The First Leg

“Words, so innocent as they are as standing in a dictionary. How potent for good or evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.” – Nathanial Hawthorne

And I could not put it any better; the depiction of power, so enticing, yet so deadly when combined with immoral intent. Harsh, I know, but when is the truth ever not?

To have power is to have control. To have control over the innocent word, a temptation that not many a talented soul could resist. To string those words like dutiful puppets, have them dance and sing at ones command with little resistance, is a talent that I will forever be grateful for.

The courage to begin writing, took me years to find, a journey before a journey. There were times when my thoughts would spew forth like a tidal wave, unstoppable in their quest to achieve freedom. There were times when they would flow rather gently, like a peaceful stream, gurgling soothing melodies. And then there were times when the onslaught of obstacles disrupted the path; rocks and pebbles, hidden cracks and ankle-breaking potholes, giant hills and parched valleys; and then my journey came to a halt, the road before me seemingly impossible to tread. As I looked backwards and forth despairingly, my words seemed to be getting further and further out of reach; my fingertips clutching at nothing but polluted air. And then I found myself back at the very point I began.

It was a never ending cycle and in the end, all I ever accomplished was a loss of hope as my cowardly self once again, let go. I began to think of myself as a failure, unable to achieve a simple goal due to my reluctance to face challenges head-on.

Now, in a whimsical effort to break free of the monotonous cycle called my life, I decide to put my thoughts onto paper; I begin to write. I ask of you, my dear readers, to bear with me as I travel the first leg of this long-awaited journey. It will not be easy, but I promise to make it worth it.

It is after all, a journey along a rather jagged edge called reality.