Words have power. They can heal,
they can nurture, they can destroy, they can mend old wounds or even open new
ones. I’ve been writing for many years and blogging has been an integral part
of my output for the better part of a decade.
Throughout I’ve seen how a post
can resonate thousands of miles away because even though we are separated by
distance, we are united by experience. About 3 years ago, I took a very
important decision in my life and decided that I would strive and work to have
as much of a positive impact as I could in the lives of people I interact with.
Does this mean I’m the Dalai
Lama? No. Have I stopped using foul language? Hell no. Have I stopped ranting?
That’s pretty much impossible. What has happened is that I’ve recognized
that there’s a time and a place for language, topics and things to be shared.
I’ve also learned that I know and have been told countless stories and have my
own set of stories that have actually helped people while going through some
tough times.
This blog is about the many faces
of words, the many uses, the many adventures and applications of words to convey
messages, to share stories, and sure, even on occasion to heal. Although this
blog is relatively young, it has allowed me to come into contact with beautiful
people around the world, men and women who have been kind enough to drop a
comment or email. I’ve been able to rekindle my passion for poetry and occasionally
I’ve actually been fortunate enough to get a thank you message for something I
wrote because somehow it helped someone.
I had been trying to think of
something else I could do on the blog when I started speaking with a new
friend. We talked about writing, blogs, recommendations on Twitter and other
social media platforms. Then one day came an interesting tidbit, she’d written
something she wanted to post though was worried about posting it on her blog.
Having coped with various situations in my life, I told her that for me writing
is part of my healing process and that certain occasions where I’ve shared and
posted my thoughts has been cathartic, in part because I put it out there and
in part because other people resonated with my words and I saw I wasn’t alone...
and that often makes all the difference.
After reading it, I said I really
think you should put it out there… and she agreed. As I read her words, I also offered
to respond to give my perspective either as a man, a writer, a Hispanic or any
other lens that could offer a different perspective on the same topic. So she
sent me her story, I will be posting it and I will be reacting to it.
This post is my invitation to
anyone who wants to share their stories and thoughts. My email is jdestradawriter@gmail.com and I’d
love to share words with you in addition to the ones you already read here. As
for the posts I share, I simply ask for what unifies us, respect. It’s always
Ok to disagree, it is our right. It is also our right to respect, appreciate
and try to understand others and search and find light.
So with much appreciation for all
the people who read me, we’ll be in touch.
Peace, love and maki rolls,
JD
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