An existential undercurrent has been running through books and magazines
I've been reading lately, even in television shows I've been watching.
This undercurrent is the same question in various forms:
What is the point of...?
Brian Gresko in his article about poet Donika Kelly in the current issue of Poets & Writers wrote,
"As in many conversations among writers during these dark days, we have shifted from craft to the perplexing question of what, in the face of the world's ongoing and advancing horrors, is the point of writing in general, and writing poetry in particular." ("Singing the Sublime" by Brian Gresko in Poets & Writers Magazine, Nov/Dec 2025)
In the Nature Conservancy Magazine people around the world are asked
what is the point of continuing their environmental work against seemingly overwhelming odds.
In Philosophy Now young people are asked what is the point
of moving forward with their lives when the state of the world and their futures appear bleak.
Even in one of my favorite tv shows, Homestead Rescue,
Marty Raney ponders why he continues to help homesteaders,
returning to some homesteads a second time, during increasingly difficult weather challenges.
What is the point?
Why persist during a difficult time?
The answers provided in my references all touched
on similar ideas to the answers I've found in my own life.
The point is, I persist because:
Because giving up is giving in,
and giving in leads nowhere but down.
Because we can find strength and purpose in helping those in our lives.
Because we can feel joy by being present in the moment.
Strength, purpose, and joy are powerful antidotes to despondency and hopelessness.
One person can't save the world, but one person can make a difference in his small corner.
His tool might be a garbage bag, an excavator, a guitar, a pen, even a simple smile,
but it can make a positive difference.
Ordinary people around the world are not giving up or giving in.
They are finding strength and purpose in helping others and improving their surroundings.
By being present in the moment, a person can reduce anxiety and stress.
There is joy in listening to the laughter of a child, in scratching the ears of a purry kitty,
in baking a berry pie, in watching a cloud drift by, in painting a starry sky,
in the hug of a loved one, or in a call from a faraway friend.
My Cousin Claire Serves Her Homemade Pie While Martin Anticipates
Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
August 3, 2024
Writers and poets persist in a difficult time by creating,
and their creations have the power to lift their readers and themselves up.
Little is more immediate and present than struggling
with the words in sentence or paragraph
to express what is in your heart and mind.
And the universal themes explored by writers and poets in their works
can inform, inspire, and challenge the readers who engage with them.
The point is to write for the sheer joy of creating,
the point is to escape from worry and stress while creating,
and the point to find strength and purpose while touching the hearts and minds of others.
Love, family, friends, and nature fill my soul.
If I were to give up, give in, I would be giving up on the people I love,
especially all the extraordinary young people in my life.
I'd be giving up on their lives and their futures.
Extraordinary
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Family ~ Peter, Martin, Sue, Barb, Donnie, Roy, and Bertie (front)
Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
August 5, 2025
What is the point of your writing?
Why do you persist during a difficult time?
Till next time ~ Fundy Blue
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