Swords and Sailing Ships

Most girls squeal about boys and movie stars, I squeal about swords, sailing ships, and castles... But then again, I am not most girls... Nor have I ever pretended to be...

Sure, I dream about the day when my Prince Charming will come and sweep me off my feet, but that is far from the only adventure I have in mind for this story. Oh no, I have renaissance festivals to go to, a pirate island where I must search for buried treasure, and several stories of my travels (both real and imaginary) to write so I may be a published author as I have dreamed to be. I will not have the story of my life be a long and boring story. No, there will be much adventuring within the pages of my book.

Girls of today are lucky. We no longer live in the time when we are expected to sit around and wait for a man to come marry us so we can have a family and the cycle goes around again. No, we have the right to find true love. And not only that, to find adventure of our own in the meantime. Yes, I plan on marrying someday and having a family, and what a grand adventure that will be! However, there is so much life to live in the meantime! So many things to do and see while I wait on God's ever so perfect timing.

As you can probably tell, my heart and mind have been filled with tales of grand adventures. The longing to embark on some such adventures is strong, but trust me, adventuring I shall go! As soon as I save up enough money that is... Perhaps a trip to Boston this summer? Back to Virginia Beach in the fall? A trip back to my beautiful island this winter? Oh the possibilities are endless! But the adventuring does not have to be far. No, perhaps a trip back in time to the Renaissance festival in the meantime. Or a treasure hunt in our local antique shops? A trip to the beach where we will pretend we are marooned on an island! A kayak trip down the winding waters of our creek, or should I say… the jungles of South America? Oh, the adventures you can go on with just a little imagination! But now I am rambling...

My point being, there is not only one ending to our story, not even one genre. Your story can be a sci-fi, mystery, self-help, drama, fantasy, romance, adventure book if you want it to be. I hope my story will be a love story, but that's not all it will be, no that's certainly not all. I will continue to squeal over my swords, sailing ships, and castles. And yes, occasionally the sailors and princes who go with them... But for now, I shall plan my next adventure!

Ship Painting By Jessica Page

Imagination

As I look outside this April morning, and find fresh snow covering the ground, I find myself lost in a daydream of beaches, palm trees, the ocean, pirates, buried treasure and daring adventures. Adventures that, as a child, were not too far away on a fine, snowless, April day. In my imagination at least. But why must we only have imaginary adventures as children? Why do I find it so much harder to let my imagination run wild now that I am an adult, when it was so effortless only a few short years ago?

Perhaps it's because I know too much now. With knowledge comes loss of childish innocence. I know, though I hate to admit it, that the pirates I read about in stories simply do not exist in today’s world, flying is only for the airplanes and birds, and finding your true love takes more time and patience than the story books would suggest. And something as children we would contribute to magic, now has a scientific explanation. The world becomes so much darker and boring when the imagination one had as a child becomes harder to come by.

As a writer, you can probably imagine how this lack of imagination might become an issue. Every day I fall deeper and deeper into reality and it has become nearly impossible to pull myself back into the imaginary worlds of my stories. I find myself criticizing the unrealistic aspects of it all and forget why I’m writing in the first place. I don't write my stories to re-tell what "realistically" happens in the world we live in. I write to give people an escape from this boring, imaginationless life. I write to give people hope that with a little faith, some hard work, (and yes, occasionally a little magic and imagination) anything is possible. Hope that life doesn’t have to be what it seems to be.

Imagination is a crazy thing. You don't need to buy anything to have it, you can be by yourself or with a group of friends, you don't have to be good at it, you just do it. Imagine what it would be like to live in a different world, a different place, to be on a daring adventure, or a relaxing vacation. And once you start imagining, you'll realize some of the things you’re imagining have become dreams. And you know the wonderful thing about dreams? Dreams have a funny way of being able to mold themselves into reality. Dreams can come true. And perhaps it won't turn out exactly as you imagined, but with some hard work and a little faith, your imagination can carry you to a whole new reality. One where life maybe isn’t quite so... Ordinary... One where the ground isn’t blanketed with fresh white snow in April...