Written words are safe bubbles for scared children like I always was.
Especially since there are few escapes for frightened people other than stories. I have been one of them. To us, opening a book has the calculated instability of the ocean’s tide. A sisterly instability, not one filled with harmful chaos. They are similar to the tide in their power- books swell slowly. They will begin and end.
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For a person who has never been sure of anything (ever), it’s helpful to know at least this. If you had asked what I wanted to be when I grow up, at age 5 I would’ve said I am going to be a firefighter. At 7 I would definitely be a chef, at 10 obviously a zoologist, at 15 of course a marine biologist, at 19 probably a surgeon. Nothing stayed the same throughout all these years, but if you asked me what I loved I always had the same answer- to create and observe.
Despite many changes in my life plans, it took me a while to digest that I wanted to help, and I wanted to give. I wanted to listen. To squeeze these desires together, I knew that nothing is more human than storytelling. It nurtures what our souls need. To sew together words, and in my case, pray that someone might feel less alone from seeing them.
You gain power on a page. You are heard without shouting. You are understood without explaining.
Your writing was really beautiful! I related to it a lot and loved how you described the safety and power you find within words. I have experienced the same flip flop between what I thought I would be, and find the same comfort and understanding that comes with writing. I also enjoyed the progression in the third paragraph from definitely, obviously, and of course to probably. It emphasized your point of feeling unsure while creating a nice flow to the sentence.
I agree with Zoë, your writing is really beautiful! Your title first drew me to your post, and I think it’s a really beautiful sentiment. I also struggled my whole childhood to figure out what I wanted to be when I grow up. However, the one stable thing I knew was that I loved to read and write. Your final thoughts in the last paragraph were really impactful to me, and showcase your feelings well. Overall, it was a really beautiful piece!
Laura, I love how you describe things and your vocabulary! You created a story out of a simple idea, and it is beautiful. I like the metaphors used, especially about comparing stories to the tide!