Thank you so much Kelly! That quote is so wonderful, I'll need to write it down and stick it somewhere. I appreciate having you as a light in my life as well!
I *felt* the uncertainty in this piece. As the reader, each sentence was like a step forward into a little more light, in much the same way you describe your experience on the road. In other words, you *gave* me (didn't just tell me) a palatable sense of what it was like for you. I lived it. Well done 🙏
Thank you so much Trevor, this is such a kind comment! Trying new things with my writing so it's helpful to hear you shared an experience with me in this piece. I appreciate the kind words!
Ohhh man, I felt your fear on that dark desert road Michelle. And I felt your moment of calm as you noticed the stars. And I feel right now the tension of feeling them both together - uncertainty, fear, anxiety as well as beauty, presence and an inner anchor (in a familiar voice that reminds you to look at the stars).
This piece hit different perhaps because I got to witness an extended story-telling voice from you for the first time. Rich descriptions, evocative telling, spoke to my body as much as it did my head. Well done! What a fabulous new direction to see you turn in your writing voice.
Hahaha i should also say: powerful comedy to diffuse the raw and embodied tension in my body in your gif - of course you have to be honest that it is “technically a different desert road” 😂
Thank you so much Malavika, your comments always make me feel so special after I post (may never change my posting time because of it haha). You're right, I don't do a lot of writing like this and I'm going to play around with it more. LOL I'm glad you enjoyed the caption on my gif.
What a wonderful metaphor drawn from an actual experience. Well-told! Seeing a star-studded clear night sky is such a precious experience. I sometimes reflect that our urban light pollution could be related to the hubris of humanity as it disconnects us from periodic heavenly awe to keep things in perspective.
"All I need is a little bit of optimism as my source of light, shining just enough in front of me to show me a path." Such a great and memorable reminder for all the scary but exciting detours to come! Loved reading this Michelle!
I love this! This was a great story to go along with your lesson - always push through the scary dark uncertainty until a new path reveals itself. Thanks for sharing!!!
Thank you ☺️ who knew fear was such a good emotions to pull from? With the highway, I guess technically it’s a bridge but it doesn’t look like it to me and to be honest I’m still not entirely sure what happened.
I remember years ago I decided to take a different route on my way to Phoenix, AZ. I usually take I-10 but thought, I’ll go this way. I want to see more of the desert. This was before GPS was a thing. Unfortunately I wasn’t aware of a thing called monsoon season. The rain came out of nowhere. I had to stop because I couldn’t see through my windshield even with the wipers on high. The storm eventually cleared. Your story reminded me of that incident and what could’ve happened. Obviously I survived but I never traveled that route again. Your piece read like a scene from a movie. I enjoyed it immensely. Thanks for sharing.
I relate to that story a lot Daniel as I’m familiar with the area. Until recently, I also had no idea they had monsoon season in and around Phoenix! It’s funny, I’m used to crazy weather having grown up in Michigan, but now I understand how it’s more risky when there isn’t proper infrastructure in place. It’s so interesting to hear about you journey and I’m glad you choose to wait it out! Thank you for the kind compliment as well!
Very well written, your story kept me engaged throughout. And yes, somehow things workout, as I say to myself when feeling overwhelmed, "one day at a time" :).
This is fantastic Michelle! Such a good metaphor. I've always loved the idea of living with the trust that being able to see right in front of you is all you need
This is the kind of writing I love so much. A personal experience is always a description of a detour we took off the paved road of normal or conventional life. But then you built a bridge from your own experience to what it's like for all of us to be human, and to a truth that I can navigate by on my own journey. Really well done Michelle.
Thank you so much Rick! "A personal experience is always a description of a detour we took off the paved road of normal or conventional life," I love that concept, it's so true. We're all sharing our own little detours in life. I appreciate the kind words!
haha thank you Alex! It felt like a mystery when I wrote it, it's almost sad there's no plot twist (though grateful there isn't one in real life). I definitely wrote a whole horror story in my head while we were driving through this detour. I appreciate the comment!
Beautiful piece, Michelle. Very engaging imagery and powerful underlying message. Indeed we shouldn’t be afraid of detours as long as we trust our conviction in the direction. When, one day, you are able to zoom out, you’ll see they were just small bumps on the big road.
Thank you Silvio! They really are simply small bumps in the grand scheme of things. I will say, a few times when I was trying to write this piece, I remembered your writing and tried to summon your ability to so richly capture a moment in time.
Love this piece, you brought us right to that moment in time so well!
It reminded me of a Hemingway quote:
‘We are all broken. That's how the light gets in.’
Thanks for being a guiding light.✨
Thank you so much Kelly! That quote is so wonderful, I'll need to write it down and stick it somewhere. I appreciate having you as a light in my life as well!
I *felt* the uncertainty in this piece. As the reader, each sentence was like a step forward into a little more light, in much the same way you describe your experience on the road. In other words, you *gave* me (didn't just tell me) a palatable sense of what it was like for you. I lived it. Well done 🙏
All we need is enough light for one more step!
Thank you so much Trevor, this is such a kind comment! Trying new things with my writing so it's helpful to hear you shared an experience with me in this piece. I appreciate the kind words!
Ohhh man, I felt your fear on that dark desert road Michelle. And I felt your moment of calm as you noticed the stars. And I feel right now the tension of feeling them both together - uncertainty, fear, anxiety as well as beauty, presence and an inner anchor (in a familiar voice that reminds you to look at the stars).
This piece hit different perhaps because I got to witness an extended story-telling voice from you for the first time. Rich descriptions, evocative telling, spoke to my body as much as it did my head. Well done! What a fabulous new direction to see you turn in your writing voice.
Hahaha i should also say: powerful comedy to diffuse the raw and embodied tension in my body in your gif - of course you have to be honest that it is “technically a different desert road” 😂
Thank you so much Malavika, your comments always make me feel so special after I post (may never change my posting time because of it haha). You're right, I don't do a lot of writing like this and I'm going to play around with it more. LOL I'm glad you enjoyed the caption on my gif.
What a wonderful metaphor drawn from an actual experience. Well-told! Seeing a star-studded clear night sky is such a precious experience. I sometimes reflect that our urban light pollution could be related to the hubris of humanity as it disconnects us from periodic heavenly awe to keep things in perspective.
Thank you for the comment Tai and wow well said!
"All I need is a little bit of optimism as my source of light, shining just enough in front of me to show me a path." Such a great and memorable reminder for all the scary but exciting detours to come! Loved reading this Michelle!
Thank you Oscar! It’s a great memory for me to reach for, appreciate the comment!
I love this! This was a great story to go along with your lesson - always push through the scary dark uncertainty until a new path reveals itself. Thanks for sharing!!!
Thank you so much Elizabeth, I'm happy to hear it resonated!
Haha desert roads are the best roads! Love how you put the story and action in the time and place where life lessons happen in real time!
Thank you Helen! Haha I feel like you probably have some crazy stories up your sleeve!
This has such good tension????
“One of those thunderstorms had apparently flooded the highway we were driving on so badly that part of the road had floated away…”
This is a thing that can happen?? That’s terrifying. New fear added to my list!
I loved this and the hopeful note it ended on. 😌
Thank you ☺️ who knew fear was such a good emotions to pull from? With the highway, I guess technically it’s a bridge but it doesn’t look like it to me and to be honest I’m still not entirely sure what happened.
I remember years ago I decided to take a different route on my way to Phoenix, AZ. I usually take I-10 but thought, I’ll go this way. I want to see more of the desert. This was before GPS was a thing. Unfortunately I wasn’t aware of a thing called monsoon season. The rain came out of nowhere. I had to stop because I couldn’t see through my windshield even with the wipers on high. The storm eventually cleared. Your story reminded me of that incident and what could’ve happened. Obviously I survived but I never traveled that route again. Your piece read like a scene from a movie. I enjoyed it immensely. Thanks for sharing.
I relate to that story a lot Daniel as I’m familiar with the area. Until recently, I also had no idea they had monsoon season in and around Phoenix! It’s funny, I’m used to crazy weather having grown up in Michigan, but now I understand how it’s more risky when there isn’t proper infrastructure in place. It’s so interesting to hear about you journey and I’m glad you choose to wait it out! Thank you for the kind compliment as well!
Very well written, your story kept me engaged throughout. And yes, somehow things workout, as I say to myself when feeling overwhelmed, "one day at a time" :).
Thank you so much Shivam! Yes, "one day at a time" is a great grounding theme when life can seem overwhelming. I appreciate the kind comment!
This is fantastic Michelle! Such a good metaphor. I've always loved the idea of living with the trust that being able to see right in front of you is all you need
Thank you so much Alex! I agree, it's good to remember sometimes that we don't need to see the whole picture to still be ok moving forward.
This is the kind of writing I love so much. A personal experience is always a description of a detour we took off the paved road of normal or conventional life. But then you built a bridge from your own experience to what it's like for all of us to be human, and to a truth that I can navigate by on my own journey. Really well done Michelle.
Thank you so much Rick! "A personal experience is always a description of a detour we took off the paved road of normal or conventional life," I love that concept, it's so true. We're all sharing our own little detours in life. I appreciate the kind words!
Nicely written. I was setting up for a mystery short story 😀!
It’s a great analogy for the indie/creator life. Shining light in front of us or mapping what’s not been recorded before.
haha thank you Alex! It felt like a mystery when I wrote it, it's almost sad there's no plot twist (though grateful there isn't one in real life). I definitely wrote a whole horror story in my head while we were driving through this detour. I appreciate the comment!
Beautiful storytelling and message. Your voice shines a light of optimism through the darkness of uncertainty ✨
Thank you so much Rachael! I hope to be that for myself and if others can benefit from the optimism, I'm happy to provide it!
Beautiful piece, Michelle. Very engaging imagery and powerful underlying message. Indeed we shouldn’t be afraid of detours as long as we trust our conviction in the direction. When, one day, you are able to zoom out, you’ll see they were just small bumps on the big road.
Thank you Silvio! They really are simply small bumps in the grand scheme of things. I will say, a few times when I was trying to write this piece, I remembered your writing and tried to summon your ability to so richly capture a moment in time.
Wow. So honored. Thank you!