What an historic time! What a challenging time! So I challenge you to write about it.
How do you feel about today? How are you going to rededicate yourself to making
this world - the world where you live - better? What thing - what small thing can
you do today to make this world a better place?

Where to start? What to do?

Once as a naive college student, I asked the Nigerian Ambassador to the United
Nations, “What can one person do? ” His response was simple yet profound -
“Do whatever you can wherever you are whenever you get the chance.” Small
steps.

As I have gotten older, this senior has taken the “water on stone” approach to
many more things in his life - particularly exercise. Small steps, those drips of
water, that eventually wears away the stone. Whether it be losing weight or any
other challenge that we find personally difficult, very often the size of the
challenge keeps us from getting started - or from continuing when progress is
not quickly seen.

To those of little faith I say, “Water on stone!” Believe in small steps. Believe to
the point of taking action. Persist in the small steps that move you forward.
On this historic day believe as a multi-racial child must have believed - perhaps
not consciously, but instinctively. If I do what I should do - the small steps - the
small drops of water - I will wear away the stones of life that challenge me. Not
knowing the outcome, not knowing how much time you have to do what you must
do - you just drip on those stones.

To those of faith, I say, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, nothing shall
be impossible unto you!” Today is a day of affirmation. A day to reaffirm your beliefs
and act upon them. No action is too small. Act with faith that if you do as the small
drop of water you too can overcome your challenges.

To all writers I say, “WRITE!” Write as if your life depends on it - it does. It does.
Be selfish in the good sense - write for yourself. Write to yourself. But write. Even
if the writing is nothing but a “tweet” on Twitter. Write! Twitter confines you to
140 characters. Even that limitation is a drop of water. A force to make you think
in brevity. A force to make you choose your words carefully - not a bad practice
for a writer. The world is going to be impacted by those 140 character limited
messages - let some of those drops be yours. Write.

For this writer, the challenge of being brief is an ongoing one. So I will go tweet for
practice and end this post far sooner than I normally would.

I can hear you thanking me now … This big drip has dropped.

- Val Spangler, Mister Senior Blogger and “SeniorTweet” on Twitter.

140 To Practice Brevity!