Imagine Being Left Behind

Tell us about something you’ve done that you would advise a friend never to do.

I’m a writer.

I’m not a professional, nor do I get paid for what I write, but I like to stamp myself as one. One thing about having this hobby, you can turn words into anything, and that is magical. You can turn words into inspiring quotes, stories, poems, and even change someone’s perspective of one thing into another.

So back when I was still twelve, I wrote a story for the whole world to see.

The quality suck, the grammar was all over the place, and the plot line was unrealistic, just like how every twelve years old would write. But with that half-baked story, I managed to draw readers and my readers helped me grow into the writer that I am today.

They left constructive criticism, pointed out what I did wrong, and gave suggestions to make the plot a bit more realistic. They cheered on me when reviewers were being mean, waited patiently for new updates, and they were just so unbelievably nice. With their help, my writing quality progressed into what could be called adequate and I was actually starting to really have confidence in my skill.

Guess what I did to repay that kindness?

I left.

Just like that, without thinking any further, the twelve year old me left and never continued the story. I left them waiting, I stopped replying to the reviews that I still get until today, and I ignored their plea for me to write the continuation, all because the twelve year old kid with unlimited imagination and passion in learning new things grew up and became boring.

That’s me today.

To this day, I keep opening Ms. Word and managed to write a sentence or two, maybe even managing a paragraph, but at the end of the day, that passion is just gone, and I couldn’t bring myself to dive in into the world I lived in three years ago.

For lack of better words, let’s just say that I moved on.

And I didn’t know any better back then, but I know how it felt to be left behind now. Believe me, it sucks when your favorite writer leaves and never look back. The hopeful feeling, the long awaiting, the non-replied messages, it drains the heart.

Which is why, I tell you, don’t ever leave. Just like marriage, these things need commitment. Don’t ever, ever, leave no matter how bored or boring you get. But if you do, say, get bored one day and couldn’t bring the flame of passion to ignite, just open a blank page and let your fingers do the rest. I assure you, you’ll be surprised to see how your fingers can create other forms of masterpieces as they dance across the keyboard.

In response to The Daily Post: Well, I Never…