Writing, just one word at a time…
UNBLOUSED is about telling our stories, any of them, all of them; they’re all important and they all speak to what it is that we went through in our service in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Sharing stories is a wonderful thing. It can help unload a personal burden, make someone reflect on their own actions, or make someone smile and laugh. More importantly, if you don’t tell them, if what you experienced isn’t shared, then how will others know what you went through or learned.
The often quoted Winston Churchill wrote, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Everyday the men and women of the CAF have the distinction of being involved with and creating Canadian history; even the smallest and seemingly insignificant actions do. If we are making history, then we have a responsibility to tell our stories so that others can learn from them…or at least be entertained by them.
Our stories are all different. Some are humorous, some are painful, and some, as they so often are, are a combination of every emotion between them on the scale.
That’s what makes writing our stories a challenge. How do you relive and relate in mere words what are complex events intertwined with complex emotions, hindsight, remorse, blood, joy, and loss? You do it by writing just one word at a time.
Like the caption on the thumbnail for this post so eloquently says, “Just write something.”
For many this may be the first story you’ve written since Grade 12 English; don’t worry you’ve still got it. Type one word, then a few more and add a period. That’s a sentence, now repeat. Soon you’ll have a paragraph, do that few times and before you know your story will be ready.
Now…
Some of you might be reading this and saying, “Man, this all seems a touch dramatic don’t you think? I was just going to tell you the story about the time we got rip roarin’ drunk in Munich and crashed a wedding party!” To which I’d reply…”AMAZING! Please send me that story!”
While…
Some of you might be reading this and saying, “Whoa, I’m not sure I can relate what I went through, it’s to painful, and I don’t want it to be taken out of context in among a bunch stories about people over imbibing in Munich.” To which I’d reply, “if and when your ready and willing to share I’ll work with you to make sure your story is told within the book in the proper context with the respect it deserves.”
All the stories, in one way or another, fit together; that’s what I want to share with the reader. There’s no hidden agenda for this book, just a recount of how it is to serve in the CAF, the good, bad and ugly regardless of how time marches on. The CAF is not perfect because the people in it are not perfect and by telling our stories, showing the reader who were are, what we go through, and what we do…maybe they’ll understand us better, learn a few things and get a few laughs along the way.
Just write something.
All the best,
John