I decided to start a blog to share stories and my thoughts with whoever found them interesting. I plan to share sections from a novel that I am preparing for publication. I will also include short stories and essays about experiences I had while traveling in foreign parts.
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I will admit that I never excelled in school, but I learned a great deal through travel. One of the most important lessons was to see all people as human beings. There are many different ways to live life and understand life, but we need to acknowledge and celebrate our differences, not fear them.
I ask myself, if a million people do something one way and one person does that thing a different way, are they wrong? No. They are simply different. Welcome to being a member of the homo sapiens.
We may have differences of opinion and that is healthy unless an opinion may cause harm to another. I feel one of the most important considerations when considering an action should be our motivation. Can we find a way that reduces the possibility for hurting or excluding or denying a certain group or individual?
The sad truth is, despite our best hopes, I believe we all have biases and judgements that sway our attitude in certain circumstances. None of us are perfect. But the last thing we need to burden ourselves with is self-judgement. An open heart along with forgiveness and awareness are qualities that will promote a safer and more just society.
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One of the primary sources of my blog posts will be extracts from a novel I hope to publish one day. It is provisionally titled “Syrian Rebirth – Rashid’s World.” I will cut passages from the novel and add a small introduction that will help with the context of the piece. The first such extract follows in the post, "Refugees, Human Beings Seeking Peace."
Writers, who intend publishing a book, need to prepare what is known as their elevator speech – how they can sell their book to an agent they happen to meet in an elevator. Here is my current version - it needs cutting.
“Rashid al-Fulan owned a spice stall in the markets of Damascus. He wished his wife and three children could live peacefully, surrounded by family and friends. One man prevented that wish, President Bashar al-Assad, who ruthlessly controlled Syria and its people through bloodshed and intimidation.
When Rashid found himself in the cross-hairs of Assad’s attention, how would his life change? How would his being a husband and a father change? How would Syria change?”
I invite you to return to my blog to read other sections from the novel, my thoughts, and free-standing essays about my travels. Please leave comments on blog posts so that we can share thoughts and impressions.
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If you are interested in my blog, send an email to me. I will add you to a list to receive a monthly email giving the most recent postings to the site. You can remove your name from the list at any time.
Please forward the link to this blog site (www.bdhwrites.com/blog) to any people who you think may be interested.
Thanks
Barry D. Hampshire
Author of "Journey to Self - Discovering Paths beyond my Dreams."
Available on Amazon - Click here
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