There is an individual that I know. In order to protect the identity of the guilty I will refer to this person simply as S. This person is really not much of a reader. However, one day my sister gave him one of my short stories. Since then he is on me every day about when I will be creating another story. Today I told this individual that I have older stories in my collection and that I could give him an older one to read. He agreed and disappeared for a moment before returning to say he would print out the story and read it. After reading the story he asked me 50 billion questions about what he had read. I really did not think it was that difficult to understand so I answered his questions. The resulting conversation is transcribed below.
S:This story is dope as f-k.
Me: laughing at his delayed reaction
S:I'm serious. I'm a little high right now but it makes you think about it on a whole 'nother level
Me:No wonder why you did not get it
S:Well you got me reading these stories and I don’t even like reading. Don't you think if you can get a mother f-ker who doesn’t read to want to read that you have actually accomplished something ?
As sad and hilarious as this conversation might have been, his last question did have me thinking. Does that count for anything?
In my own way of thinking, I think it amounts to a small confirmation. I have many passions in life and writing is one of them. I do not write with hopes of superstardom although I can't say I'm shooting for something beyond fame. Right now, I do not even write in order to make a living.
At the end of the day, I write because I have always been touched by the story tellers who fill pages and pages of written words. The tales that have been spun before me have broadened my view of the world and everything around me. I have escaped difficult situations in my life by getting lost in a book. There were instances where I laughed out loud during a slow day due to some ludicrous predicament than an author has unfolded.
Inside of me I too have yarns that I have spun and tales that are beyond comprehension. It is through writing that I feel this sense of release that in all my years of writing and reading I still am not able to descibe.
I only hope that by reading my stories will others will be as positively affected, and that they will enjoy the ride.
~~
