You can spend money but you can never spend memories. ~ Ken Venturi
Instead, I spend money to make memories. Too much money, I fear. My writing residency is free. They didn’t pay me to spend a month in Wales. Someday, I hope to grow into such opportunities.
But in my darker moments, I fret. What if I’m spending our retirement savings on a dream? Or I get to the end of my life and realize I missed too much time with MTM, the love of my life? Will it be the same as wishing I’d tried to achieve my dreams?
Thankfully, MTM keeps me straight. He believes in this madness, this uncertainty, this impoverishing journey of creation. My greatest memories are of him telling me I must go on. I can do it. My stories matter, even if most people don’t yet realize it. He’s building a well of memories for me. I pull from those conversations when I struggle to continue. I hope they’ll guide me in the coming months as a new book launches. May they keep me warm while I make new stories in a cold, damp space. When someone picks up my words after I’m gone, MTM’s belief will be embroidered within every letter and phrase.
I hope I don’t disappoint him. I spend money to make words. I hope those words make memories for others by taking readers into imaginary worlds. Because reading is a thing of memory, isn’t it? Some of my greatest adventures happened between the pages of the books I’ve read. They cost me a pittance and a few hours of my time.
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This is part of a series of pictures about making memories. If you liked the story why not share it with your friends? Let’s meet on Facebook or Twitter. If you prefer pictures you will surely like my Instagram. I’ve collected inspirational things and more on Pinterest! Any comments? Write them below!
3 Comments
It’s the people who love us who help us dispel doubt. It’s a symbiosis we call friendship.
i love the quote and love that mtm loves you enough to keep you going )
So often I open a book and read multiple pages of acknowledgements. I think your questions are probably fairly common among artists of all kinds. And in your case it’s a wonderful gift to have a husband so believing and unwavering in his support that you’ve already put him at the top of your acknowledgements. You are creating new memories and in your writing you share them and in turn we have access to those memories. It’s a grand, priceless design. ox
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