Learning The Heart
I started writing more than 30 years ago when I was in the 7th grade in junior high. I wrote a blog post a while back about how I got my start writing and being able to communicate my heart to others through poetry. I had been writing for nearly five years when I graduated from high school. Each year at the time of graduations our congregation would honor the graduates during a service and then present them with a gift, usually a book to offer guidance as they set out on a new and wonderful adventure. On June 5, 1983 I was one of six in the congregation graduating. We were presented a book of poetry and verse. I was told that when they were deciding what to present, I was the one who came to mind. They chose that particular book because I have a way of “reading between the lines”. I was a stupid 17 year old kid and, while I felt honored, I didn’t have the slightest idea what was meant by these words.
It wasn’t till more than twenty years later that I would be able to really feel the honor that was bestowed that day. I had heard the term reading between the lines before, but I don’t think I actually understood it to its fullest meaning. I have never set out to be special or try to do things that are different from everyone else. I think it is just that I see things from my hearts point of view and thus find different meanings in the way things are spoken and written. After my book was released, I had a friend come to my house and ask me to sign a few copies so she and her mama could give them as gifts. I sat looking at her and the books pondering what to write. They wanted me to address them to certain people, write something and then sign the book. I didn’t want to be like everyone else. I have received autographed books and had a few signed personally as well. I either get just a signature or “Best wishes” and a signature. Then my mind went back to the person who told me I have a way of reading between the lines. I had my autograph.
It made sense to me to do it this way. There is so much to be learned when you go outside the box or in this case read between the lines. So often we go through the motions of everything we do. Our lives are so routine that we can drive our cars from point A to point B and sometimes wonder what happened in between. We read the paper (or the on-line news) and it is all the same unless something really juts out and is different. Try taking a breath and look at things from a different point of view. Go outside the box, read between the lines and there you will find pleasure.
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