter - is finding oneself in a different time. While writing the history of my ancestor’s church in Tennessee a few years ago, I took a journey to the 19^th century. It was necessary to put myself in that time to get a proper perspective on attitudes, habits, and morality of the time. This present journey is intensive on another level.

As for the history of our church, I grew up at the same time as the church. Since Cyndy was one of the first babies of the church - born the year the church began - it is also in some ways my wife’s history. Unlike the history of Salem Church in Tennessee, with only two people living who attended the church in its latter years, there are quite a few of the charter members of our church who still attend services and more who remember past decades of the church’s history.

With the history of CUMC I will be not only going back to an earlier time, but also reliving my own life at the same time. Which means I will have to face some demons from the past that I would rather leave on a top shelf of my memory - safely out of reach. Looking through the historical background to events of each decade, my thoughts will naturally drift toward my involvement - or non-involvement of, reaction to, or attitude about those events. However much at times I would rather not take that path.

That is the catch-22 of doing research and writing histories. Particular when relatives, friends, and ancestors are involved. To write a good, authentic history requires living in the time being researched, at least on some level. Then portray those thoughts, feelings, and attitudes through your writing. It is a fascinating journey, certainly worth taking.

Had any experiences studying, researching, or writing historical materials? Please share your experiences or any thoughts or questions you may have about writing - Christian writing in particular, but all writers are welcome.

Peace be with you.