The power of story telling

For without passion, life becomes a meaningless road where we "keep on keepin' on" without seeing the beauty that can be found in each small moment.

First I will set the scene, because we all know as avid writers and readers that a good story cannot be told until a scene has been set. It was the 90’s when I was born and I grew up in a less conventional way than most. My firefighter and nurse parent’s were unlikely ‘wannabe hippies’. We lived in the middle of the sticks in a small rural community, (I hesitate to say town as there were no shops).

“Granite Ridge’ in Benloch was our slice of paradise and is my continual inspiration. 

The land was fertile and green with large gum trees, ferns and native grasses. Koalas dozed high in the trees with tawny frogmouths and laughing Kookaburras. A meandering creek bordered the property and came to a peak atop large granite boulders, eventually running back down towards the ground and forming a cascading waterfall. Frill Neck and Blue Tongue lizards soaked in the sun on warm afternoons and Echidnas dug homes in the dirt. Our sustainable eco-friendly mudbrick home, the center of “Granite Ridge” was designed and built by my parent’s very own hands. I was born into a loving household where animals were treated with respect and hard work bore great results. The peace and serenity of my child hood still resonates within and although I am now far away, in the bustling regional city of Bendigo, it takes only a single moment for me to lose myself in the crunching sound of the twigs and bracken as I race through the forest, or the sound of an owl hooting above, and the rustling of the water while I feel soft moss between each of my toes.

I knew from a young age that I needed to know more words. Words can be used to describe the emotion and connection that can be evoked from a single memory or a group of memories that form in our minds to produce a perfectly painted picture. They can move and grow; the power of memories is great, yet the power of memories when expressed in words is eternal and never-ending.

Although writing can sometimes be an arduous task, the persistence I was taught by my parent's help me to strive, work harder, and be passionate in all that I do.