First Paragraph
When writing this regular article, I rely on, and hope for, inspiration…which at times does come a bit late in the day. The first editions of The Oceanography Classroom were relatively simple. There was much to cover in the topic, and it was hard to know in the early days where to start. As time has gone on, new ideas have flowed, but more like a hose with a slight kink in it. While I sit down and tend to write in one run, the ideas come most commonly as I drive on long solo journeys. I find the peace and quiet of a drive—no phone, no distractions—a good time to mull over ideas, phrases, and anecdotes, and end up writing the bulk of an article or report in my mind. It is at these times that inspiration hits, whether an article for Oceanography, a new idea for research, or a plan to improve teaching. If only Apple could come up with “iMind,” directly linked to a printer. My productivity goes up the more I have to travel—though often I arrive with absolutely no memory of the car journey I have just undertaken and assume or hope nothing untoward happened en route. Perhaps as well as banning mobile phones while driving, authorities should also ban deep thinking!