A Little Girl Who Wanted to Become a Writer

 

Every afternoon she would go for a walk in the park. It was perhaps one of her favorite places and since she lived right next-door, her mother allowed her to go there by herself.

She would always take a book with her and sit in her favorite spot to read. It was a small wooden bench that wasn´t big enough for another person, just one at a time. When it was taken, she would walk around the lake until the occupant left.

Sometimes she would read stories that would take her to other places and hours would go by. Books were her greatest passion. Not always did her parents give her money to buy a book, but she used her library card well. She loved it when her father used to drive her to the library. The smell of those books made her happy. There were weeks when she would take more than one book and though she was young, she did read fast. If she really liked the story, she would borrow it several times until new books arrived.

There were days when after reading she would just close the book and contemplate the trees, the flowers, the birds, the people going by; everything around her. What a privilege it was to be there and appreciate the surroundings.

Every morning before going to school, she would open her little notebook and write. She would write down dialogues she had heard in the park; dreams she had dreamt; news reports dad had mentioned; or just thoughts that popped up in her head. It was a daily routine.

Her childhood dream was to become a writer. In her heart she did not care for the fame and the fortune, but she wanted her ideas and fantasies to be printed out so that future generations could share them and enjoy them.

Whenever she finished a book in the park that she had bought with her allowance, she would leave it on the bench so that someone else who came along would find it and relish the adventure. She did this unless it was a book that she really loved and wanted to reread it. She was aware that for a person to pick it up could take a while to happen, therefore she would put it in a plastic bag and seal it tightly so the weather wouldn't ruin it.  This filled her heart with delight. Sometimes she even walked around a bit just to see the face of that fortunate some one who would find the paperback she had left behind. It was a great feeling.

Hope, perseverance, and resistance against criticism towards her dreams keeps her going towards making a difference in the world. She knows that one day her dream will come true. Until then, she will just keep on writing.

Written: November 6, 2020

Watercolor by Meire Marion