Early Years
Writing discovered me as a
student in school in Scotland. My mind struggled in school from my early
throughout the long tunnel in life from one grade to another. Subjects like
math and science shunned me. We did not get along. English, Language Arts, and
Composition befriended me. Words became my companions.
My English teachers in school
were my main reason for persevering with other subjects. The subjects these
teachers taught motivated me to want to know more about how to create with
words. You see, I always had bunches of words in my head nagging me to get out.
When I discovered my love, my absolute joy, for words, I had buddies for life.
As a boy I had challenges with
people because of my shyness. I preferred to be on my own because this made the
world safe. Shyness, at least in my case, took a lot of energy. I did not like
hanging out with crowds. I usually only had two or three real friends. As soon
as school ended each day, I headed straight home. My words were free to do what
they pleased when we were home.
My Place in Life
When I was a boy words taught
me how to find my place in life. There was a price to pay for shyness in
school, and even at home, but the words of story tellers showed me a way to
live. The stories spun by greats like Robert Louis Stevenson and Daniel Defoe
allowed me to climb into my imagination.
In time the words of poets
caressed my creative mind. How can anyone resist the poetry of Rabbie Burns?
His poetic masterpiece, “A Red, Red Rose,” written in ballad form, allows
readers to feel how intimate words can be.
By my senior high school years,
I discovered Emily Dickinson, John Keats, Robert Frost, and others. Their
poetic skill held me tight with a new way of touching the world around me.
Growth as a Writer
My growth as a writer took
years. I hid my love for poems from a time in life where poetic words were
mocked. My shyness held me back, but I persevered. I knew I would always love
how poets speak into life.
I look back on my life and
stagger at how the years flew. In this life I see most of my years are history.
Poetry is now a dear friend and helps me offer word pictures of who I am today.
Along my writing pathway I am intrigued
by and resonate with people the limelight is not interested in. The people who
go about their lives not out to seek attention. They interact with the world in
quiet, inconspicuous, almost invisible ways. They try to make the world a
better place without fanfare. My words and written prayers are dedicated to
them.
Prayer for my words.
I pray there will be times where my words are tears. May they drip down a page where every letter, every word, holds on to each other. They will remind readers they are not alone. I also pray there are times my words will present as puppies eager to put smiles on faces. Other times I send my words out into the world in hopes they will bandage gaping wounds which are a result of a broken world.
Dear friends, loved by God,
who do you pray your words will reach? What prayer do you have for your words.
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Alan lives in Deroche, B.C.
with his wife, Terry. 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. Alan periodically writes articles for FellowScript Magazine.
He has written posts for our InScribe blog since 2015. Blog:
https://scarredjoy.ca.
