Action and Verbs

My favorite words are verbs.  They push ideas like the best kind of caffeine. Static, passive, going-nowhere sentences are usually dealt a death blow by their verbs. Every sentence needs a push, a pull, a kick in the rear to get the best out of it, and without strong verbs, the cause dies a-withering on the vine.

Have you noticed that people who "do," versus those who "don't," are the most interesting, the most happy, and often, the movers and shakers of our world?  Except for the power of passive resistance (thank you, Ghandi!), being passive won't get you diddly. Carpe Diem has become practically a cliche', but what the heck - it's a great idea.  But ideas need action. March that first step. Trill that song. Scream that anthem.

The man who taught me about verbs was a fellow western writer, Richard S.Wheeler. He's a master with them. Read his books, and you'll see what I mean. Today is my day to give credit where credit is due, and he deserves a boatload. This is me - doing - not just being.