The Blue Book of Honesty

The power of words is untapped. It is an unknown entity. I write and write never knowing which words will resonate with which reader. All I can hope is that someone gets something out of what I write. I write to ease the congestion in my mind. I write because I believe in the power of words. By seeing my thoughts on paper/screen I can see who I am and where I need to go from here. Or where you are and where you're going.

Words belong to us all and one aspect of teaching that I truly miss is teaching children the way to use words to weave a story or explain their feelings. It is something I am very good at. I hope to get back to it once Monkey has learned to write.

I've come to realise that this blog is for me, what my Blue Book Of Honesty was when I was teaching. It was a run of the mill exercise book, covered in shiny blue paper. It was on top of the bookshelf at the back of the classroom. It had a pretty pen attached to it. The only rule was to write from your heart and not to sign it. I had faith that the children who needed to express their needs and fears would find the courage to do it in a place that wasn't judged. And they did. They wrote about their parents' arguing, their pets dying, their holidays, their nightmares. I read them without comment, bar one where a child was talking about self harming (aged 7). I let them share without judgement. Then a miraculous thing happened. They started reading each other's writing and commenting on it in the book. With pictures, words and simple gestures of community.

Never underestimate the power of words. Never underestimate the power of your thoughts on paper affecting others. Focus on the positive use of words and believe that you are making a difference when you write. Whether you write novels, articles or blog posts, comments or suggestions - you are impacting someone's life. Thank you.