first ever post:- Why Am I Here?

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies...The man who never reads lives only one".  This timeless advice re-circulated from the great fantasy epic writer, George R R Martin, reminds me of St Augustine’s maxim “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” I am a great fan of both reading and travelling, although I have yet to travel much beyond Europe or read many of the texts considered ‘classics’. The ‘cannon’ of English Literature, I perceive as like a high shelf which I have yet to go to the effort of finding a stool for: not only is it caked in the dust of a previous time, but I naively assume it will always be there and thus it is not worth all that trouble it would require to take it down just right now. Nevertheless I do travel - I had an incredible journey hitch-hiking to Croatia last year - and I love to read, and now I am here to re-energise my pleasure of writing.

I have always liked to write. When I was younger under the encouragement of my Dad I would describe, usually in a satirical style, about the holidays we would go on as a family: Unfortunately the pages would be soaked with ink and enthusiasm in the first couple of days, but invariably were put to one side in favour of other curiosities after day 5 at the latest. Nonetheless I wrote in a fresh journal every time I went away for over 10 years until I was about 17, finding a delight in extended caricatures and the fusion of moaning, albeit humorously, and flamboyant imagery. When I was in my mid-teens  I practiced a secret joy of poetry. I liked the craftsmanship of creating images, and bringing out the dark, troubled emotions of my psyche at that time. I was always a little embarrassed and so my anthology of around 15 poems was sadly never published, or even shown to anyone except my parents and my sisters. And that brings my literary career – excluding necessary school and university assignments – to date. So here's hoping that I will keep this one going for the forseeable future. As an enjoyable past-time for me and for others, a repository of thoughts to be shared: for those I know; for strangers who find in my writing a vicarious reflection of themselves; and indeed also as a record which I hope will be illuminating for myself to look back on.

That which inspires my key enthusiasm is the striving towards peace. I believe that the reality of peace is something which, like a plant or a tree, requires the sunshine (external; one of joy) and a watchful diligence (internal; the work of the gardener, to prune and water). Love is best when shared, and the greatest love is arguably peace: serenity. My own journey has been inspired by people I know, momentous places I have visited and what I have read. In a short list I would ascribe the monastic community of Taizé and the spiritual writings of Eckhart Tolle, as well as the influence of my girlfriend in who I am as a mind and soul today. I am very aware that I have a long way to go.

Finding peace for me starts with the realization of how wondrous it is to be alive right now. A way to cultivate this appreciation of life itself, and also any gifts which are given is developed through looking at death. We could die at any point. This may seem overly dramatic and poignant but in fact, seeing this does put things in perspective.

For me the marvel of life, and the power of love, are the tangible ways to perceive God in the world; to recognize our own divine spark, that of those around us and an appreciation of the subtle enlivening power. A quiet stillness is at the heart of how I think I should live. This is what galvanizes me: a desire to be a happier, fuller, complete human being.

The brilliance of the written word is that it is both intensely private and also creates a union with another mind, another imagination: a bridge to another world; or even, a fresh way of looking at our own life. I love to share the beautiful thoughts which have been articulated in such a way as to be truthful and universal. Reading is an incomparable medium, which can stimulate the growth of the mind and soul. Here are some quotes which inspire me no matter how many times I have seen them before: 

• Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)

• We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. (ascribed to the Buddha)

• With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things. (William Wordsworth)

• Build, therefore, your own world. As fast as you conform your life to the pure idea in your mind, that will unfold its great proportions. A correspondent revolution in things will attend the influx of the spirit.  (Ralph Waldo Emerson)