Xanadu

When you find yourself
Spare a thought for the person
Who sent you to look
~Stuart James

Dear Stuart,

The word Xanadu immediately conjures an image of Olivia Newton-John dancing at a carnival with John Travolta. Now before you correct me… I’m aware I’m remembering 1978’s film Grease, and not 1980’s Xanadu. Grease — I watched, and mentally recorded, dozens of times. Xanadu? I can’t remember a single thing about it! Memories are funny things, aren’t they?

So I looked it up… this funny X word. I find it’s a proper noun referring to place in a poem by Samuel T. Coleridge; a place (as a town or village) of idyllic beauty. The story in Flourishing Fictions is about a woman named Grace who makes repeated visits to a meadow clearing, where she finds great joy in creating along with others who found the oasis, away from the threadbare, oft traveled path. Fitting, yes?

Reminds me of my early explorations, writing 100 naked words each day as part of a push-my-boundaries experiment on Medium. That’s where we found each other…we shared a common interest in my dear inspiration James Herriot, author of the All Creature Great and Small series of books. I loved his writing. You had checked his purchases while working as a clerk in a shop many years ago. I was starstruck to meet someone who had met one of my storytelling heroes — on a writer’s platform, no less! And as our typewritten messages crossed The Atlantic, I learned you have some pretty amazing writing skills, too.

If not for you, there’d be no Typist and her merry band of three muses. Thank you for introducing me to them, and them to me. From early days, the trio made it clear that my writing had its best chance to reach others if they were a part of the plan.

Thank you for persisting in sending me music and song… encouraging an interest in rhythm, rhyme, and lyrics. I can hear “it” now… there is magic in what I once considered background noise.

Not only do you make me want to be a better person… you have offered countless resources in whispers that I couldn’t ignore… so that I might grow in skill and confidence with my voice. Thank you.

Gratitude and Love,

Gail