Healing 14

I attended a book signing last night, promoting a new book by a fellow named Joe Stierheim called A Moment in Time. It was a great event, sold out all of his books, and everyone made some awesome connections.

One of the most interesting moments for me was when Joe told us a story about why he writes. He shared that like most writers, he had been "protected" by well-meaning people who told him he would never be able to make a living as a writer. At the age of fourteen, he said there was a poetry contest that he wanted to enter, but he talked himself out of it.

Then he related that a former poet laureate of the United States had a similar experience--but instead of giving in to that doubting inner voice, he pushed through it and kept writing poetry.

Joe's question at that point was "What if I had pushed through and kept writing anyway? Where would I be now?"

I noticed many heads nodding as he related this story, this place of being fourteen and making a decision based on well meaning, but probably flawed advice. And as I looked around the room, I saw a bunch of fourteen year olds in much older clothing, remembering...

I think it's time we healed fourteen. Or twelve. Or eight. Or whatever the age was when you might have heard a discouraging word, and somehow, have now coded it into "truth".

It ain't truth, Martha. It's just someone else's perspective. Pick up the pen, click over to a blank page and write, go dance, go sing, wake up that kid.

You can do it!