Juxtaposition = “the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect.’https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/juxtaposition
Juxtaposition in Life
Five minutes from my home
there is a highway and a dike. They both serve a purpose in my life. When my
wife and I travel by car anywhere we use the highway. The highway offers no
inspiration for me as a writer. To me, this highway is just a road.
The dike is another matter. All
through the year, every season, and every day, the dike is a welcome friend.
The dike brims forth with life. The area around it is home to all sorts of
birds as well as the occasional bear and coyotes. When one goes for a walk on
the dike there is the highway on one side and the beauty of nature on the other
side. This dike is a world of inspiration for me as a writer. The nature side
welcomes me as a true friend.
In this stage of my life there
is a juxtaposition. While I prepare and write this post, I await specialist appointments
and a brain scan. The juxtaposition is, at the same time, I recently developed
a new lay pastoral care ministry for my church. I cannot neglect my health, yet
my heart beats as a servant of God.
Juxtaposition
can go deep as one tries to make sense out of life.
Juxtaposition as a Writer
A juxtaposition I often find
myself in as a writer might resonate with you as you read these words. When I
write I like to be on my own. As one who is introverted by nature I embrace
solace, stillness, and silence like I embrace the love of my wife.
I also, at times, make my way
into the world of family and friends for company. There are other times when I
feel a need to chat with another writer. I am not a complete loner and love the
company of people I trust and love.
When I hide away to write,
however, I do so with the joy I sense when going for a walk on the dike. My
wife and I share a small home with our poodle, Charlie. When I go to our spare
bedroom to write, Charlie comes with me. He curls up on his little bed and
snoozes or looks out the window. When my energy to write runs out I open the
bedroom door and we carry on with our day. This is my main habit as a writer.
There are times where I long
for the company of other writers. I prefer face to face meetings. Due to where
I live, I must use the highway to drive to meet another writer. I don’t know of
many too close to me, so driving is necessary. The travel to share with or
listen to a fellow writer is always worth the drive.
A Shared Juxtaposition and an
Invitation
I hope this isn't an
overreach, but I see a juxtaposition we share as writers, readers, and friends.
We are scattered all over the country and many of us have never met each other
in person. Despite this reality, we have an eternal bond. We are in, but not of
the world.
Dear friends, I invite you to
join me on the dike. We can walk together and breathe in the sights and sounds
of God’s message to us. A message where we turn our faces away from the busy
highway and its hard asphalt surface. Instead, we take time to watch an eagle
enjoy his flight or a little finch chirp a happy song from a wild apple tree.
Life seems to pass by so
quick. Take time to hug the inspiration and walk without hurry through the
beauty of a dike or other nature path near you. Enjoy the friendly stares and
giggles of trees as they welcome you to their world. Hear the crunch of gravel
and grass beneath your feet. Feel the caress of a gentle breeze across your
cheek. Lay aside the loudness of life noises and listen to God’s still small,
beautiful voice.
Perhaps some day, if God allows, we will walk
together and share writer thoughts and the voice He has given us to write with.
Alan lives in Deroche, B.C.
with his wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He contributed stories to Good
Grief People by Angel Hope Publishing, 2017; Story by Story: The Power of a
Writer, Unstoppable Writers Publishing, 2018; Easter Stories & More by InScribe
Christian Writers’ Fellowship, 2021. He is currently working on a book
expressing the grief of grieving grandparents entitled “Hidden Poetic Voices: A
Reflective Work of Grief, Faith, and Poetry.” Alan periodically writes articles
for FellowScript Magazine and the online magazine for Compassionate Friends. He
has written posts for our InScribe blog since 2015. Blog:
https://scarredjoy.ca.
