Lately, I've been finding it somewhat difficult to find my inspiration to write. Whether it's a funk or just sheer exhaustion from school, work, and life in general, either way writing has been kind of put on the back burner for me lately. I always hate when this happens because writing is such a strong aspect of who I am, I hate to be without it. Yet, as I believe it is with any artist, time spent away from your craft shows you just how much it means to you; what a pivotal role it plays in your life.
We all experience moments, be them big or small, that help us find our inspiration and remind us of why we do what we love. I always feel grateful for these moments that make me stop in my tracks and really think. Recently, I experienced one of these. I was traveling from Colorado Springs to Vegas for the weekend to celebrate my 21st birthday. Our flight was the last one out of the airport, so the whole place was relatively dead. Most of the restaurants were closed and security was very relaxed. My godmother and I walked up to the podium at security where someone checks your boarding pass and identification. The man working greeted us with a genuine smile and hearty voice. As he checked each of our boarding passes, he asked us if we knew what our names meant. He started by looking at me, saying, "Do you know what Nicole means? I'm sure you do..." I told him I did. He continued on with, "Well, Nicole means 'victor of the people' but do you know what Ryan means?" "No, actually I don't," I confessed to him. "Well, Ryan means 'little king'" I turned to my godmother and laughingly said, "So, that means I'm basically royalty." The man then went on to tell her what her name meant, along with my parents names. Every name we threw at him he knew not only the meaning of, but the origin of it. He was a name expert in every sense of the expression. He told biblical stories and old tales, showing such passion for something so simple; names.
As I listened to him, I found his love for names inspiring. He was so excited to be able to tell us what our names meant. I thought to myself, "This man probably sits at this podium everyday, looking at name after name, but I wonder how often he gets to tell people what they mean?" We were there late so he had the time to be able to chat with us, but normally those lines at the airport have to be continually moving. I felt so fortunate that I was able to encounter this man in this perfect situation that gave me a glimpse of his passion. It goes to show that no matter how big or small it may seem, we all have things we love and are passionate about, and when we let these passions shine through we can inspire everyone around us. I found a piece of my own inspiration in this man and his passion for names. He reminded me why I write. I write because I love it, because it fulfills me and gives me a purpose. Just as this man found purpose from knowing the meaning of every name. He brought me back to my writing, and he doesn't even know it. I can guarantee he will never see this blog post, and that he and I's paths will probably never cross again, but I'm grateful for the moment I had a chance to learn from him a little bit more about myself.
We all experience moments, be them big or small, that help us find our inspiration and remind us of why we do what we love. I always feel grateful for these moments that make me stop in my tracks and really think. Recently, I experienced one of these. I was traveling from Colorado Springs to Vegas for the weekend to celebrate my 21st birthday. Our flight was the last one out of the airport, so the whole place was relatively dead. Most of the restaurants were closed and security was very relaxed. My godmother and I walked up to the podium at security where someone checks your boarding pass and identification. The man working greeted us with a genuine smile and hearty voice. As he checked each of our boarding passes, he asked us if we knew what our names meant. He started by looking at me, saying, "Do you know what Nicole means? I'm sure you do..." I told him I did. He continued on with, "Well, Nicole means 'victor of the people' but do you know what Ryan means?" "No, actually I don't," I confessed to him. "Well, Ryan means 'little king'" I turned to my godmother and laughingly said, "So, that means I'm basically royalty." The man then went on to tell her what her name meant, along with my parents names. Every name we threw at him he knew not only the meaning of, but the origin of it. He was a name expert in every sense of the expression. He told biblical stories and old tales, showing such passion for something so simple; names.
As I listened to him, I found his love for names inspiring. He was so excited to be able to tell us what our names meant. I thought to myself, "This man probably sits at this podium everyday, looking at name after name, but I wonder how often he gets to tell people what they mean?" We were there late so he had the time to be able to chat with us, but normally those lines at the airport have to be continually moving. I felt so fortunate that I was able to encounter this man in this perfect situation that gave me a glimpse of his passion. It goes to show that no matter how big or small it may seem, we all have things we love and are passionate about, and when we let these passions shine through we can inspire everyone around us. I found a piece of my own inspiration in this man and his passion for names. He reminded me why I write. I write because I love it, because it fulfills me and gives me a purpose. Just as this man found purpose from knowing the meaning of every name. He brought me back to my writing, and he doesn't even know it. I can guarantee he will never see this blog post, and that he and I's paths will probably never cross again, but I'm grateful for the moment I had a chance to learn from him a little bit more about myself.