'Drunk, and in charge of a bicycle'

Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) did more to inspire me than any other writer.

I have a dog-eared, highlighted and yellowed copy of his Zen in the Art of Writing within reach at nearly all times and several quotes from it in a file on my desktop labeled 'In Case of Emergency.' His words, bold, simple and pure, are more than just a reflection of who he was. They're a reflection of who we all should be: enthusiastic about life and adventurous in its execution.

The above quote came from that book, as did the title for this entry (It is perhaps my favorite title, dating back to my time in Eugene, OR, when it quite frequently applied to my state of mind and activity). Here are some more:

"Every day I jump out of bed and step on a landmine. That landmine is me."

"So while our art cannot, as we wish it could, save us from wars, privation, envy, greed, old age or death, it can revitalize it amidst it all."

"We must take arms each and every day, perhaps knowing that the battle cannot be entirely won, but fight we must, if only a gentle bout. The smallest effort to win means, at the end of each day, a sort of victory."

"If you are writing without zest, without gusto, without love, without fun, you are only half a writer."

His advice was directed toward writers, of course, but it applies to life, too. Passion, he says, often saves the day.

I use the quote 'You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you' often enough, when I'm trying to convince myself to sit down and actually do the job. I've had a tough year so far, and thought it was particularly appropriate. Only yesterday did I realize that I was reciting it to myself and others, but not really embracing the concept. the difficulties I've had in piling up the word count stem from the fact that I was, once, 'drunk on writing,' but have since sobered up. I have managed to take all the fun out of it.

One of his final interviews--I have since lost the link--contains this gem: "I don’t think about what I do. I do it. I jump off the cliff and build my wings on the way down."

It is not very practical advice for adventure seekers, but writers can do a lot worse. For everyone else, I think it means it's okay to take a chance; it's good to take a wild leap, to live life with gusto and seek that zest and gusto we may have lost.

Thanks for the parting words, Ray. Thanks for the stories.