A Song, A Saint and An Anecdote about a Summertime Crush

Everything in the title, as is, in that particular order. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Cecelia’s introduction to me was through a cousin and in the Suggs version, featuring Louchie Lou & Michie One. At first listen you guess that it’s about someone trying to woo a woman named Ceceilia. Truth be told, even now I need to read the lyrics or subtitles to get the true meaning of the song or a scene, so it was the same back then as well. In fact, there’s a funny incident I wish to share that happened during my high school days, which I will share towards the end of the post**. Don’t wish to digress.

Back to Cecilia — so after a few listens I could gather it seemed more like a song about a capricious woman and how she is the source for both angst and euphoria to this lover who is singing to her. This was sometime around 1996, the initial days of MTV in India and this video would play often.

That said, it was much later I got to know it was a song by Simon and Garfunkel from the 1970’s album – The Bridge over Troubled Waters. Thanks to Wikipedia and ClassicFM, I got to know the true inspiration behind this song. For those of you who already know you’re free to skip the next paragraph. However, do give the song a/another listen.

Contrary to popular belief, Cecelia is not just any girl, but St. Cecilia. St. Cecilia (flourished 3rd century, Rome [Italy]; feast day November 22) was one of the most famous virgin martyrs of the early Christian church and historically one of the most discussed. She is a patron saint of music and of musicians. According to a late 5th-century legend, Cecilia was a noble Roman who, as a child, had vowed her virginity to God. When she was married against her will to the future saint Valerian, then a pagan, she told him that an angel of God wished her to remain a virgin. He promised to respect this wish if he were allowed to see the angel. She replied that he would if he were baptized. On his return from baptism, he found Cecilia talking to the angel. She then converted his brother Tiburtius, who also saw the angel. Both men were martyred before she was. She distributed her possessions to the poor, which enraged the prefect: Almachius, who ordered her to be burned. When the flames did not harm her, she was beheaded. Source: Britannica

Saint Cecilia and an Angel, oil on canvas by Orazio Gentileschi and Giovanni Lanfranco, c. 1617/1618 and c. 1621/1627; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

While this seems like a regular post on #acnotes, this time I choose ponder a bit further on the Writer’s Block and lets just say I took the scenic approach to this post while starting it with a song. Unlike the usual, I don’t wish to share a definition of Writer’s Block and insult your intelligence. Hence, I’ll directly get to a few approaches I’ve read about and practice to overcome Writer’s Block. I’ll cover a few approaches in this part. And based on your response, I will return with a few more. Also, these are tried and tested by me and it has worked so far.

1. When you can’t seem to love the act of writing, try writing about something you love: Whoa! That is leaving the brief too vague and broad, so I’ll narrow it down to my own experience. The reason behind this Substack page - #acnotes is writer’s block. It was some time in early in 2024 when I figured I could not write poems anymore, I started writing about the songs I love. While this is also my effort to pass down my likes with regard to music to my son, who might read it someday, this was also an attempt to make listening to music, mindfully. Hence, I started writing about music - the songs and albums I love most, the reason and in addition I wrote about the way they made me feel. So, this could be one approach to get over your writer’s block. Find something you love and write about it.
   PS: Choose a vocation and preferably not a vice ;)

2. Early Morn, Brain Dump: In other words, Morning Pages. This was a practice I picked up during the pandemic after I attended Akimbo’s The Creatives Workshop. I was quite regular at it and then I lost the streak. Hopefully, I will get back to it in 2026. In a nutshell, Morning Pages is a daily writing practice or also known as stream of consciousness writing that was made popular by Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. So, this is something you do first thing in the morning, when you fill 3 full pages in longhand with words that crop up in your head first thing after you wake up. You don’t have to be coherent, grammatically correct, typos are allowed and you’re not restricted to any topic. It’s one way to clear your head before you begin the day. What sweating out to a workout is — is what Morning Pages is to writing. You will find a lot of videos and articles about this on the net. However, I hope what I shared earlier should give you an idea on what to do. Simple tip: If you’re wondering what to write first thing in the morning, write about the experience of writing first thing in the morning. Need inspiration? Scroll back up and listen to what Paul Simon wrote and sang with Art Garfunkel. If that isn’t writing about writer’s block, then what is?

3. 25 Minutes: During the pandemic I came across this Illustrator on Instagram (will update and give due credit whenever I recall her name and account). She used to post one Illustration a day and each illustration was made in a span of 25 minutes. Nothing more, nothing less. So, that’s when I got to know about the Pomodoro Technique. And that’s how I came up with my Pomodoro Poetry Project. Based on a prompt, I would start and finish a poem in 25-minutes straight. I managed to do this for 2 years and the third year is when I hit a block, and that’s when I started this page on Substack.

   

   Are there any other practices you follow when you hit the block, feel free to share in the comments. I will try to include them with my other approaches in my subsequent post with due credit.

   
   **Now, as promised earlier, here’s the story.

This was in high school and it was the summer vacations when a friend was attending Vacation Bible School at the Church. A good friend back then, but now we’ve lost touch. And as most high school memories of summer go, he had a crush on a girl. She was in the same class and there was some tension in between. However, he wanted to confirm if they shared the same sentiment. So, as the practice goes in the late 90s, what better way to express one’s love than through a mix tape. Now, this is where I enter. The only one in our friends circle with a double deck tape recorder. A list was made. Cassettes and CDs were sourced from wherever we had access to. Needless to say, while English music was to an extent listened to in our circles, we weren’t always cognizant to the lyrics nor what it meant. That said, we could decipher a few words and made up our own version/story about the songs in case there was no cassette inlay or CD lyrics booklet. In those days, MLTR were quite popular and so were other boy bands. Then there was this one particular song which seemed like it was tailored for my friend and to convey his message across to his crush. The lyrics from whatever we could recall we assumed it was a proposal song. It mentioned (quoting from memory) something about how the protagonist made up his mind to express his love and make her his. He’s been searching for her and he finds her standing outside the Church. We quickly reached for the cassette, played the first few lines to confirm and that was it. This song would open the playlist. One after the other the songs were quickly recorded and the next Sunday he managed to gift her the cassette. Three weeks go by and she’s nowhere to be seen. We assume, maybe, since the school reopened she got busy with her studies. And after almost a month we see her at a distance. He walks up to her to talk but she sees through him and walks away. Perhaps, this was when we got to know what ghosted meant way before that word was even invented. Fast forward to 5+ years when we are both listening to ‘The Best of MLTR’ on a CD at his place. This song slowly fades in. We are now in college and our comprehension is far better than what it was. We stare at each other as the song plays. Both look at each other as though the truth dawned upon us on what exactly happened back then. And the reason behind why she behaved the way she did. We play the song once again and open the lyrics booklet in the CD case. Line after line after the first verse — and the realization .hits us like haystacks, a tractor and a cow from a swirling tornado. Perhaps, you’ll be able to understand that better when you listen to this song.

4. Frame a Story around an Anecdote: For those of you still reading, here’s the Bonus Tip - case in point. What’s a better source than your own life?! Mine deeper down the timeline. Find anecdotes, instances, moments or whatever you may call it. Frame a story around it. And write about it. No AI can compete with you here.
   

   Here’s a quick step-by-step to make a story out of an anecdote.
   a) Beginning - the set up - Context / Background setting

   b) Middle - the incident or event - What happened, when, where and if there was a Why add that as well.

   c) End - Contrary to the usual approach, I usually prefer to add a dash of sensory elements. Make them feel what you felt. Moral / Lesson, let the reader figure that out. To each their own.

   If not for the abovementioned approach turning into your most compellingly read autobiography, it would at least help you flex your writing muscles. Repackage this anecdote for some other story if you may. Nobody cares.

#acnotes