lost in transcription

Words have been swirling around my head all day, touching my heart, dancing all around and about. But they aren't my words--they are the recorded voices of people I interviewed, activists.  The interviews usually run a little over an hour. It takes anywhere from 1-6 hours to transcribe one interview. I honestly don't know what makes some longer and some shorter to transcribe. It's not the length of interview, or even the language. Yet somehow, the time it takes to transcribe varies. A lot.

This is one part of research that can bog people down. The tedious, seemingly mind-numbing aspects that seem so simple and yet are impressively time-consuming. I spent the entire day and most of the evening, sitting in the same position at a desk, transcribing one and a half interviews. And I will do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and probably at least two full days after that.

I don't deny that it's tedious but any job can be that way at times. I think the secret is studying or doing something you love, something you are passionate about, the topic that always has you thinking and musing and creating and wondering. It took me a long time and a twisted journey to recognize mine but I am grateful I finally did.

Plus, the process of transcription is in and of itself enjoyable to me. The words become a part of me, in a way they hadn't before, as if they are absorbed into me through osmosis of the fingers. I love that feeling. I cry when I listen, at times, I laugh with joy. The hardest part is starting, once I am there for even five minutes, I am hooked.

I wish I had my pastels and sketch pad. I really feel like drawing in the bright, bold colors of summer passion.