I remember listening to a live show of David Bazans once. He often has a Q&A session and someone posed quite an interesting question to him, well at least provoked an interesting answer from him.
The question was "What do you like to write about?" His answer "People." Short, simple and in a way beautifuly profound, atleast in a way that I can relate to it is. I too love to write about people, they just fascinate me, I love meeting them, watching them, trying to understand them and again writing about them. When I admit to people that I'm attempting to write a book they usually respond by asking what it's about. The simplest answer always seems to be just like David put it "people".
I'm currently sitting in my room in the dark, perched on the windowsill, the window's open and the laptop is appropiately sat on my lap. I often turn the light off when I'm on my own, unless of course I need to be able to see, it just seems to make sense. It seems to add the right mood, the right atmosphere, maybe because people add so much of the light that's in my life and without them around the darkness feels like home. I don't mean that in a depressive or morbid way, just an observant one.
Stephen Christian in his book/monologue "The orphaned anythings" talking as the character Ayden speaks about the different people that have influenced his life over the years and how, the different things they taught him and I guess I've been doing the same.
These are my thoughts.
It would be wrong not to start with family as they've just always been around.
So.....
My mother taught me how to care for others before myself.
My Dad taught me how to be an individual and live your own way, not the way everyone else tells you to.
My older sister taught me how to be a friend to others.
My big bro taught me how to stand up for myself and not be ashamed of who I am.
My little sister taught me how to keep smiling even when you feel you have no reason too.
My oldest friend Nick taught me how to hold on to those you hold dear.
Lydia taught me how to do what's right no matter what the cost.
Aaron taught me how to love.
My friend Tim taught me how to turn everything in to a Joke.
Will taught me how to love music.
Nathan taught me how to play music with passion.
Tom taught me how to express and let go of feelings.
Lynzy taught me how to feel
and Mike taught me where to go when it all hurts too much.
These people have been my closest friends over the years and I'm pretty sure I could put alot more names in there. Now with new friends at church and college I'm looking forward to adding to that list and maybe I have something myself to teach to others.
We need each other, today(or tomorrow or any day after) be a friend to someone, teach someone something, learn something from someone or at least give a friend a call and have a nice chat and a good laugh.
G-d taught me every truth I know.
Peace
J
P.S Don't you love those random people you know and talk to throughout your week. There's a guy called Steve I always see on the bus and talk mainly sports with, he used to work in the mines before he retired and has fascinating storys about his son. There's another guy I always see walking his dog who takes such an interest in what I'm doing and tells me to keep studying hard because it will pay off later, I'm blessed to have that frequent encouragement in my life becuase of his selflessness in taking the time to encourage someone else.
Let's encourage.
