Writing, Johnny Cash, and Plumbing A favorite movie of mine is "Walk the Line" about Johnny Cash, and one of my favorite scenes is how the kid working at the shoe shine stand inspired him to compose the song "Get Rhythm."
It may sound strange, but I had a similar experience not long ago when a plumber came over to replace a leaky hose under my kitchen sink. He was working and squirming down there with a particularly balky part and said in half-laughter, "I guess this is why I got into plumbing, because it pisses me off and frustrates me." Nevertheless, after thirty minutes he successfully finished the job and left with a check and a smile.
Later I thought about it some and wondered if writers aren't the same breed. We may get pi'od and frustrated over balky sentences, words, and chapter structures but like my friendly plumber stick with the job until it's completed to our satisfaction.
May all our leaky hoses be cooperative ones, and for those that aren't, well, ....
"Get rhythm!
When you get the blues!
C'mon get rhythm!
When you get the blues!
"Get a rock and roll feeling in your bones,
Put taps on your toes, and get goin'
Get rhythm!
When you get the blues!"
