Pondering, thinking. It can be a dangerous proposition. I might have to change my firmly held opinions. Notice, I did not say beliefs. I said "opinions." Beliefs are a whole other thing. Beliefs are based on far deeper reality or unreality, as the case may be, than opinions.

Anyway, "thinking outside the box." This phrase came to me while reading a poem by one of my students. I wanted to say, "Get off this 'love - leave me and I'm sad' kind of poem!" I did not say anything because I know I have a prejudice AGAINST "love" poems which are usually anything but about real love.

But here's my problem. We say to writers, "Write what you know." Then on the other hand, we issue the order: "Think outside the box." Can we reconcile the two? I think so.

Sometimes we do not know what we know. We think we do from a narrow scope, but if we delve deeper there are places we have yet to go. Darker places within a soul normally considered to be light. Places of illumination in a heart turned cold and black.

What do you think? Do I have a leg to stand on with this thought?