When reason and passion converge

There are only two things that a writer wants. Someone to talk to who can set a direction to his thoughts, and sometimes maybe even give the ideas that he builds upon. The other thing that encourages a writer is finding one who leaves him with enough time and resources to focus on his writing. To my mind when such people come together, it is reason and passion converging.

I remember the day I came home from office and simply announced, ‘I think I don’t want a conventional job anymore.’ Specky thought as I blinked a couple of times, and then replied, ‘Fine. You’ll get all the time to write about all the things you wanted to write about.’ No tantrums. No hours of convincing me get back to a job that was keeping me away from writing. No sad moments. No mention of any stress on the home budget. All we did was sit down after dinner, switch on the news, and as usual discuss the day’s events.

Talent is all about conviction and I have known all these years that playing with words and ideas is more than just a fad for me. A spouse who accepts my destiny with words and accepts the fact that we will need to live with a single income, is all about support and love. This is a form of encouragement. And a spouse who loves discussing any topic that you prop at any time – even waking her up well past midnight – is a mix of being a great guide and a source of encouragement. A great discussion is what gives a writer the reason to pursue the subject and then allow his passion for writing mix it with the right words and expressions… and I know not everyone in this world is lucky to have such a deadly combination converging into his life.

In the initial days of my sit-at-home-and-write phase I was full of self-doubt. There were days when I toyed with ideas and I must have begun writing hundreds of essays or articles that were never completed. I have reams of pages and piles of diaries with only the title written… or with a couple of paragraphs scribbled. There are many poems existing without their planned stanzas. Those were times when starting a story or an article was so much easier than completing it. Those were days when I needed a smile and hours and hours of intelligent debate to clear the cobwebs in my mind. I know the incomplete articles exist because I had incomplete concepts and incomplete conclusions… and the only way to give them a shape and form was through discussion. Believe me, a writer’s job becomes easy when he or she has a friend to talk to and talk about what is worth writing about. This is where Specky, my wife, becomes that friend. We still spend hours talking and so generally never miss socialising with relatives and other friends.

Our relationship is so much like that commercial on the television where a father encourages his handicapped daughter discover her talent and passion in dancing and through grit and perseverance, reach a stage when she performs on stage. Like the father in the ad, Specky did help me get over inconsistencies and obstacles. Like the daughter in the ad, I now happily dance with great ideas and readable posts… for me, reason and passion have effectively converged.