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D. R. Prescott has written a novel, short stories, a nonfiction book, a collection of essays, a full-length-three-act play, planetarium show/display scripts, two family histories, technical articles and business plans as well as written for and edited several newsletters.
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Recent awards and published work include Writers' Journal, Long Story Short, Taj Mahal Review literary journal, The Orange County Register, Writer's Digest and Writing.com among others.
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Prescott currently writes and explores life in Orange, California.
"Sentience can be annoying."
-DRP Abt. 1990
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My fifth contribution (BENGAY AND PROMISES) to The Taj Mahal Review Literary Journal December 2010 is available: http://ning.it/ggarW6
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Don Prescott appears on  Episode 7:Colonizing the Cosmos and 8:The God Question  of D. Wayne Dworsky's Alpha Centauri & Beyond Blog Talk Radio.
Listen to internet radio with D Wayne Dworsky on Blog Talk Radio
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Available today in most eBook formats from these fine people:
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IS THERE TIME: http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000027236/Prescott-D.-R./Is-There-Time/1.h...
LAYMAN'S LICENSE: http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000040155/Prescott-D.-R./Layman-s-License/...
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O R D E R   T O D A Y !
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Dabbling
by D. R. Prescott


I am a dabbler. Dabbling is wonderful. You may dabble at this or that without planning or forethought. Dabbling is an adventure, a journey, a quest, an enjoyment, a challenge. Dabbling usually lacks direction and causes one to look back and wonder what would have happened if you had really concentrated more on one thing than dabble in many.

Fortunately, when I weigh my dabbling against concentrated what-could-have-been, I find the scales tipped toward dabbling. Dabbling has had a synergistic effect on my life. As I dabbled, I found that any annoyance about not focusing enough on one thing was tempered by the interesting mental and physical landscapes that I have explored. My dabbling became a quest for that elusive, compelling thing so thoroughly engrossing that would transform me into a disciplined, focused person. Alas, I still await that transformation.

I have not mastered any subject through dabbling. That is one of the pitfalls. I decided that dabbling was far better than doing nothing at all. I have never found myself bored or lonely that I can remember. I even have great difficulty comprehending how anyone in this variegated universe could find time to be bored. There are just too many things to do and experience to be lonely or bored. I am painfully aware as time takes its toll on me that I have significantly less time to do what I want to do. Isn’t that great?

I am convinced that dabbling has been a positive force in my life. It will likely be good for me as long as I live. It gives me satisfaction to know that I have done something in this life beyond merely breathing, eating and managing waste products. I have no idea whether it will be useful, profitable or contribute anything of value to the universe. My dabbles-to-date give me a benchmark upon which to measure future dabbling as I continuously try to tingle my muse or until my muse fails to keep up.

My dabbles also serve to feed my ego, while contradictorily causing me to suffer mild, at times even painful, humility. Looking back at some of the things I have written, I am not certain that I have attained any degree of excellence at all at anything. Then, maybe that is unimportant. Maybe the process is just as important as what is produced. That will be for others to judge. I am no judge because I am too close.

Perhaps, the most important reason to continue dabbling is to leave something for my descendents. It gives me the opportunity to time travel, speaking to them across that seeming impenetrable boundary we all cross when our flimsy bodies wear out. If there is one thought I leave behind that has a positive effect on, or sparks a great thought in, one of my progeny, I could not ask for more.

As I write this, I have a number of items on the “burner” that are included in this lifetime compilation of dabbles; they are in various states of completion. My list of want-to-dos is nearly endless and distracting! I tell you this so that you, whoever you are reading this, must remember that I will likely leave a number of things undone, partially edited (to my standards which usually exceeds my capabilities) or just started or, worse, annotated “to be continued.” I sure hope so. What would life be like if you finished everything you ever wanted to do? I shudder at the thought. I am convinced that things-left-undone is a natural state. I suggest you try it, dabble every chance you get. It is seasoning for living a full life; it puts zing into your step.

You will find that I have not tried very hard to compartmentalize dabbles, other than in large sweeping headings. Most of those are being collected in an ever-growing manuscript titled Layman’s License. Dabbling is essentially a random event spawned in curiosity and driven by mood. The result is a potpourri of dabbles, including over thirty years in aerospace. These dabbles range from poetry written on the fly to essays written as a notion prodded me or major projects taken on for reasons long since obscured by time. There are some things accomplished at work that particularly pleased me. They may have some meaning to others or, for no other reason, as a passing curiosity about a now defunct aircraft company from 1966 to 1997.

Layman’s License is an evolving, living accumulation of my dabbling, unfinished, still growing and still interesting me. Maybe a descendent will take up the charge and transform the undone into future editions with shared authorship with this old methane generator. That would be outstanding.

Life is short and I am getting old too quickly for my taste. I must hurry. Excuse me; I have some serious dabbling yet to do…



© Copyright 2010 D. R. Prescott (UN: donprescott at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
D. R. Prescott has granted InkSpot.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work. 
© Copyright 2008 D. R. Prescott (UN: donprescott at Writing.Com). All rights reserved. 
D. R. Prescott has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

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