Half a World Away

I am regularly amazed that my blog is viewed by so many people, and that they are not all logging on from a place somewhere here in the U.S. of A.  When I first started writing, lets just say a "while" ago, I was my only audience, and my writings (ramblings?) were kept private for fear of ridicule or being misunderstood. Especially the song lyrics and poetry that have taken shape in my mind, with only the fourth or fifth mental re-write actually ending up on paper.
Working with words is a tricky business.  It is easy to bare your soul when writing about topics that are close to your heart, and learning to take criticism, both good and bad, is a given. Editing student papers for years has given me some insight into critiquing written works with both compassion and an open mind to the message the writer is attempting to convey to their readers.  Remembering the countless papers and essays of my own children throughout high school and college...always prefaced with a whiney-voiced reference to the assigned length of 1,000 words or more...I was quick to remind them I have words (and I know how to use them!). 

My daughter's friend from down-under warmed my heart today when she mentioned I had helped her, from half a world away, to put words to a memorable and emotional experience she had overlooking crashing waves of the Pacific in Australia. 

I think this points to the pull of song lyrics for the teens and tweens, and poetry for the more refined reader.  When another individual can put into words or lyrics the feelings of love, angst, anger, and other emotions, the listener has an "ah-ha!" moment, bringing together swirling feelings and descriptive phrases with a clarity that just moments before had been non-existent. 

I write for myself, for the pleasure it gives me to create and express myself.  It is an added bonus when others appreciate my efforts or applaud my creations, and I am so very thankful for that. 
A warm country hug to all,
Lisa <3