Simple Escape

I wrote this Prose back in 2005 - gosh, that was 10 years ago.  My ultimate goal is to get back into creative writing.  In hopes of reviving that passion again I will begin to post my original works.  Your comments would be greatly appreciated as always.  Thank you for reading.  This one is called, "Simple Escape."

I love going to used book stores. There is a treasure to be found in here, but there is no map. There is no X to mark the spot. I am wrong. There is not one treasure to be found here, there is gold every where. Every book, every paragraph, every poem, in every page there is something new to discover. All you ever wanted to find are in these pages; you just have to know what you're looking for. History, biographies, romance, science fiction, non-fiction, choose a world to explore and there is a book in these crowded aisles that can get you there. Choose a genre that you want to escape to and there will be pages that will take you there.  

Imagine... authors spent hours perfecting each page to match their satisfaction. As a writer, one should know how much time is required to get what you want to say down on paper. There is an average of two-hundred pages in one book. At least 400 hours were dedicated to each masterpiece. A writer is an artist of words and each page that they are willing to share with us, is a page of their soul. A writer shares pieces of their soul with us. A writer is a master of their soul. Yes, a book is a masterpiece. 

I know you must agree. You are the reader and in this particular moment, it is your attention that I have earned. I have said things that interest you. Perhaps you could relate that is why you are still here. You may be thinking that my writing is simple. That is all right with me because using difficult vocabulary is not my intention. I am not writing for a stranger who is going to determine whether I deserve a score of three out of four.  

I am still an amateur writer. Even the term 'amateur' I feel I don't deserve. I have yet to gain the experience and the will to create a masterpiece such as a book, but I am sharing a piece of my soul. It is not possible for one to completely share every thing they keep inside for even words can be limiting. For now, I am simply a writer who reads and has great respect for old used book stores. Who are you? Are you a writer? Perhaps you have something to say. I have provided a moment of escape for you. Go ahead, and do someone else the favor.

What is your story?

I am confident that reading will spark my creativity.  After reading Louis Jenkin's "Just Above Water" I felt that feeling again - the one where I feel that have the ability to write.  In his book I imagine a man just writing exactly what he was thinking and THAT was enough to get published.  His writing seemed so simple, obvious, literal yet at the same time covered with metaphors.  There was one story in there called "The Skiff" which had wonder if in fact that was based on a true story. It intrigued me so much that I reached out the author himself and emailed him about it.  This was his response to my inquiry:

Sharon, 

Thank you for your note. I used to work as a fisherman on Lake Superior so I heard a lot of stories of the "old days". The poem, however, is not based on any one story, it's fiction, but I hope that it succeeds as a "true story." 

All best,
Louis Jenkins

That is the kind of writer that I want to be.  To write something and have someone wonder "Why?" or just simply wonder how I came about to writing what I wrote.  Truth is, we all have a story composed of many stories.  I haven't written anything fiction, poetry, prose... but I'm headed in that direction. I can feel it.  Until then, at the very least I'll always have my blog.

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Use Your Local Library

Doing this Read 50 books in 2015 has given me an incentive to visit the local library again.  I remember I used to LOVE going to the library because there was always something to read.  I've compiled a list of 5 reasons why you should go to your local library.

1. It's free!
Seriously, what better reason to go to the library - it does not cost you anything!  The only time you would have to spend money is maybe if you're late in returning your books or if you're printing something.  Other than that, you have thousands of material you can check out for research and personal purposes.

2. Free WIFI!
Yes a lot of coffee shops now have free WIFI however, 9 out of 10 probably requires you to purchase something or if you have conscience you may feel obligated to pay for something.  At the library there is no pressure other than them requiring you to own a free library card.

3. Silence granted.
Do you hear that? Precisely!  At the library it is so quiet.  If by the off chance you are sitting at a table where students and studying and visiting there are even designated quiet rooms you can go to.  This is imperative when you really want to get in the zone and you do not want to be distracted.

4. Help is there.
If you need help finding something there is always someone willing and ready to help you at the library.  If they do not know the answer they don't tell you no and leave you to it they go and find someone who knows the answer or can find the answer.

5. Media available other than books.
It's not just books that they have here, they've got movies, music, audio books, and more and more e-books are even becoming available.

When was the last time you've been to the library? What do you like about your library?  Comment below and share your thoughts with us!

Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides

I am extremely glad I chose this book to read to kick off my Read 50 Books in 2015 challenge.  Interestingly enough this story was based on actual historical facts and is supposed to make the story that much more real.  As I read through this book I still can't believe the stuff that I read that happened in the war.   This may be one of my longer blog posts. It's because there is just so much to say related to this book.

I am going to start off with this YouTube video video that I found online which wraps up in a little over 3 minutes the gist of the book.  If you're into history and particularly the Philippines and its involvement in World War 2 this is a must read.  My only disappointment is that I didn't read it until now.

Bataan Death March
60,000-80,000 Filipino & American Prisoners of War

The Japanese Soldiers were trained to never surrender if they were captured they had to commit suicide for in their mindset surrendering to the enemy shows you have no honor.  The book highlights how the Japanese were notorious for making decisions despite new information and conditions they never diverted from their plan.  Even when they discovered that their calculations were off of how many prisoners they would acquire they did not change course and still tried to move the prisoners at the same expected pace with the same quantity of food and medicine.  Even when hoards of their troops were being obliterated by the Filipino Guerrillas they just kept sending groups of them over the same bridge.

In September of 1941, 1800 soldiers from New Mexico were sent to the Philippines.  In memory of the fallen soldiers every year he Bataan Memorial Death March is held in White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico which is approximately 27 miles long.

One of the leaders that made an impression with me was Henry Mucci who was the Colonel of the United States Army Rangers.  He was the type of leader who was described as intense yet his soldiers had no problem following him for they knew that Mucci would never ask them to do something he was not willing to do himself.  He was not the smartest only ranking #264 out of 276 in his class but he was very influential and had the ability to successfully motivate and lead his soldiers.

There is one detail in this book that still haunts me even after I finished reading. I consider it worse than the prologue where Hampton Sides writes about how 150 men were told to dig their own trenches for protection for air raids. 50 men could fit in each trench if they crawled in and kept their knees to their faces.  The Japanese Lieutenant ordered the men to crawl in the trenches which they hesitantly did so and promptly lit the trenches on fire with flame and gasoline.  For those that didn't die from the fire unsuccessfully escaped were killed.  No the other part that I personally thought was worse was when Sides wrote about the pregnant Filipina.  She was handing out cassava cakes to the prisoners as they marched through.  A Japanese guard saw this and dragged her near a tree and gouged her fetus out of her right there for everyone to see with hit bayonet.

"The only thing needed for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" - Edmund Burke

How can someone do this?  Out of fear for their own lives the prisoners felt they couldn't do anything to save that woman.  How can one have so much hate that in their mind an act like this would be ok in honor of their country?   I suppose this is nothing new and can still be found happening today, but what can we do?

Book Challenge: Read 50 Books in 2015

So I realize that I am already 3 months behind but I want to do this challenge! No, I AM going to do this challenge. Here are the following reasons why:

Free time: I am in the position right now where I have ample free time. As much as I love Netflix binging and sightseeing in beautiful California weather - now is the best time for me to do a challenge like this.

Opportunity to declutter: I have so many books in my "to read" pile - finally reading these books will hopefully free up my space.  I will also try my best not to add more into this collection. Read then sell, trade, or donate - this is going to be system!

Seeking inspiration: My creative side has remained dormant these last few years. I really want to start writing again (e.g. poetry, stories, etc).  I believe forcing myself to read 50 books this year will help encourage my creativity again.

Bragging rights: Hey, I think that this is a valid a reason as any! How many people can say they've read 50 books in a year and have done so voluntarily?  Yes, I am totally in this for the bragging rights! ;)