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Life

Just thoughts

I can’t expect peace to find me, I have to look for it.
I can’t expect inspiration to tackle me, I have to tackle it.
I can’t sense what is beautiful about the world if I don’t use what senses I have to notice it.
I can’t expect the best from others, because we aren’t always at our best.

I spend too much time judging, either the actions of others or my own actions. I fail to measure up to my own expectations, or I feel that others fail to measure up. It’s an exercise in futility, an act lacking in compassion, a neverending journey on a hamster wheel.

I deny myself the title of writer because I don’t write what I think is enough, and I also put too much stock in such a title. What does it really mean? I am already me. I may be flawed, but I have already succeeded in being me. I may want to change, to improve, to grow in knowledge and ability and yes, in spirit, but I am already me. I can be me during the whole journey. The hamster wheel is unnecessary and gets me nowhere. The path ahead may be full of challenges, obstacles I must face, but I have no need to focus on those distant bends when I should be focusing on right now, this one step before me.

Try not to look behind too often. The past will want to glue you to the spot.

By J. Parrish Lewis

J. Parrish Lewis was born and raised in Maryland. In his youth there, he and his brother had many adventures in the dogwood forests near his home. His nostalgia for these adventures has strongly influenced his characters, their relationships, and their perspective on the world they inhabit. He moved to California’s coast to earn his degree in communications and now lives with his family in the San Joaquin Valley. Lewis is profoundly deaf and uses American Sign Language to communicate. He enjoys hazelnut coffee, captioned movies, and walking his dog.

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