The Salty & The Sweet

What have you done that no one knows about?

“I’m looking for a writer who doesn’t know where her sentence is leading her; a writer who starts with her obsessions and whose heart is bursting with love; a writer sly enough to give the slip to her secret police, the ones with the power to condemn in the blink of an eye. It’s all right that she doesn’t know what she’s thinking until she writes it, as if the words already exist somewhere and draw her to them. She may not know how she got there, but she knows when she’s arrived.”

Sy Safransky
Editor and Publisher of the Sun

It wasn’t until a few months ago that anyone who knows me personally knew that I was writing. I kept it close to my heart, as I wasn’t sure it would go anywhere, if I would be able or honest enough to allow the words and memories to come, or if I would lose interest or stop due to sheer laziness. I was afraid if it turned into a chore, I would let it go. I was fearful that no one could even begin to understand the craziness that has been my life, and I was most frightened that by letting the feelings out into the light, that they could no longer be kept safe in the darkness where they had resided for so many years.

It is the readers here that have inspired me to tell my stories, some of them very painful indeed, but rather than reeling in hurt during the revealing, I started to feel lighter and the weight I carried in my shoulders started loosening up, story by story.

I would be a liar if I said that there have never been times I have had tears running down my face in the storytelling. Frequently, I cry while pushing all of this out of me. It feels like labouring during childbirth in so many ways. The waiting and preparing for the pain, knowing it will come within minutes again, but welcoming it for the inner work that is taking place within. The knowing that the outcome will be worth all the pain.

Life has been like that for me.

The enduring, the suffering, the pain , and the losses….all necessary emotions and events that had to occur in order for me to know enough to be fully present during every wonderful, life affirming moment that I have so far been blessed with.

I have now moved beyond writing about my own experiences and have started research and prep work on a novel that I want to complete sometime in the next year or so. I will need to be very disciplined, and write every day. Due to the fact that I will need to wait for information that I need to send in formal requests for, this could be daunting, indeed.

I am very excited about writing this novel, as my challenge as the author will be to take you into the mind and heart of a man who within a fifteen minute span, committed an act that altered his life and the lives of his family and who has spent the fifty years following trying to make up for it.

A redemption story in its most classic form and one which happened upon my path quite by serendipity.

So, to Cheryl, who has been my greatest encourager, infinite love and gratitude for your friendship, attention and wise counsel.

To the rest of you readers, who have stumbled across my blog accidentally or via links from other blogs, thanks beyond words for all the encouragement you have given me as well, during the times I have puddled along, but most of all virtual hugs to all of you for taking the time out of your lives to read my pieces and for understanding that my path may not be a straight one, but I will eventually get to where I am supposed to be.

Namaste

XO – Shannon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I’m looking for a writer who doesn’t know where her sentence is leading her; a writer who starts with her obsessions and whose heart is bursting with love; a writer sly enough to give the slip to her secret police, the ones with the power to condemn in the blink of an eye. It’s all right that she doesn’t know what she’s thinking until she writes it, as if the words already exist somewhere and draw her to them. She may not know how she got there, but she knows when she’s arrived.”

Sy Safransky
Editor and Publisher of the Sun