By chance I saw a short video on Sunday which spoke to me about the aloneness of so many people. More than that, this video immediately made me think of writers and our inevitable periods of frustrating loneliness when we can’t find the next plot point, when we seem to write in a vacuum, when moving forward with a project is mind-boggling.
As I watched and listened to this young woman describe her problem and how she solved it, a wonderful euphoric feeling started deep down in my gut and spread throughout my body and my face relaxed into a broad smile. I knew what my post would be this week.
This young woman mentions her dream of becoming a writer, her searing disappointments, but ends up on a completely unexpected high. She says “to be able to put your words onto a piece of paper…to tell your story…[there is] nothing more powerful…than that.” We writers can all take note.
Consider leaving a comment about your aha! moment as a writer or, indeed, in any of your life’s successes. Have you seen anyone else do a random act of kindness? Have you done one yourself? Apparently the coffee drive through line sees this very often. Has anyone ever bought your coffee order?
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On Becoming a Wordsmith 
Cool video! Writing letters to people is a great idea! This video prompted me to watch another video about random acts of kindness. It helped boost my mood today! Thanks!
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So glad the video worked for you, Janet! I think I should put it in a file marked “Positive Strokes” for those days when I need a boost. Thanks for visiting!
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I love when people take their own sadness and turn it into something amazing. What a very cool thing to do. 🙂
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And you can see from the video how refreshing and healing it is. Loved it.
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Loved this video and she is quite an amazing young woman. I loved what she said about the power of our stories…it’s something I wish more people really “got”.
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Stories have always drawn me in, so much so that now I write them myself. Of course writing them is a much different mindset, isn’t it, creativityorcrazy?
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It’s like you know the topic I’ve thought about lately. I tried to take more time to do for others. The other day, I was having a CRUMMY day. I’d driven an hour to a meeting that was cancelled while I was on the road. I decided I might be cheered up by a Starbucks coffee. The person in front of me paid for my drink. When the girl at the window said that, I wanted to tear up. Sometimes, all it takes is a nice gesture. 🙂
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And wouldn’t it be wonderful for the person ahead in line to know just how that kind pay-it-forward act affected you, Brinda? I think that is what we live for, connecting in positive ways with the world. Thank you for telling us that story as it definitely fits in with this post.
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Powerful stuff, Elaine. Two words Hannah said struck a chord. Show up. The most difficult part of any relationship, be it marriage or parenthood or friendship, is to show up when the times are hard.
A letter in a mail box, a physical letter made of paper and ink and love, shows up in a way no email ever can.
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In my extended family we have a sad and scary situation just now. My daughter who can’t be here in person, rather than posting a short and lovely message on Facebook, took the time to write a loving letter and send it. How powerful that extra effort is for those on the receiving end. She is definitely showing up. Thanks for your wisdom, Sherry.
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Thanks for sharing this Elaine!
What a great quote too, “to be able to put your words onto a piece of paper…to tell your story…[there is] nothing more powerful…than that.”
It’s like a drug. As bad as the downs are, the act of writing keeps drawing me back in. There is always a tidbit of story to be told, to be weaved from fragments of thought into words and then molded into raw emotion and vivid landscapes.
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It is like a drug, Dale! Take a day when I’m down, lazy, tired, can’t put my fingers to the keys, but finally do. And lose myself in the recesses of my mind as it opens all of its doors and my struggle is then to get the words written as they spew almost unbidden from my head. With this purging of my literary soul, I am rewarded by a few good phrases on the page, the rereading of which brings tears to my eyes. Raw emotion both on the page and off.
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Thank you Elaine. That’s really all I can say. Sometimes I feel like giving up writing but this has given me courage
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