Tag Archives: True Secret of Writing

Why Do I Write?

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I write for freedom – freedom from expectations; to gain freedom or clarification about events that have happened.  I write when I’m happy or overjoyed about some happening or circumstance.  I write when I’m lonely and find comfort in visiting another place or time.  Sometimes I write because the words are overflowing in my mind and I need to sort them out.  Other times I write because something needs to be said to another that is too important to just say and then have it vanish into thin air. I write because words are important to me!

The following piece is something from 2009. Enjoy! And please share your reactions.

Closet Writer Breaks Out

The closet writer is on the loose. She could be anywhere! You may not recognize her for what she is. She appears as any woman you might pass on the street. She enjoys life and lives it to the fullest. She has a family, a day job and could be participating in any life experience. Yet, she’s the one who writes long descriptive letters to friends and family members. Sometimes it’s easier to put her thoughts down in words than to speak them.

Her secret dream is to be a writer. She won’t tell you she’s a writer even though she spends many hours of her day writing. She harbors some fear associated with sharing this, thinking others may judge her. Yet, you will find her busy at night scribbling in her journals, or sneaking away for a few minutes here and there with pen in hand or laptop in tow. The words quickly fill the page and the journals are tucked away.

The lock has broken. Her time has arrived. She has come out of the closet. Her words are no longer a secret – nor are they hers alone anymore. Be aware! She’s out there. She’s watching and she’s writing. She may innocently cross your path and her words may cause you to pause and rethink your position on something, or make you remember some forgotten memory. She may create the opportunity for you think beyond what you formerly held as truth. Or the story she wrote may sound like it’s yours. She could be anywhere. You have been warned. Should you have the opportunity to ask her why she writes, she would tell you, “I write because it sets me free. I have words overflowing in my mind and I need to sort them out. Other times I write because I have something to say to another that is too important to just say the words and have them vanish into thin air. I write because words are important to me.”

Because of the people…

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Our trip to Ireland, bookended by England happened because of people.

There are many memorable things about our summer trip to England and Ireland, but spending time with people we knew was a big highlight!

We forged a plan to travel to Ireland for 2016 in 2014 while old friends visited from Germany. The four of us wanted to get together again and wanted it to be sooner than the nine years since our earlier visit. The question was, “how do we make this happen?”

We discussed the possibility of meeting up while traveling and moved onto places we wanted to visit, but had not. Tom immediately said, “Ireland.” This location was also on their list.

We agreed on Ireland and the summer of 2016, figuring we had lots of time to make our plans.

Christmas of 2015, family was home from England. They suggested we visit them as well. We planned to do so, but hadn’t figured out the details. Jonny was great in suggesting a route allowing us to begin and end our trip in England. Instead of traveling back and forth in one country and then heading to the other, we would travel in one direction, starting and stopping in London. This also simplified travel arrangements to and from the U.S. Once we had that information and a contact in Europe who could make recommendations to us, the planning became much easier.

We landed in London and took the bus south where we spent the first days of our trip in the Dorchester, Dorset area. Reconnecting with friends and family, enjoying such a relaxing atmosphere was the perfect way to start a long trip. Thank you Sony, Alastair, Jonny and Abby. We had a great time!

Then we were off to Ireland. After landing in Dublin and renting a car, Tom navigated the challenges of driving on the ‘other side’ of the road. The first week we spent alone in county Kerry, Tralee.

From there we drove to county Galway, Galway and connected with our friends from Germany. What a delightful adventure, the four of shared as we toured the surrounding area and explored the seashores. Thank you Gudrun and Caj! We also had the pleasure of meeting Larena and Chris, missionaries to the youth in Galway.

We spent a few days in county Wicklow – Bray exploring by ourselves. One day was a train ride to Dublin where we explored part of the city; one we went to Waterford to visit the crystal factory and a trip to a lighthouse that has been in operation over 800 years; one we explored local gardens and old city ruins.

Then a short flight from Dublin to London allowed us to explore parts of London and wind down with Tim and Marina. This provided an opportunity to slow down a little and reconnect with family before heading back to America and home. Thank you Tim and Marina for your hospitality!

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Interactions with people are what I tie my memories of places to. This trip was so rich with those experiences and opportunities. There are many we exchanged conversations with not mentioned here; they each added to my memories.

Thank you all for contributing to my memories. It was an amazing epic trip.

 

Happiness! Where is it?

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While reading “The True Secret of Writing” by Natalie Goldberg, I came across the following statement:

You don’t do happiness. You receive it!

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this thought. It resonates with who I am and how I live.

Does it speak to you, or do you have other thoughts about happiness? I would enjoy hearing from you.