Monday, 15 September, 2014

My Dear Reader,

Where have I been all this time? It has been nearly a year since my last correspondence with you. Maybe you heard. In short, I lost my way. Not entirely, you see, for I still am here; but, I did lose my way. Other interests, old interests, which seemed more immediately lucrative, caught my attention. Unfortunately, I believe, these interests may have served only to bulwark progress in my intended direction. Who knows where I would now be, had I not gone astray. Those other interests, however, were not entirely in vain, for, as you know, I do not let my experience go to waste. I have learned much about the world in this past year.

I have conversed with many individuals, a variety of which may be regarded as both low and great, hostile and kind. I have tried to study their ways of life. I often wonder if one can be considered superior to the other. I have studied the flow of thought throughout history, of east and west, since ancient times to our modern times. I have perused the great classics of English literature, from John Milton to Henry Fielding to George Orwell; resulting, consequently, in several pages of vocabulary words to study. I have written an introductory book on Wing Chun, the martial art I practice. I have begun an in depth reflection on myself, and my values, which would not have been possible to do before. Finally, I have looked more critically into history, specifically of this country and time – 21st century America – within which I reside. History, my dear ready, can be quite sobering. I suspect if more people were to look closely at it, this worlds population may dwindle from suicide alone, for it is difficult to want to participate in such a horrid place. I am want to forget the question of the character of civilizations and nations, and rather, I look at those civilizations’ efficacy. Yet, there are few places to run to, where civilization will not find you, and should you chose not to participate in kind, you will likely, history tells us, be bled.

What does all of this have to do with interpreting? I am not quite sure. It is somehow related, in the perspective it provides. Those lucrative interests I spoke of have not come through; and it was pathetic for me to see them as such, as lucrative. Even to see them as interests. Rather, I ought to see them as actions, on a line of actions which were not begun by myself, but by generations of human beings. I apologize if this is vague.

Seeing any particular action, or series of actions, vis a job, merely in light of the money to be made, is often precisely what makes this world so disgusting. Instead, it seems one ought to love life more from the sacrifice and expertise of their work. Yet still, in this terrible world, money must be acquired, and thus a self contradicting philosophy and method must be formulated – one which loves sacrifice, knowledge, expertise, and the like, but which demands a proper wage for such services.

I will leave you with this, my dear reader, and in suspense. I have hardly begun to talk of interpreting today, but that is because a mass of space needed to be filled (for my last letter was from a year previous). I will tell you that I have not left interpreting aside completely, and that now I have rekindled my fire. Expect another letter from me soon.

I wish you the best in your own journey.

Faithfully yours,

The Solitary interpreter.