Why do I write what I write?
A question I have asked myself over and over the only answer I can come up with is: Simply because I have interest and passion for the areas mentioned. These are my most passionate subjects. When I cant find an explanation for something I attempt to put it into poetry and into other writings and there it finds it's own explanation.
Like everyone else sometimes there are just no words and I have to leave it for a while and then go back. Everyday things associated with Mental Health, Veterans, and sometimes just a word or phrase turns in to a writing of some sort. Let me tell you its hard work trying to write. Trying to fit it in around life, family, work but sometimes it just happens and I don't have to think to too hard about it.
My first book of poetry that I published was just that an accumulation of my childhood memories & experiences and my professional life & experiences. The book is very much a tale of two halves.
The first half was really just a remembrance of my childhood in a military family and the things that I remembered and in some cases didn't want to remember about my fathers service. His absence on overseas tours and the missed milestones, but it also celebrated what a great dad he was.
I have amazing memories of childhood growing up in Army Married Quarters that others will never get to experience. The sense of family by everyone who lived there all playing carefree and schooling together. Today some of my best friends are those that I shared that experience with.
The first half of the book also tells a tale of the work I do with Veterans & I attempt to pay tribute to them. Sometimes putting into words what there is no understanding for.
The second half of the book walks you through a journey of my professional life in as an addiction worker, written as a tribute to those I have been lucky enough and humbled enough to have worked with on their journeys. The book attempts to give a voice to them and depict their journey and lend understanding to the journey of addiction to others who struggle to understand it.
I will post here at regular intervals. Keep you up date with what's happening in my world and maybe you could submit a comment and let us know what's happening in yours.
You can submit a post and I will post it here for others to feedback on. I would love to hear from other Military members and their families about their experiences and lets see if we can create together.
Talent What is it?
21/03/22
Yesterday someone said to me wow you are talented, what does it means to be talented. It got me thinking about it. Isn’t talent about having natural aptitude for something guess I never thought about it before? Doesn’t everybody have a natural aptitude for something whether it’s writing or art or running. The one thing I realised is that we all are talented in some way just in different ways?
I look at marathon runners and think wow that’s a talent to be able to run for 26 miles. I look at artists and think I can’t draw a straight line. I guess it is the self-view thing isn’t. When we examine ourselves we don’t see what others see do we? Sometimes we become uncomfortable in that don’t we?
I guess the morale of the story is we need to look more at ourselves and what we are talented at and not get lost in the translation of the word. That’s where it all goes wrong our perception of what words mean. And their perception of what words mean.
The learning in this is, accept what others see and view in you. When you are having those days when the words don’t come know that somebody’s view of you in far greater than what you view in those moments. Don’t get lost in the needing to produce or write because no matter what, you excel in what you wrote already. Writing is a gift whether you work hard at it or it just happens it is still a gift. Treasure it and nurture it. Who says what great and whats not, You are your own worst critic and no matter anyone has to say there is no one harder as a critic on you that you. So give yourself a break don't force it or get frustrated in it just believe in your talent the rest happens naturally. That's the end of my ramblings for today. Let me know what you think.
24/3/22
Loving my new posters arrived today.
Lazy Days
28/03/22
Bit of a mad weekend but a lazy one. Sometimes you just gotta stop and not write to be able to write, does that make sense. Writing can be exhausting sometimes. Any way didn't do much, prepped for a meeting on Friday, that was about it. I have also began writing Letters from the Soul Vol 2 and the area the poems cover is beginning to take shape. Poems that address things like PTSD, It also has a poem addressing Veterans. So four of ten wrote for the new book. Hoping to have it completed and out in the Fall. Anyway that is it for today. Have a great day everyone.
Pondering
07/04/22
Been a hectic few days. We had a death in the family in the last week. Funny (not funny ha ha) thing is death serves to remind us about living doesn't it. It makes you wonder and think about what is my legacy. What do i leave those i truly care and love with. It is not the material things that count, i have no value on those. The conclusion i came up with is that as long as they can stand proud and say you were a good person, you gave even when you didn't have and you judged no one that is a powerful legacy. When someone cares and loves unconditionally it is a true mark of the person and what they leave behind. It is not in the material things or who gets what but more about what the deceased person brought to your life that had no material value. That's a gift with more value than gold. Today i asked someone to help me with something, never met him and he never met me but he knew of my family i knew he could help, and he did that's a legacy because i will always treasure that help. When someone who you never met goes out of their way to help that's a legacy, that's the value of the person. So remember that when you ask what do i leave behind KINDNESS that's the gift everyone needs.
NEW YEAR NEW BEGININGS
1/1/23
New Year New Beginnings. Here we go happy new year to everyone. I am working away on my 2nd installment of Letters from the Soul Vol 2 and hope to complete by June of this year. The book has a heavy military presence and looks at things like absence, service, Valor. Looking forward to getting it completed. In the meantime live ,love, dance and make 23 your year.
