I Am… I Cried

Yesterday, to celebrate his birthday I shared some thoughts about the legendary Neil Diamond (born January 24th) and his sometimes-mocked yet deeply moving song, “I Am… I Said.”

In the song, Diamond pours out his loneliness, doubts, and existential angst—cries that, famously, “no one heard at all… not even the chair.”

Yes, the chair. It might count as art but, let’s be honest, it’s a baffling image. But beyond the chuckles it might inspire, the song is raw, sad, and undeniably beautiful.

But that’s not the story I’m telling today.

Wait—before I get to my main point, let me share a little personal trivia. Did you know Neil Diamond’s “Cracklin’ Rosie” was the first dance at my wedding?

I know what you’re thinking: Really?

Yes. Really. It wasn’t supposed to be. We actually chose a completely different song but the DJ went rogue. Or forgot. Or something. We could have made a fuss, but instead, we rolled with it. And now, over 38 years later, we’ve turned that little mix-up into a fond memory.

Okay, back to my main point.

As someone who loves writing and sharing my thoughts (1,034 weekday posts in a row and counting!), I still wrestle with finding the right words.

For instance, when quoting someone, do I just write “he said”? But then what? Keep repeating “said”? Should I mix it up with “she declared,” “he intoned,” or “I cried”?

After much overthinking, I’ve decided: Let the dialogue do the heavy lifting. Nobody cares about what kind of nail is holding up a beautiful picture. It’s the picture that matters.

Yeah, that’s what I said.

What do you say to that?

See you tomorrow!

#Neil Diamond #Songwriting #Creative Writing #DialogueTips #PersonalStories #FirstDance