"Writing is the most ingenious torture ever devised as punishment for sins committed in a previous life."
I feel his pain but I'm not ready to fully embrace the sentiment. Still, having a message that one feels the world is in desperate need of would be an excellent reason to entertain a dream of becoming a writer. It may be the only reason now I think of it. And we've already admitted that I have no messages.
When I think of how I came to be a published writer, I can easily think of a long list of possible causes. But there is one that stands out above the others. You see, I've always been more or less disappointed with the world I live in. I know! But let me explain and please, no comments.
As a child I was bored. Nothing to do and no one to do nothing with. I had to entertain myself and I suppose I wasn't very inventive because, well, I was bored.
One summer my mother's sister came to visit. She lived in another part of the country and we didn't see her often. On the day she was leaving, my mom asked her...
"Why don't you move back home? All your relatives are here and they'd love to see you more often. Everything you need is right here."
My aunt had the answer up front in her cerebral cortex. Without a moment's hesitation, she replied, "You're right. Everything I need is right here. But," she said with a grand, sweeping gesture of her arm, "there is so much more out there."
The scales immediately fell from my young eyes. It was as though an earthquake had shaken the foundations of the world. I realized the solution to boredom, loneliness, and the feeling of emptiness that plagued me.
I simply had to get out in the world where there was so much more.
Today, relatives and friends living in the community where I grew up, ask me the same question my mom asked her sister. Like my aunt, I have the answer ready because today I understand fully what I vaguely sensed in my younger heart.
It's like this: when I choose to move on, it's not because something is lacking where I currently live. It's simply that there is so much more to experience out there.
That's why travel writing holds such a strong appeal for me. Those of you who regularly visit The Circular Journey are probably thinking, Genome, please! Aren't you forgetting the biggest reason you chose travel writing?
You're right, of course. I'm not denying that Ms. Wonder played a significant role in my being a published author. You regulars can probably tell the story as well as I can but the gist is this.
Wonder mailed a book from Houston to me in Carolina. She called to tell me to watch for it and expressed how excited she was for me to review the little volume. When I read it, I knew she'd done it again--is there another like her? I think not. She stands alone. The book was a life changer.
The name of the book is Travel Writing and Photography and the authors are Ann & Carl Purcell. We knew nothing about the subject but the book intrigued us. We followed the suggestions to the letter and in a short time, we were freelance journalists publishing articles and photos in numerous newspapers and magazines.
Some of the happiest days of our lives were spent running around the country, documenting our experiences. We'd still be doing it today if not for the shakeup brought to the publishing industry by the World Wide Web.
We had no messages for our readers but we did provide an important service. We helped people plan their next vacation; we introduced people to interesting places and events in their own communities; we brought vicarious travel experiences to people who were unable to travel.
Still, that's not where our work did the most good. Doing the research, writing the articles, and capturing our experiences in photos had a lasting effect on our lives. We've been able to experience so much more of the wonder that's out there in the world. And that has made our personal world a better place to live.
We've stayed close to home most recently, due to unavoidable circumstances. But we’ll be back on the road soon. Everywhere we go and everything we do will be available in our online travel magazine, Carolina Roads. I'll keep you updated here on The Circular Journey.
Until then, happy trails to you.