A few years back my friend, Srajesh, sent me a handwritten post. It read: A girl is Alfa Shakya of The Wordcastle and I am going to write. (Spoiler alert) The sentence was a parallel to the line Arya Stark says in Game of Thrones. As both of us were fans of the series, it was well understood. I found it hilarious! I chuckled and smiled. Arya had been one of my favorite characters. I loved how she was left handed just like I am. And what a swords-person she is! (I tried Kung fu some time back, not at all good at it though!) It was an absolute compliment to have a dialogue drawn parallel to one that my favorite character speaks.
I was coming back home this evening. I had just met a friend and we had talked about many things including work. ‘It’s something I am going to do for the rest of my life,’ he said as something inside me shifted. Life is long, hopefully, and to do something for the rest of my, that phrase felt eerie and strange. I felt scared. What am I going to do for the rest of my life? I don’t know. Then a complementary question popped up: who am I? By then I was half way back home, there were light drizzles. As the mild rain fell on my military green jacket, I remembered: A girl is Alfa Shakya of The Wordcastle, and I am going to write. I remembered what Srajesh told me.
A moment of incredible crisis suddenly turned into a moment of power. I didn’t have to be that scared. I just had to keep writing. It almost feels too simple to be true. Like Arya was asked to give up her identity, I have been running away from writing for some time. I write for fun, for joy. It hasn’t gone much beyond it. And I might have altogether given it up had some plans worked out. It didn’t, and I’m not sure why, but I can feel every day that I can no longer run away from writing. I do not meant to pride on my work, I have been really slow in my progress and there is so much I don’t know, so much I will never know. However, I am glad to know it’s here – this little world made of words.
Words have incredible power. Something meant for a light inspiration might have saved me from a spiral of worrisome thoughts today. Thanks Srajesh. 🙂
Now, it’s your turn. Fill your own dialogue. And be as kickass as Arya Stark!
P.S. Don’t forget it was Arya who saved Westeros from The White Walkers, stabbed the Knight King with the dagger on her left hand.
The Wordcastle 