Threading the Needle

As I have gotten older, threading a needle has become more difficult. My once 20/20 vision is now aided by 2.75 magnification glasses. The dexterity that I used to take for granted when picking up tiny beads or applying false eye lashes, has now been reduced to fumbling earring backs and difficulty pushing the buttons on the remote control. Threading a needle is virtually impossible without an extremely steady hand, bright lighting, and complete mental focus. I have discovered that new authors often describe writing their story in the same way. Their once free flow of ideas is now paralyzed by fear, judgement, and a sense of unimportance. A younger self was fluid in thought and speech, but somewhere between adolescence and adulthood lies a season where we become silent and predictable, conforming to the rules of age and expectation. We stop being individuals and instead, we step into the herd of sameness and forget the uniqueness of our true selves. Storytelling, authentic storytelling, is essential for human survival. Every day, we spend hours scrolling TikTok videos or reading Instagram posts because we have a hunger for stories. Every post is an introduction to the life of the poster. Every dance, every video, every inspirational quote is a story. Each 280-character tweet is a small book, booming with information, opinion, or conjecture. With every word written, no matter the platform, we thread another needle to stitch together our collective human story. This month, we will begin our second session of Write Like a Boss: A Writing Workshop for Budding Authors. Though this is a writing workshop, it is more like a sewing class. This workshop is designed to provide authors the tools to gain confidence in their writing and to inspire them to tell their stories. We sharpen your skills, identify the thread that winds through your ideas, and organize your words, stitch-by-stitch, to ensure that your book warms, heals, and inspires the reader.

Yes, writing can be difficult. You may face opposition, prick your fingers, or have to unravel a moment in time that has been stored away for decades. There will be times when you stay up late or awaken early to write. You will become obsessed with finishing and become frustrated when seams come apart or another idea comes to your mind. You will never be satisfied when it's "done." You will realize that once you publish you first book, another one shows up soon after. The blessing of writing your story, is that in the pages of your book lies a rich and beautiful history that will remain forever. It will outlive you and serve humanity until the end of time. My great-grandfather was a quilter and he threaded hundreds of needles, pieced together thousands of scraps of fabric, all to make the most beautiful quilts. In our family, if you have a "Granddaddy Quilt," you are amongst the privileged, and you guard it with your life. Although none of his descendants took up his particular craft, I have, in my own way. I have learned to thread my needle with words, gathered the scraps of life experiences, and stitch together stories that are both artistic and comforting. Now is the time for you, my budding author, to awaken the writer within. The world needs your story.