"Reflection of the Light"

When I was growing up in Clinton, South Carolina it never occurred to me that someone could actually make a living being a writer. Of course we had James Dickey, the author of DELIVERANCE, from our state but I figured he must have known someone in New York or Los Angeles in order to get a book published. Someone like me, who had no connections in any way, would never be able to pursue that kind of career unless I was willing to move to one of those two cities; and living in either of them didn't appeal to me at all. Or even if it did, it wasn't feasible.

So I put any dreams of being a writer in the back of my head and went on to college and law school. Occasionally I would write something for the local newspaper or a magazine but these ventures into the writing world were always sporadic.

Still I would always keep a "journal" and would write down stories that had really occurred in my life, or that others had related to me. I filled up more than a few notebooks with these entries. But I still never dreamed of trying to get them published.

Later I began to write movie reviews for the newspaper in my town. Then I added book reviews, television reviews, and even a personal column. I did this from my thirties into my forties, but it was always just something I did for fun.

Then one day a friend of mine who is a writer for a newspaper in California asked me why I didn't try to get some of my stories published. He was the first person to ever indicate they thought I might have some talent. He talked to me about sending a letter to some small publishers. It was like a light went on in my head, and all it took was one person saying they thought I had talent.

Later I talked with a local man who had gotten a book published and he encouraged me too. That was all it took. I sent out some letters and within six months time I had a publisher. And before I knew it, I had three books published.

That sounds almost too easy and I know things don't always work out that way. Still I think I was always meant to be a writer. I just avoided taking the plunge. I have slowly become convinced that I do have some talent but it took me overcoming my own insecurities before I got there. It went from I AM NOT A WRITER to "i may be a writer" to "I am a writer" to I AM A WRITER!

My faith makes me believe that any talent we have is a gift from God. And how we use it is a way of pleasing Him. In so many ways we constantly deny the talent we have in order not to be embarrassed, hurt, or disappointed. But we have to take chances and step out in faith.

I now know I will write for as long as I live. Is it great literature? Well that I don't know. But it pleases me to write and it pleases me that others seem to appreciate it. And I know I am using the talent I have been given.

The talent we are given is the light within us. What we do with this talent is the reflection of that light. Fan the fire of talent within yourself and encourage it in others. Reflect the light and let it shine.

 

 

 

 

 

©2005 Jackie K. Cooper

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