"I only started
writing in an effort to release some of my tension and bring myself closer to
healing." --Myself
Those are the words
I used almost a year ago. And those are the words I would like to start this
brand new blog with. I don't mean to sound cocky and arrogant by quoting
myself. And I have no doubt that there are many wiser people whom I can quote;
people who have said it better than I did. But to me, it is not about who said
it better; it is about whose words are more relevant. And I don't think that
anyone's words are more relevant to me and to what I want to say than my own!
Although this
article speaks about me writing, I have some confession to make at first:
I
never had a diary before. And I never thought of having one.
I
was never a writer before. And I never thought of becoming one.
I
was never a poet before. And I never thought of becoming one.
I
was never a blogger before. But I "sometimes" thought of becoming
one…
But during a time of
despair, I tried to write down what I felt. I tried using writing as a tool to
force myself to think rationally instead of listening to my depressed mind. And
to my surprise, I found it to be quite a relaxing and enjoyable experience!
I've decided to make
writing a habit. And now my newly found aspiration is that one day I would
publish a book of my own -- regardless of what that book might be about.
Unfortunately, I'm no where near that level. So I decided to take it one step
at a time. And the most sensible step to begin with is to start my own diary.
And so I did…
Admittedly I have to
say: Despite calling it a "diary", it is more of a scrapbook!
Therefore, I wasn't trying to write on a daily basis or trying to list what
happened to me during the course of the day. Instead, I started writing down
short sentences, small paragraphs, little pieces of information, thoughts that
crossed my mind, situations that led me to think, and things that made me
wonder. The problem is, I left most of those pieces unfinished!
Since I've started
almost a year ago, I've managed to assemble a collection of more that forty
incomplete essays. Right now, I'm trying to complete those essays as well as
start new ones. And although I have a couple of essays that I've already
finished, I don't feel satisfied yet. The reason why I'm not satisfied is that
I haven't shared them yet. And that is when I decided I should start my own
blog.
Some of the people
around me might argue that it's not a very wise idea to share some of my deeply
personal thoughts and feelings. They might argue that I'm exposing myself and
my weaknesses to the world; something that might bring me more harm that good.
But I have an answer to that:
First of all, we are
all human beings. We all have weaknesses and flaws. And no one is perfect. So
even if I didn't expose them, I do have flaws just like everyone else.
Second, I don't
care! If anyone wants to use my flaws against me, then so be it! I want people
to know me and accept me the way I am. Not the way they want me to be. And if
exposing myself like an open book is going to cost me a friendship, a job, or a
social status; then I'm well-off those things. Again, I'm not being arrogant. I
just want people to recognize me for the person I am; flaws and all…
Last but not least,
I want to share because I need to share! In fact, we all do! Because sharing
helps us feel better everyday. And we do share in many different ways. Not only
in writing, but in many shapes and forms; whether that was a conversation over
a morning cup of joe, a family meeting, a private talk with our spouse or a
close friend, a phone call, an email or an online chat, a written article in a
newspaper or a blog, a talk show on television, or a video blog… etc.
We share thoughts
and ideas, emotions and feelings, opinions and views, plans and dreams, and
many more. We do so because we were not meant to live life alone, because we
can't survive without having someone to share with, and because we can't carry
on without people to speak to and hear from.
It's in our nature,
our blood, and our instinct to look for ways to socialize and share the
contents of our curious minds. And we will forever continue to do so, whatever
the means we use.
We share because we
need the attention. We need to be heard and recognized. We want to tell
everyone that we exist. And we want to know from their reactions and
interaction that our opinions matter. We need the recognition that we are an
influential part of our society.
We share because
sharing is a vent for our suppressed feelings and emotions. It's an escape from
the hardships of our stressful daily lives. We share because we find
conciliation in knowing that we are not the only people with problems. And by
speaking about our own struggles and hearing about the others', we find inner
peace.
We share because we
need to hear about each other's achievements . We need to be motivated by
people's success stories. We need to give each other hope. And we need each
other's support.
We share because we
want to change our world. Because we want to make it a better place. Because we
need to see it as a brighter place. We share because we desire the good and
despise the bad. Because we want the best for ourselves, our families, our communities,
our countries, and rest of mankind.
We share because we
need to entertain and be entertained. We share because we need to smile and
laugh. We share because sharing helps us feel better. Because sharing helps us
heal…
