And She Pondered These Things In Her Heart

There is a bible passage regarding Mary that states at some point, "and Mary pondered these things in her heart." Note that she didn't think about them, she didn't wonder about them, she pondered them. What a powerful statement. And it was not confined to her head, but encompassed her heart, which was widely considered to be the control center for the body. Essentially, Mary's ponderings were an all-consuming affair that she considered seriously, deeply, and somewhat uneasily. These people knew how to write!
My own writing, sadly, is far below that level. However, on my way home from Target today I heard an NPR story regarding writing and playing. The man on the radio told me I needed to quit worrying about my larger plan and just start to write. Nothing will get done if I am constantly looking at the big picture, trying to determine where my contribution should fit into the larger historiography. He told me that I have to play with the writing, and not expect analytical material immediately. Get the process started, build my sandcastle so to speak, and judge it on its merits when it is done.
I have decided to listen to the little man in the radio. After all, he apparently knows where I live and what car I drive, as he tends to follow me most everywhere. So today I started the actual writing process for my thesis. I have no idea where it will lead, and I have no idea how I am going to get there, and one day I will ponder these things in my heart. For now, I am simply going to write.
On a lighter note, Andy and I enjoyed his weekend off. We spent Sunday as a family, but on Saturday we did the downtown Art and Wine Walk with some good friends. It is now Tuesday, and the warm sunshine, good company, and fresh air of that day is still with me, despite the rather objectionable weather of the last few days. I am so happy that we took the time to enjoy each other!