The Bologna Blog

Dear Me 2019

Dear Me of 2019,

It seemed such a simple task to write a letter outlining my hopes and dreams for you for the New Year, but as I delved into my labor of love, I realized it called for so much more. You see, I have a debt to repay for the vigilance of my spirit that you have given. For as long as I can remember, you have provided an outlet for my thoughts of despair, enthusiasm, euphoria, joy, fear, comfort, family, faith, and love. The list of emotions catered to by you is evolving and eternal. From now on, I shall refer to you, my writing, as me, for you are the core of who I am. As I have grown, you have blossomed. My journals mark the passage of time and so much more. It is a legacy of me, from childhood to womanhood. It is a witness to my life with all the bumps along the way. Being able to capture the ideas that swirl in my mind through it all has been my savior. Dear me, thank you for allowing me to write the lines of my life and emotions of my soul. It has been a ride of cathartic, comforting, energizing, ardent, and at times sorrowful moments. This is a roller coaster ride that I would stand in line to ride all over again, as long as I can write the second saga.

Dear Me,

Know that never shall you be forsaken
Youth’s pleasant dreams still dwell within
Ego’s hushed passion baptized as next of kin
Undaunted hopes housed in sacred haven
Held tentative by life’s ceaseless turmoil
Aspirations of the writer sprout divine
Heart’s gentle yearning lay not benign
My spirit yet thrives in fertile soil
Thoughts inked with inspired words
My soul to frolic in joyous revelry
Penning tales until I lay breathlessly
A fervent story told in simple verse
Brings promise of scrawled inner musings
Until the day is long, and fingers crippled
Creativity shall pour on page, finely scribbled
Pledge to book no tolerance for lame excuses
Free range allowed for the artistic juices
Follow the story to where the mind leads
To entice and enthrall the one who reads
With vivid imagery scripted tale induces
Here in this rhyme stands my personal oath
Write the words etched in the heart, this I vow
Give voice to ramblings of soul, here and now
Compose solo symphony of ideals imposed
To write life’s lyrics as the song emerges
Author the moments in romantic originality
Claim ownership, writing with truth and veracity
March to my own band as the impulse surges

What does this all mean, you ask? There is, within the lines of this letter, gratitude, promise, goals, and acknowledgement of the gift writing grants to me. It is my sanity, my warm hug, and zone of Zen. The promise I give to myself is to continue to write about the happenings of my life. I will find humor in the mundane tasks of life and sculpt whimsical tales. Mystery and mayhem will jaunt through my pages as I lead the reader on a path of intrigue. I will build characters that are as real as the people that I meet, with the nuances of personality as visible as the mirror’s image. Through descriptive narrative, I will allow the reader a glimpse of the world they are about to enter. Always, will I keep them guessing, as the twists and turns of the tale unfolds. I love surprise endings!

As for my goals, it is just this. I will continue to grow as a writer. When I look back on my early work, I realize how far I’ve come and yet still have far to go. I want to be open for change and learn from the previous story. I promise to write at least one narrative, story, memoir, poem, or journal entry a day. Squeezing out the time from a chaotic life is probably my worst enemy, so I will battle it in earnest. Next, I want to become more visible with my writing. I need to find the confidence to share more of my work. I have to learn to promote myself better and it is a skill that will need developing. Every time I enter a contest, I seem to second guess myself about submitting. It is not that I worry about winning but more that I am not worthy of entering. I see the incredible skills of some of the authors and allow myself to be intimidated. I will need to remind myself often that there is value in my message as well. The goal here is to work hard and aim high.

I may never write a line as famous as “To be or not to be” but I must be willing to learn how to entice the reader with provocative ideals and magical scenarios. So a Pulitzer winner I may never be, but hopefully in the distant future when I leave this world behind, a smile will grace my lips, knowing I left a little bit of me.



Sincerely,

ME 2019