5:00PM
Who am I too write a book? Who am I too write a blog? Who am I to do or say anything?
I spoke with another author from the support group this afternoon and we talked about finding one’s voice. As the conversation developed, I started to realize that while so many of us are doing or saying the same things, we all say them a little differently.
I remember taking a class in Krav Maga and we were lucky to have one of the top instructors travel from Israel to lead the class. At the end of class, he had us sit down, cross our legs, interlock our hands, put our thumbs together, keep our heads forward, and slowly raise our hands to the top and then down to the floor, while tracking our hands with our eyes. One guy from the back asked, “Is this meditation?”
I was living in Berkeley, California at the time and if you had asked me to go to a class on meditation, I wouldn’t have gone. If you would asked me to go to yoga and meditate there, nope. I had a strong resistance to doing it, I don’t know why. But when this world-class martial artist runs me through a meditation exercise, I dig it.
So who am I to write a book? I’m a person who speaks with a specific language and represents different things to different people. Even if I say almost the exact same thing as someone else, perhaps some people will trust it coming from me more than others (and vice versa). Maybe people will feel more comfortable receiving this message from me, based on my identity, my background, how I look, or how I write. The “same” information can be transmitted in many ways—just see how different comedians tell the same joke, or the different musicians play the same song. Each person adds their own unique spin to the same subject, adding their own secret spice to the dish.
This doesn’t mean that it will gel with everyone. Just as there people who will be more likely to receive it from me, there may be others who feel more reticent. That because of who I am or what I represent (or how I say it), they will reject the message and accept it from someone else.
And that’s OK.
I guess I just feel a lot more relaxed in writing and speaking when I realize that some people jive better with it when I do it, reasons unknown. Gives me the courage to say things that others have said time and time and time again, but just adding my own flavor to it. Helps me feel humble realizing that not everyone will accept it and it’s not because there’s something wrong with me or how I say it, but because the compatibility is off because of other things in their life. Makes me feel confident to keep writing these scribbles.
Perhaps this style works for someone. Looking forward to finding out who it does! Carry on!
