The power of words blows me away.

Combinations of syllables and letters and rhythms, connected into melodic ideas or interpretations continuously boggle my mind. I doubt that I'll ever tire of reading - I'm willing to trundle through thirty pages of slop if it means I can read one truly outstanding sentence. One sentence can stir a thousand memories or even create a thousand melodies. One string of words thrown out into a crowded world of noise can find a home within the mind of a person deeply in need of reminding. One exquisite phrase or beautifully rounded thought can bring peace or trigger action. And while it's true that most everything written has been written before... every so often someone comes along who expresses a thought in a manner that's closer to truth than anyone has ever touched. One word can make the difference.

I may not be the person to express those thoughts. In fact, I doubt that I am. These words have been mulled over and scratched down hundreds upon thousands of times. I am a tiny leaf on this single tree of thought, glancing around in wonder at the forests of life. My words, perhaps, are nothing. But perhaps someday I'll stumble upon a truly outstanding sentence. Maybe I can connect syllables and my thoughts into a phrase of beauty for other individuals to understand. Maybe someday I can find the perfect word to complete that phrase, the one I'm meant to share with the world.

Can I write the phrase of my life?

Perhaps I can, or perhaps not. The daunting immensity of this challenge humbles me. But the opportunity intrigues me.

This is why I write.