A twelve-year-old mind

When I was a child, I decided to write a book. I wasn’t quite sure of what it meant but in my ten-year-old mind it was the coolest thing to do. I first needed to find a title, name the characters and finally come up with a nice story. Few days later, my hard work finally paid off. The main character would be a brilliant and energetic 9-year-old boy called Ali whose mom was a diligent and caring nurse and dad was a short-term unemployed ex mechanic. Ali had two best friends Tam, a tall dark and beautiful giraffe and Silver, a friendly little parrot.??Though I had not read it at the time, my book was to be a more animated and creative version of The Little Prince, a very popular book at the time (how silly!). Ali was to narrate his daily life as he embarks on a fascinating journey around the planet, meeting new people, learning new languages and experiencing new cultures. The first chapters would focus more on his peaceful life at Itvana, his country, his family, school and friends but most importantly Ali’s dream of adventure and greatness. The main and last chapters of the book would describe the circumstances in which he would finally leave is home to pursue his dream, discover the world and return to his loved ones afterwards.

What an ambitious and elaborate project!

As much as I would love to take credit for it, I must admit that this scenario was inspired (but not based on) by my own story, yearn and urge to view the world, give meaning to my life and find a place to belong.?

It was more than 11 years ago but I still remember the passion and excitement I experienced during the early stage of my writing, then the frustration of being stuck and finally how disappointed I felt after giving up. Maybe I was too young, maybe I should have opted for French instead of English (which I was still learning at the time), and what if my relatives had been more supportive of my new project? All legitimate questions that will forever remain unanswered but for sure, innovation has never been a problem for me; not at that time, nor presently. The truth is that having a creative mind is great but with no rigorous planning and consistency success will always be at arm’s length.

As Collen Powell beautifully said, “A dream does not happen by magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” I had countless projects, I always only focused on the dream, not the preparation, not the how, when or where and definitely not on how much time I had to invest for it to flourish. In this fast-paced world of short-term strategies for immediate results it’s important to do things the right way.?

In this quest for meaning and uniqueness, I felt depressed many times, many times I gave up and swore not to try again. Over time I learned that we cannot indefinitely fight who we are, for it is what defines and uplifts us above the rest. A light house placed on the top of a hill is doomed to shine and illuminate the whole town. It is easy to foul-up, lament and cry over spilled milk. It is good to be ordinary, to have a routine, a conventional work, get married and raise a family, it is equally good to have greater expectations, think outside the box and chart a unique course in life. How will I be fit if I cannot exercise at least twice a week? How can I become a story teller if I am afraid of words???How could I lead others if I am not at peace with myself?

As much as I enjoyed being a twelve-year-old mind, as much as I loved writing about Ali and his adventures, I’ll work twice as much to realize the hundred thousand dreams I dream.?????????