Truth is ... Writers write

Truth is ... writers write.  

I have a friend who gets paid to write about sports.  That is his job.  Imagine that, guys.  Every day.  But the truth is he would write about anything.  As he has said to me, he is a writer. It's what he does.

His comments made me think.  I am many things.  A father. A husband.  A son.  A coach.  A business executive.  A PR professional.  A mentor.  But in all these roles, I am often a storyteller and a counselor... and when it gets down to what and how I do these things -- I am a writer. 

Writing is a skill, but the truth is anyone can "do" it.  In today's day and age, we are all constantly writing.  Memos at work.  Papers and homework at school.  Emails to friends or colleagues.  Proposals and plans for your latest volunteer crusade or home renovation.  Posts on Facebook or 140-character tweets. Typing with your fingers or just your thumbs.  Or even old school -- with pens or pencils. Writing is a basic life skill that we all learn young -- and keep learning to do better, hopefully, every day.

For writers, however, it's different.  We love writing. It's about the words. Which ones do we use?  How clearly can we make a point or paint a memory? How do we string together thoughts, facts and phrases to convey information, evoke emotion, or stir someone to take an action?  Each blank computer screen.  Each pad of paper.  Each post or tweet presents a new challenge. 

I can paint, but I wouldn't say I am a painter.  I can put a nail in the wall, but I wouldn't call myself a carpenter (nor would anyone who has seen my handy work).  I take photos all the time with my smart phone, but I would never really say I was a photographer.  I can boil water, but it doesn't make me a cook.  And, I am pretty sure that if a professional artist saw some of my drawings and doodles, he would be very disappointed.  

Nope, I am a writer.  It's what I do.  Just like painting for an artist, cooking for a chef, selling for a salesman...

Writing and storytelling is part of my core.  And the truth is we all have something in our core that we are.  Something that when you strip away what we do for a living or to pay the bills.... Something that when we have that rare moment to do just what we want to do...  Something that we talk about as our passion or pleasure.  Something that is who we are, what we do and how we like to enjoy ourselves. 

We easily fall into that core "thing."  We get lost in it when we are doing it.

We may spend our whole lives looking for that core, that essence, or we may be fortunate to find it early.  What is your core?  Your essence?  What leaves you saying, 'Yes, I am this.  It's what I do."

   

In this blog, I want to explore and be who I am.  I want to write about observations, ideas and stories that strike a chord of truth with my readers.  I want to share essays and simple posts that make you say, "That is so true ... in my own life."  

I hope my stories will entertain you ...  make you smile.  Maybe they will inform you or make you think.  Maybe they will challenge your views of truth and life, or have you challenge mine.

This is my first blog, so it will be a journey.  I hope you'll come along.