To Ease the Passing of Time

That’s the title I gave to my blog. It’s from a quote by a famous Argentinian writer, Jorge Luis Borges, “I write for myself and for my friends, and to ease the passing of time.” I’ve never read any of the books that Borges wrote and I don't know why he claims that, for him, writing is a way to ease the passing of time, but for some reasons that I will try to explore in this article, it seems to work for me.

For me, writing is like gathering the pieces of a puzzle to create an image, or sewing together random patches of material of different sizes and colours to make a quilt.

Past experiences with the people that I have met, the ones that I loved, the ones who became my friends or my enemies, the ones who hurt me as well as the ones who healed me, the silly and joyful conversations that I had with friends when we were drunk, or the serious discussions about life and destiny, sometimes in the middle of sleepless nights, that I had with the same friends when we were sober, the books that I read and the movies that I saw that made me look at life through someone else's eyes, the beautiful songs and music that touched my soul and brought tears to my eyes, they are all memories scattered over time and space like leaves blown by the autumn wind. Writing helps me bring everything together to tell a story that gives me a better understanding of where I come from, what made me what I am, what I believe, and ultimately what is really important to me.  

In that sense, like Borges, I can say that I write for myself. It's a way of meditating. Sometimes I feel that it's even like praying. It helps me connect with another dimension, both inside and outside of me. Borges adds that he also writes for his friends. I think that writing as if you are talking to a friend, someone that you care for, and that you know cares for you, just to tell him or her a story, or how you feel and what you think, helps you focus and express yourself more clearly. Whether you think your friend is going to read what you write or not is not that important. 

For me, writing is also like carving my name on a tree to say that I was there, or throwing a bottle with a message in the ocean with the hope that someone will find it and get in touch with me. It comes, I believe, from that desire that we have to share our experiences and ask others questions like, "Did this ever happen to you? What do you think about this or that?" It is also, I believe, to share our human condition and vulnerability with other human beings...and perhaps to be reassured that we are not crazy and not the only ones to think about all the silly things we think about.

Sharing our thoughts, opinions and what we went through with other people is also a way to ease the passing of time because we can learn from their own experiences and their way of looking at things. It also makes us feel like we are not alone. One of the bottles that I threw in the ocean ended up in France. It was found by a poet who also writes novels. We became friends. She always writes thoughtful and interesting comments about the stuff that I write. Her blog is full of uplifting and inspiring articles, poems, images and music.

Is that what Borges had in mind when he said that he was writing for himself and his friends, and that writing was for him a way to ease the passing of time? I don’t know. But since he wrote so many books, I guess he probably likes to write. Writing must bring him some kind of satisfaction, pleasure and comfort.

I think that regardless of the fact that it can be a very useful way for me to come to terms with my past and understand myself better, and sometimes make a connection with friends and family members, writing is fun. It's something that I really enjoy doing. Some people like to cook, grow flowers or carve wood; others like painting, line dancing or taking photographs. I love writing, and I think that there is no better way to ease the passing of time than by doing what you really like to do.