Some people believe in destiny or fate, and others believe in carving out their own paths in life. We can’t change the past, and we can never be certain what tomorrow holds. Which is why it is vital that we focus on the present. In a previous blog post, I briefly mentioned the importance of writers exploring why we brainstorm for hours on end, type until our fingers are numb, examine every sentence, and fight sleep just to reach a word count goal for the day. Since tomorrow is promised to no one, I often ask myself whether I am satisfied with the work I completed that day. Sometimes the answer is yes, and other times it is no, but that is perfectly normal considering I am human, not a robot. 

I do believe in some capacity that I was meant to be a writer, but I have come to realize that I have a deeper “why.” There is something morbidly poetic about the footprint we leave on Earth after we die. And as uncomfortable as death is to talk about, it is one of the only things promised to us in life. Since the day of our birth, we are given a death sentence. When I look at it like that, it puts into perspective how unforgiving life can be, as well as the beautiful things we accomplish in our brief time on Earth. In the age of the internet and cloud data, everything we put online will remain long after my time, barring any artificial-intelligence takeover. My writing and my future novels are direct insights into not only my creative mind but also a part of my consciousness. When I pick up a book written in the 1930’s, a connection that transcends human understanding forms, linking me to that author from nearly a hundred years ago. Or maybe there is a scientific term for this phenomenon, and I am ignorant of it. Depending on the writing, I gain insight into the author’s mindset, and in a way, it is as if the author never died. This is my “why.” This is my footprint on humanity; whether it be small or large, it will be there. When someone reads a book I wrote a hundred years from now, they, too, will gain insight into my thinking. When writers enter the elusive “zone,” it means we have turned off the thinking part of our brain and have let our subconscious take over. This is not only where I write my best work, but it is also the truest form of myself that spills onto the page. As writers, artists, actors, and parents, we are immortal, living not only through our published works but also through children, who are our ultimate legacy.

Below, you will find a link to a GoFundMe for my aunt Kelley, who is currently intubated in the ICU, and for her two children. You can find more information on GoFundMe. If you are unable to donate, sharing her GoFundMe is a valuable way to help support her children.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-kelly-selby-and-her-children