"Looking Around" and "The Moral Point of View"

“Looking Around”

“Writing is about learning to pay attention and to communicate what is going on.”

For me, this quote means that we observe all that is around us, our being, others, the planet and all everything natural about it. It means looking at what is out there, figuring out what it means for us, and then telling others what is it that we believe about it; what we agree with, and what we do not agree with. Where Anne Lamott mentions that writers are to see people as the really are, and that we need to know who we are first, I think that only part of that is true. I do not believe that we have the right to judge others, but that by learning and observing others, we come to know ourselves. Thus, we cannot fully know who we are before we can see people for whom they really are. I know that that sounds discombobulated, but it’s really not if you think about it. For me, I believe that the people we are around shape who we become, whether or not we want to admit it. I have a little bit of my parents in me, their parents, my siblings, friends, cousins, aunts and uncles too. Why is this? Because I grew up around them and am still around them quite frequently, thus, they shape who I am and who I am becoming.

So basically I agree that as writers, we need to observe our surroundings, as well as ourselves, but I do not agree that we have to know who we really are before we can observe who others really are.

“The Moral Point of View”

In this chapter, Lamott writes about writing what we believe. But not only what we believe, what we believe and are passionate about. I agree. If we are not writing about something that we are passionate about, then why are we writing? If it is not something we care about, we cannot put true feelings and experiences into it. I also do not believe that we can write about someone else’s beliefs is we do not believe them ourselves. Sure we know their feelings and their experiences, but we cannot relate. We may care about what they went through yes, but can we see it through their eyes, and which side do we take?

Lamott writes that “Human rights begin and extend to your characters, no matter how horrible they are. You have to respect the qualities that make them who they are.” To me, this says that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and that we don’t have to agree with them, but we have to respect them and their beliefs. Our differences are what make us unique. If we were all the same, we wouldn’t have our own opinions or beliefs, we wouldn’t be entitled to think either. And the point that I believe Lamott is trying to make is that that is how writing is as well, and how it should continue to be. Not everyone is going to agree with what everyone writes, but that’s ok; as long as we respect the person and what they believe, then everyone is entitled to write them down.