“Without words, without writing and without books there would be no history, there could be no concept of humanity.” -Hermann Hesse
Here we are today, looking upon past mistakes to help guide us toward a better future because that’s what works. And that’s why we need writers. We need you to show up with all your scars and present them in a world that expects us to behave like machinery or furniture. It brings our current moments to life in a time when life could be snuffed out at the moment of confession. We need evidence of what it means to be human. We need to claim the worth of our words. I feel this most when I return to old texts.
While reading Ovid’s Metamorphoses, written around 8 CE, I’m whisked away from all the problems of this world. It feels less like a time machine and more like stories that give humans meaning. And what Ovid offers is not just an escape but meaning. According to Viktor Frankl, meaning is enough to sustain life.
In a similar way, I was validated while listening to Martin Luther King Jr.’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech. It lifted me right up from the darkness of this world. Not to ignore the tragedies taking place, this isn’t a toxic positivity post. It lifted me from hopeless despair into objective action. It validated my faith in humanity and reminded me that peace is an acceptable way to fight the good fight.
We write in our present moment to claim our humanity. That is the gift you receive from writing and reading allows us to receive it again.
Jayne.press 