Meter is one of those words with several meanings. It's a measurement of size, though we spell it metre in Canada. It's a device like a parking meter, measuring time. It's also measurement of rhythm and pace.

According to my Funk Wagnalls dictionary, a meter is:

"A measured rhythm constituting one of the chief characteristics of verse."

Meter isn't just for poetry. There is some form of poetry in our fiction and nonfiction writing. The words you choose, how you arrange them and how they sound when they come together, are all part of writing something people will want to read more of. Think about it.

Recently in the BackWash message boards PussNBoots, one of the Adult columnist's said:

"Every writer searches for their own 'voice'. The best way to find it is to write. Also, pay attention to the voices of writers you admire. Read their work out loud to hear the rhythm and meter. Listen to why they chose particular words."

I thought that was brilliant. Reading your work out loud is the best way to check it's meter, the rhythm of your words. That doesn't mean you need to make your writing longer or chop it down, just choose different words or arrange them differently. See how your words flow, does the rhythm change or get monotonous? Is it dramatic and fast paced when you write about action? Or are the sentences you use kind of long and clunky? Do you tend to start sentences with the same pattern or rhythm? Vary your sentence structure.

"Tom went to the market, at Guildwood, everyday" Could be "Everyday, Tom would go to Guildwood's market." Not great examples but you get the idea, I hope.

Some people collect belly button lint and dust bunnies. Maybe that's enough adventure and discovery for some people. I like to collect other things. Actually, I don't collect belly button lint at all and the dust bunnies seem to collect me, on their own.

I began collecting postcards when I wrote to other young people around the world. I still have almost all of those. Later I asked family to send me postcards when they went anywhere. My Dad traveled on business now and then too so I had some from places that weren't just vacation spots. My Dad collected stamps and he would sometimes take my letters and confiscate the stamps. Now and then he did this before I had even read the letter.

At some point I began with the idea of collecting coins. I had offers to send me all sorts of things, whatever would fit into an envelop and go through the mail. I think I still have some of those too. But, my siblings liked them too. They just didn't understand that the money wasn't very spendable over here in Canada. Of course, they didn't let that bother them. Later I began collecting old Canadian coins and I do still pick up a set now and then. I have the set of never used coins from the year I was born, 1964. I was pretty impressed with those cause that was the year they changed the picture of the Queen on the back. She got older the year I was born.

I also like china posy bowls. I began keeping those when I got one from my Aunt Sally. I can't remember now if she gave it to me or if I was given it in some other way. Anyway, that was how that got started. I have five of them now.

My family would say I collect books. They complain about how many books I have quite often and for any reason what so ever. Usually this comes up when connected with moving, yet again.

I collect addresses too. If that's a real collection. I've lost count of how many addresses I've had. There's a reason I called my BackWash column Bewitching Vagabond.

I try not to collect other things but things seem to creep up on me and become collected. Other people think I will like something and then give these things to me. I always feel obligated to keep them, these treasures. Most of the time I like them, but sometimes I feel like I'm being buried alive under a lot of really nice stuff.

Do you feel obligated to keep things people have given you? Especially something someone has made or if it's something they truly treasure themselves and really feel you would too.