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Writing – As a Tool

9/13/2023

2 Comments

 
Picture
When I first came into program, and heard OA had ‘tools’, I imagined me carrying around my very own ‘Bob the Builder’ toolbox. Today, I am ever grateful for all of these tools, but I have a passion for the tool of ‘writing’.

My written words are my truth. What I lack the courage to put out there in voice, comes extremely easy by pen. I found that whatever was going on in my crazy life, it liked to hang around in my head long after I quit yelling. The noise in my head would not ease until I put them to paper.

When I was a kid I used to find it funny that the space in my head was so much smaller than the space in a book of 100 pages, but I needed so many of those books to hold everything that was in my head.

Once the words are on the page in front of me, I can see feelings that I didn’t realize I had or patterns in my behavior and sometimes even solutions to a certain problem might show itself in my written word.

I can do whatever I want to with my written words. I can erase my words. What I cannot take back by voice, I can make disappear forever on paper. I can meditate with my words. I can tell stories with my written words.

And what about meditation? Our 11th step encourages us to meditate. ‘But how?’  I asked. How can I take all that stuff that’s buzzing around in my head and make it settle down long enough to meditate on it.

Meditation brings calm, insight and mental calmness even in difficult situations, in other words – Higher Power. I find it much easier to meditate when I have a piece of paper with the words on it that represent the problems I am trying to solve.

​What else can I do in writing? I can make amends through my written words. I can offer up my writing for others to read. Reading is still one of few remaining things that are free in this world. I can get creative with my written words; I can make others feel good with my writing. There are many benefits to be found in writing and the one that keeps giving back is reading. Writing is my lifeline. And finally…

I can take a single word (the word ‘Amazing’ for example) and build a write around it.

What's Amazing?
what's amazing?
discovering things you never imagined
like oranges used to be green
12+1 = 11+2, and "TWELVE PLUS ONE"
is an anagram for "ELEVEN PLUS TWO"
like pop-rocks and Wi-Fi
that a green caterpillar becomes a blue butterfly
and that I am stuck on Band-Aids
cause Band-Aids stuck on me

what's most amazing is when you finally
find your person
and you become somebody’s somebody
because you've known all your life that
you fall for a person through their eyes
and that one day you would lock eyes
and from then on
they talk about you in their sleep.
​Amazing!

Diane D
​Technology Coordinator
PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE LAST NAMES IN BLOG POST COMMENTS
2 Comments
Judy B.
10/28/2023 03:59:23 pm

Wow, Diane, that is an amazing blog! I love how you said we can erase words written, but not once spoken. And you are a poet!
Loved it!

Reply
Lesley K
12/4/2023 03:20:23 pm

Thank you Diane for your thoughtful blog. Writing is a lifesaver tool for me. My first experience was to write to a God I didn’t believe in. A letter that went on for several pages. After this a spark of belief began to grow. I write my god box notes every day with a written response from my inner goodness God. Thank you again!

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