One Message From a Reader That Changed Everything For Me
I felt it in my bones…
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Words are powerful.
It doesn’t matter how much you undermine their strength; they remain powerful.
I’m not a writer who seeks accolades, even though the result of my enthusiasm throws praise at me.
I write my heart out, every damn time I face a laptop, or interestingly, a piece of paper.
I’ve written into the void for longer than I expected.
I remember hustling to get 10 claps on my stories. The funny thing is, I don’t fancy promotion, especially to people who are related to me. I don’t want my dad to read my writing.
Why?
It’s simple. People who know you may not value your work as much as outsiders do. They believe you're wasting time creating and trying to hide laziness behind a laptop.
“I doubt it if he’s doing anything reasonable in front of that laptop.”
A relative said that to me.
But, I mean, that’s part of the journey of a creative, or do you think I didn’t read the memo?
I read it, my friend, I did.
That’s why I prefer strangers reading my work, or at least, people I barely saw or conversed with.
I don’t want my mother gassing up my writing when someone down the street thinks it was poorly written. I understand that the value of my writing might not be for my grandparents; it might lie in the eyes of a stranger.
So, here’s how I got the message
I was scrolling through my chats that night. I wasn’t feeling sleepy though I had finished editing a 5,000-word short story earlier. It was unusual. I knew I was tired but my eyeballs weren’t cooperating.
So, I decided to reply to text messages I received while I was busy doing what I love.
After scrolling for a while, a chat caught my attention. I hadn’t read it, sure, but I was intrigued by the sender. We barely texted beyond “Hey, what’s good?” or “How’s life treating you?”
I opened it and saw this: “Please never stop writing, brother. Your writing can shape a lot in this world. Keep yourself inspired.”
My eyes foamed with tears.
It wasn’t just a compliment, but a prophecy.
It reminded me that my words had reached someone, touched a heart, and made a difference.
It gave me the courage that my words weren’t mere words, but the calm after the storm.
I felt my muscles tightening and my spirit leaped for joy.
That message sparked a renewed passion, and I resolved to continue writing regardless of the challenges or circumstances.
Have you experienced such before?
If yes, let me know what the message was about and how you felt.
