Take Back Your Life!

I felt pretty lost in the world, until I reconnected with writing, something I loved from an early age. It helped me make sense of my world by forcing me to go inward to ask the big questions instead of outward to find the big answers. Before that I never even thought about asking myself questions like How Do I Want To Live My Life? Instead I searched in vain for the answers in new clothes or tv shows or other things that did not require me to get in touch with my inner self.It all started at a corporate job where four of us — all desperate to find something to keep us alive during the creativity numbing 8-hour day — formed a reading and writing group. Once a week, we met to read books and write stories. God, I looked forward to that weekly gathering.A year later, three of us got laid off or left … which sent me on a different writing trajectory as a small business owner.Looking back, though, that little group helped return me to the land of creativity.Since then I’ve written quite a bit, most recently short plays, which I find a lot of fun to do and soul fulfilling. I’ve seen three of my plays performed on stage. One a monologue performed by me. Two performed by others. They all share a serious issue told in a humorous way. What’s so cool about playwriting is that the actors and actresses take your words and add their own emotional and theatrical footprints. The results have been glorious.It’s also terrific to see my words in print – in publications I can hold in my hands or on-line – in publications I see on the Internet. It feels good to be able to share my thoughts with a large audience. I’ve had many people contact me, even from other states. They told me that my stories spoke to them, influenced them or helped them in some way. Putting pen to paper has helped me reconnect with the life I wanted to lead all along, but somehow got separated from on my march toward adulthood. I get to write about what matters to me, what keeps me up at night, what I’d like to see changed in some way.Writers have more power than they think. I have influenced all sorts of things through my writing, especially something as small as a letter to the editor, which are one of the greatest tools of democracy ever invented. People actually read these letters.

If you’d like to start writing or you are already writing and want to write more soulfully, consider writing a letter to the editor or an op-ed about something meaningful to you. I think of letters to the editor as tiny little pulpits and op-eds as larger pulpits that I get so speak my truth from.

Pick something in your town or city to rave about, to request to be different or to inform others about. The short length of a letter to the editor – usually 250 words — will necessitate the use of brevity on your part. Almost like a mini op-ed. Great training for learning to write to the point.

Why not give it a try? Especially give it a try if it scares you to reveal your opinon in the paper. I’ve met folks in my town really terrified to express their opinions in the paper at first. Then they upped their confidence with each passing letter. Sure, you’ll rile some folks up – for or against what you say. But that’s really the point, to express your opinion, to fire folks up and to get the conversation ignited. 

Best wishes for firing up your soul,