The Beginning of a Story

I believe in passion. I believe in following your dreams and aspirations, not only because you can, but because you want to and enjoy doing so with every fiber in your being.

As a child, I wasn’t the best student, nor was I an outstanding athlete. Although I did swim, fairly well if I admit, I was never truly interested in the tasks laid before me. All I ever dreamt of doing, was using my surroundings to broaden my own imagination. It wasn’t until the summer of my sixth grade year, one of the greatest summers of my childhood, that I realized my true passion. Having visited the public library with my mother one day, I asked if I could rent a book I had spotted from afar. To me, at that time, the cover was colorful enough to interest me in itself. When I got home, I sat on my bed and held the book in hand. As I flipped thru the continuous layers of pages, my fingers brushing against the edge of each page as I turned each one, something inside me changed. It was as if someone had flicked a switch, turning my uninteresting and empty world into a bright and fascinating one. After not having put the book down since I first opened it, I finished it and sighed. It was at that point, that the only thing running thru my mind was, “I’m not the only one”. From that point on, I rented a incredible amount of fiction based books from the public library, which almost became like a second home that summer.

But it wasn’t until the end of that summer, that I realized I had two passions. As I read thru the Harry Potter series, turning each page in anticipation, I felt as if I was watching a movie in my mind while reading. I was attached to each character, their story, and loved everything about the series itself. It was all I could think of. I didn’t want to finish the story, because I was too attached to each character. It was as I continued reading Harry Potter, engulfed in the amazing story that it was, I came to the realization that I wanted to express my imagination to others, just as J.K. Rowling had. I wanted to share my passion for imagination, with the rest of the world, and so, I made a promise to myself; That I would never give up or trade my passion for anything else.

It was from that day on, that I began to follow my dreams. I picked up a pen, grabbed a piece of paper, and from there on, everything flowed into place. I wasn’t afraid of what others would think, if my writing made sense, or anything else. Nor did I care. My heart was at home as the endless ideas I had once stored, were now being written down. From it, I felt pure joy throughout every fiber of my being. I might not have been, and am still not, the best reader or writer, but by having found my passions, I have been able to see the universe and the world around me in a beautiful way. A german poet, Georg Hegel, once said: “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion. Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart. Passion is the key to living life.” This, I believe.