It wasn’t the whiskey that wrote the stories, nor the reckless abandon of living on the edge. It wasn’t the lost highways, the rusty railroad tracks nor the long black Cadillac convertible. These things were what I did, not who I am. While they all are part of the story, they are not the book just a short chapter.
The story lives deep within us always trying to find a voice, trying to be heard so they might find peace and be put to rest. Often, I write unfinished stories leaving them on my desk, a reminder of things left undone. It seems if I finish them, they might vanish like the smell of rain after the storm passes. You find joy in the fresh fragrance, a reminder of the storm, and in a moment, it is forgotten.
It wasn’t the lost loves that wrote the stories nor the deep solitude of being alone when a loved one crosses over. It wasn’t the sound of a chord played on an acoustic guitar that resonated as a thing of beauty nor the longing of heartfelt words that make the chords a song. These things are what I did not who I am. They are just a paragraph written in a single chapter as just a small part of the story.
I am but a vessel that holds the stories, the songs, and the emotions that shape me, giving me a collage that I might find in them who I am and the intuition to write my story.
Point Of View
We must be mindful to embrace the things in life that become our story yet be wise enough to know what we do gives us life lessons allowing that only we decide who we are and what our story will become.
Read this piece before and it still seems fresh. It would be a frightening world if eveything we did defined who we were because I’d have been rolled up in a rug and thrown in the river long ago.
Was that you I bumped into going down stream. Thank you my brother
More than likely
These words are excellent. Hard core truth. Sad how it takes us most of our lives to reach this understanding and then so difficult to try and pass it on to our children who look at us as though we are out of our minds.
Thank you Johnny unfortunately it’s taken me getting to my twilight years for my kids really pay attention
Larry, this is absolutely *beautifully* written with vivid imagery, and articulating a powerful message… thank you for sharing. I look forward to reading more of your articles!
Thank you Elena for reading my story and your kind feedback
Larry,
Thank you for your stories and for encouraging all of us to write ours. I enjoy and benefit from your insights.
Mary
Thank you Mary. I love to read the stories you write all my 360 friends. I am grateful for your feedback and kind words.