Photo by
Tima Miroshnichenko: https://www.pexels.com/photo/light-black-and-white-people-woman-6693284/
It was just another typical busy day at the hotel. I had many rooms to inspect, which wasn't extraordinary, just part of my job. While rushing up a flight of stairs, my foot landed wrong, resulting in instant knee pain, and within days, I realized I'd be out of work for a while. I was forced to resign my position due to a medial meniscus tear. Months went by waiting for surgery, navigating unemployment, workers' comp, and much discomfort, but during it all, my literary ambitions returned.
That certain twinkle returned to my writer's eye, and I realized that the dream was still alive.
It was just as alive as it was before, when my splenectomy took me out of the workforce during Covid. Dare I say, the dream felt more pronounced because, as much as recurring unemployment irritated me, it was yet another opportunity for my creative hand to stay busy.
Whereas monetary restrictions and health matters had me under a heavy thumb, my eye for creation was clearer than ever.
I reflected on my Vocal Media presence, acknowledging my upward swing over the past twelve months in writing challenge wins; ten in one year was a lot, considering that over my six-year journey, I had one second-place win. I sat with this notion, really sat, studying my content, realizing that beyond any contest status or cash award, my writing was finally breathing.
Five years in with an online writing platform, and I was finally beginning to trust myself. I couldn't let the progress be all for nothing. Perhaps the uptick in my creativity was fueled by the desire for, the thirst for balance amid a corporate-fueled world. Maybe removing Medium from my writing bucket list afforded me more moments of artistic clarity without life feeling overly bombarded. Possibly, quite possibly, this second round of life inconveniences held embedded possibilities, more efficiently aligned with the dream. One thing was certain: I had to dig deep and figure it all out.
And so I did...
My literary ambitions returned. I reinstated my Medium account, starting over from a humbling zero after ditching all my content and 5000 followers. No pressure. No self-inflicted standard to live up to. No expectations. Just me, my renewed commitment to the platform, and more importantly, a renewed commitment to myself.
Editing again felt like home. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed helping other writers, especially new ones, get their stories published.
Personal writing felt much freer than my first go around on Medium. I felt reconnected to the art, the art that had brought me so much joy just a short time before. Leisure time, me, my keyboard, and lighthearted moments spent releasing all these thoughts pent up by a demanding job, enhanced an old perspective, one that had rebounded amid much personal pain and struggling.
Further reflecting on my struggles took me several more years, to a brutal pitbull attack in 2015. As crazy as it may sound, it appeared that every five years, life had thrown me a heightened event, taking me out of my known element, being work stability.
- 2015- pitbull attack- 6 months out of work to heal
- 2020- splenectomy resolving a rare benign tumor- over 1 year spent in isolation
- 2025- work-related accident- medial meniscus surgery- 1 year out of work, ongoing still
Real data, real life, and since I do not believe in coincidence, I began drawing on spiritual connections with an important revelation: my life path has to change.
No more hotel jobs. The once-upon-a-time ambitious hospitality professional in me has shifted her focus to literary pursuits, knowing that the same skills used to accommodate travelers can be utilized through the written word. Uplifting, providing for, and housing, through a public service-oriented job, has shifted to "writing to uplift humanity."
While there are still many uncertainties ahead, one thing I now know without a doubt is that my writing hand will continue. Will continue creative pursuits. Will continue my writing project, my debut poetry collection. Will explore all the ways life experiences might contribute to written words, written words meant to share with and help the lives of others.
What about you? Have you ever had an experience that you thought took you off your path, only to later find out that something else was waiting in the wind? Maybe a specific skill you weren't utilizing or needed to hone. Maybe a talent lying dormant. Maybe an altogether alternate mindset, one that would propel you forward on a better path, if only embraced.
As I transition from hospitality to humanity, I’m finally putting my literary ambitions into practice. If you’d like to follow my journey and my debut poetry project, you can subscribe to my Substack here to receive a free 3-page poetry collection as a thank-you gift.❤
Get your free Poetry PDF here
Comments
Post a Comment