Have you ever watched the movie You’ve Got Mail? There is a scene in which Meg Ryan’s character, Kathleen Kelly, is communicating with Joe Fox played by Tom Hanks, and she tells him that, the moment she wants to say the perfect thing, she goes completely blank. He tells her he would give her all of his perfect zingers, but once she used them, she would feel instant remorse. I understood both characters at that moment. I can never think of the perfect thing to say at just the right time, and when I do, I often regret what rolls out of my mouth because I didn’t think it through before saying it. This is why I write.
Writing means I give myself room to think and breathe. It means I take the time to try out different words and thoughts I want to express. Writing gives me time to soften what I need to and strengthen the hard truths. It gives me a chance to step back and ask how I would feel about reading something if I wasn’t the person who wrote it. Immediate spoken responses don’t give us the opportunity to edit those things, and we often find ourselves uttering things we wish never had come out of our mouths or not even being able to find the words to say. This is why I write.
The written word is what I return to whether I am reading a favorite classic novel, the Holy Scriptures, an online article, lyrics for a song, poetry, or even a script. When I watch a movie or television series, I find myself searching online for a particular quote or writing it down while I’m watching it. The written word is a part of my soul. It moves through my veins like blood, and when I find someone else who feels the same about reading or writing, I find a kindred soul. This is why I write.
People are moved by powerful spoken words, but many of the most powerful spoken words started out on a page. The ones that truly mean something will be written down and passed on to someone else, and they will be repeated for generations. People will quote them, and nations will found themselves on written language. Those powerful words become part of the backbone of a belief system. The written word matters. This is why I write.
Sometimes the world feels too big, and we’re overwhelmed by everything going on around us. The noise drowns out any comfort to be found, and we seek solace in quiet words on the page. Sometimes we see bad things happening in society around us, and while it may be unsafe for us to speak words aloud, we can communicate our fear, anxiety, anger, and appeals for change in the written word. This is why I write.
I write because there are words needing an escape. I write because I believe small actions over time can cause big changes. I write because I don’t want to sit back and be silent. I write because words are a part of me.
I found my reasons. What are your reasons for what you do?
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Inspirational Verses for the Day:
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16, ESV)
All Things Subject to Change 