My wife and I are leaving for a city on the northwest coast of Sicily, Trapani, tomorrow. Wandering the historic city streets, seeing castles on the surrounding hilltops, imagining the sweep of history and invaders over thousands of years, what could be more inspiring?
Seeing the statues, churches, and remnants of ancient buildings and civilizations is profound. Examining the faces and expressions of the individual sculptures is humbling. The depictions of these historic/wealthy/influential people, largely forgotten by history (Wikipedia can call up the details of some of them), I realize the transitory nature of our journey on earth. Not to be maudlin, but all things come to an end.
In writing, I try not to create a place for myself within the scope of history but share my deep sense of wonder and appreciation for those fellow travelers through our shared history. There is a grand sweep of stories and passions that our collective imagination strives for. While different from the ancients, storytelling in the form of contemporary movies, books and music is still the same at its core: shared passion.
I am blessed with artistic sensibilities, first in the form of visual art and now in writing. My consistent purpose is to share a sense of wonder at the beauty of sight, sound and tastes around me within a context. We are not alone. The others before us enrich our lives with the markers of archeology, writings, music and art strewn about our world by the passage of time. My journey is to connect with the passions of the ancients and share my discoveries with readers—a rare privilege, like the storytellers around campfires, taverns, and lecterns of history. To create anticipation in an audience is to connect with that lilt in the voice of an ancient bard. Now back to writing.
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