Description:
Noun- a statement that represents something in words.
If you asked me right now to describe myself in three words, I would have no idea what three words to use. There is of course the popular, mundane choices; kind, fun, strong, etc., but what do these words really say about who I am. A word or a grouping of words is a very powerful tool. It can liberate a person from shyness and fear, or it can confine them in a prison of self doubt and insecurity. They have the ability to write peace treaties, and at the same time they can declare war on a nation. Looking at the two ends of the spectrum, it seems to me that one has to be very careful as to which words are chosen to represent their character.
I recently opened a Twitter account and like many other social networking sites, Twitter came with a routine profile section complete with a description area. Since I often use the written word to voice my feelings, thoughts and aspirations, I thought this would just take me five minutes, but as I sat watching the perpetual blinking of the cursor, I found myself at a loss of words. Who am I, and who do I want people to picture in their minds as they are reading this all powerful Twitter profile? Being a word enthusiast, I could not leave a blank canvas on my account, so I quickly wrote:” I am all about stories. Fiction, non, outrageous, or low-key. Everybody has a story to write, so start writing!.” Pathetic I know, but I figured it was better than nothing. Now, you may be wondering why I am writing about the written word. The concept does sound like a bit of an oxymoron, verging on redundancy and I do not blame anybody who is reading this for asking the obvious question. Why did a relatively routine task like creating a Twitter account, leave me so perplexed that I am now writing a blog about it?
While I watched that cursor taunting me with its blink, blink, blink I began to think. If I had to describe myself in a profile or even in three words ten years ago, what words would I have casted to the page? If the task presented itself even five years ago, what would have been penned down then? I began to think; if my life were a constant evolving profile, what story would it tell? In an internet obsessed world, filled with email, blogs, and texts, how many times would my “status” change and to what?
So this is my thesis, the purpose of this blog. I am determined to replace my “pathetic” Twitter description with words that describe me, who I am as a mother, as a writer, as a professional, and as a person. I am not sure where this literary treasure hunt will take me, but hopefully it will lead me to the words I crave the most, the ones that answer the question; what three words describe Samantha Bonwick?
