Why I Write

Toni Morrison was on Oprah recently. This was the show they wrote me back to be on. I watched intently, and realized they sure know what they are doing in their selection process :o) While I thought my letter was well written, and answered, in depth, what they were asking, they definitely made the right choices.

That day, as I listened carefully, part of the conversation with Toni Morrison was what captivated me most. For me, and my life today, I can fully grasp this.

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Oprah: Is there a best lesson, or a favorite lesson when you're 80?

Toni: Yeah, it's one that I can articulate now, and I think I sort of knew it all along. I know that what is alive for me, and I have a place that is mine, that's my work, when I write. That's mine. It is free. Nobody tells me what to do. and I wouldn't listen if they did. It's all mine. It's my world. I have invented it. These are my people. This is my language.

And now, I have come to believe that everybody needs one of those places. It could be gardening. You know, it's just a place where it's you, and what you do. It can be creative. It can be computer. It can be anything. It's your sacred place, and you own it.

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Toni summed up exactly what I feel when I write. While in school, I was the worst writer. I never had a  knack for it. The blog ended up being such an incredible blessing. I have never had something I could completely get lost in, and then feel so great when I walk away from it.

I am so thankful for my writing, and feel it is a real life escape. You may see me having the busiest day possible, but coming here, and writing is the one thing I will always make time for. It is one of the only things, that in the chaos of all else, I will sit down and do.

It is as though there is a magnetic field that pulls me from anywhere to here. I can truly get lost in a post, and the way it makes me feel afterward, is nothing short of incredible. The heavy weight is lifted off my shoulders, and I can carry on with my day. Lightened. What more can I ask for?

I write first for myself, and I then keep it public for anyone who may want to join me on this crazy journey. Sometimes, I wonder if I hurt, or help readers more. There are so many emotions when dealing with grief, and loss. I guess I feel, if I stay true to myself, and my journey, then I can't go wrong. So, I keep it open, because getting through a tragic event such as ours, would only add insult to injury if I kept it personal, and it happened to help just one single person.