An Unexpected Teacher

I thought my inspiration for writing this morning came in the form of the two deer I saw on the trail as I was running.  They paused in the middle of the the trail just long enough to twitch their tails and ears as if to say "hi," then - with two graceful leaps, the forest swallowed them up into safety. 

  But my true fire came at the half-way point in my jog.  As I walked off a midway pant, I noticed a man sitting, furiously writing.  With bated breath and a desire among two choiced questions, I asked the stranger, "Are you writing for business or pleasure?"  "Pleasure," he answered.

Smiling, I lunged at my fellow comrade of the written word to shake his hand and introduced myself as a fellow writer.  He gently said, "I don't know if I am a writer, but I write words." His humble, brillant response made me want to snatch his notebook from his grasp and breathe in his words.

I resisted my temptation with my response of "Continue in peace and write your words."  I left the unknown writer without knowing a single thing about him.  As I continued on my jog, it occured to me that even though we did not share the customary exchange of names, I know we both felt a commonality of desire - the love of language.

My humble teacher of the moment taught me a very imporant lesson today  -  I am not alone as a writer, though I always write alone in a solitary spot.  As writers, we are all driven to share our inspired words.

So fear not, dear writers of the world.  YOU ARE NOT ALONE.  We are all together in our aloneness.  Share your inspired words - purge yourself for the greater good, for the world is better for it.

Photo on Flickr by imapixistix

Comments

[Steve Sherlock]

Laura, teachers are all around us. Teaching moments abound. We need to be open and receptive for them and they will appear.

Welcome to the moment! It is a great teacher!

[Laura Hecht]

Steve,
I couldn't agree more! My eyes are open and my heart is ready for the lessons life throws at me. Let the learning begin. Thanks for the comment.
Laura

[mrsdurff]

Indeed, none of us are alone, especially online. You made a connection-communicating the imperative of writing. You both collaborate, although you don't know each other's names, in a community of writers. Online there is a vast global community of bloggers (writers). Those are the central skills we bring to learners: connection-communication-collaboration.

[Laura Hecht]

mrsdurff,
Even though I am new to the blogging, twittering, and FriendFeed Communities, I am becoming keenly aware of the community of like-minded individuals. Thanks for your comment! I look forward to connecting-communicating-collaborating with you more.
Laura