Yearly Archives: 2016

Concentrating on writing, I’m learning about readers.

Readers come in all sorts.

Voracious readers just like to have words in front of them.  Keep a good flow and off they go!  With a wide variety of reading material having brushed by their eyes, they prefer well written prose and poetry.

Issue readers don’t care about personal details.  Understand and outline the problem with integrity.  List the solutions and they are pleased. 

Story readers want character development.  A lady standing at the corner needs description.  What is she wearing?  What is she thinking?  How are her emotions?  Who is noticing her?  Where is she headed?

The list can go on.

Now, imagine the harried artist.  The question is not their ability.  Nor the resources needed to complete their art.  The question is how you approach the audience. 

Will you merely tickle their ears?  Or will your vibrations awaken their hearing?

Will you merely soothe their eyes?  Or will your colours light up their lives?

Will your words merely entertain?  Or will your vocabulary expand their horizons?

I’ve just written a column for one of our local media outlets – Kindersley Social.  The column talks of my roots – my grandparents and the heritage I have inherited from them.

You can check out the column by clicking here.

Or, if you don’t want to end up on a phishing trip, and actually like to see where you are headed, the website address is http://kindersleysocial.ca/ron-baker-roots/

How do you get heard?  How does news get known?  OK, all of us have our “aunt” who knows everything – back in the day they were graciously called the grapevine.

With the printing press, the past few centuries broke in upon a formerly visual/audio age with easily accessibly reading material.  The book in felt form was a pleasure to hold and behold.  The printed page sought to reign supreme in disseminating the “word”.

To pass on news, newspapers were enlisted by propagandists, community leaders, entrepreneurs and a myriad of others.  The advent of radio and television meant new audiences.  And now the internet adds to the mix.

With the increase in media outlets, information is even harder to obtain, while being more widely available. 

I can phone, text, Google, Facebook, email . . . to check on the status of the world.   The search can be exhausting.

Those who wish to reach me with their information must do more than just throw out the seeds of truth.  They must find out which field I inhabit, which row I most often use, and which hole I’m now in.   

The glory days of broad-casting media/information/news are in jeopardy.  Have been for awhile.  But the narrow-casting of media makes finding news difficult.  Search engines or trusted distributors have and will become our first go-to for media.   

And we’ll contact our aunts to see what’s really important!

Travel has been restricted for some in our district.

A local travel agency has apparently been unable to fulfil their responsibilities.  A number has been floated – 150 or more affected.

On behalf of their clients, full travel costs were not forwarded to various airlines and resorts by the travel agency.  Whole trips, vacations, and destination weddings were compromised.

There is something about an intermediary that requires great trust. 

We seldom consider that we come as the weak ones to the relationship.  We have decided we cannot do this on our own.  We cannot care for the transaction, harbour the treasure, or even know the next step without another to guide us, protect us and resource us.

The word “entrust” is used.  On our behalf, someone takes care of the intricacies of a transaction.  On our behalf,  someone forwards money to complete a sale.  On our behalf, someone cares for our treasures.

We “bond” people who are entrusted with our welfare.  In a very real way, they are now attached to our lives.  Their ability, their resources, their very word are now ours. 

Our best efforts to appraise the one who will act on our behalf is only half the equation. 

The trusted one can change.  Their best intentions can be skewed by peer pressure, poor choices, market volatility, overreaching self-confidence, the vagaries of time that wear away at us.

In our mortal world our expectations must be realistic.  Only God never changes.  We do!

And with that in mind, consider your agent as part of yourself.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  From the moment you engage their services, be gracious to them, support them, find a way to help them.  In failure, find a way to restore their lives.  And where there is no repentance, pray for them.

We are not here to harm, but to help.