“You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”
― Anne Lamott
My aunt showed me this quote this week, nonchalantly, in passing. It was written on her friend’s Facebook post, in one of those tacky fonts on a tasteless ‘awe-inspiring’ backdrop. I don’t like that stuff. Mostly because the font is usually Comic Sans and the photo background is pixel-y but also because the meaningful quote gets lost and it becomes useless fluff. Sharing it in that way almost becomes a disservice to the person who coined it in the first place.
But this one, this one stuck. On a personal level, and in regards to recent events in the headlines (AHEM, SHOCK TO CANADIAN CULTURE.). I shared the quote on Facebook too. I have never found something that explained in one passage why I started a blog in the first place. Guys, this is it. I want to tell my stories.
And the Internet is a fascinating place – everything is SO PUBLIC and SO AVAILABLE. Nothing is really too secretive anymore and that makes real secrets even more special. More difficult to keep. Privacy is the most sacred it’s ever been. But it’s also fascinating because it’s so much easier to tell everyone something you want everyone to know..
This I do know – you only know how strong you are when you crawl through that sludgy and challenging terrain for miles and miles and FINALLY turn around to see how far you’ve come. You look down at your (metaphorical) bruises and sore muscles and the only thing you can do is stand proud at the distance you’ve conquered. That is your story. And if all the characters along the way didn’t want to be mentioned, they wouldn’t have left a mark, whether it’s bad OR good.
It is the folk music of the future – experiences passed down through generations in song, around campfires, whispered in ears – we are now able to tell our stories by tapping some keys, clicking a mouse. It may seem odd, but it’s the future. Access to information. The pen is mightier than the sword – and nowadays, so is the keyboard. It’s the same as it has been, just a different way of sharing. A quicker way of sharing.
And I’m looking forward to sharing more with you in the future, and am so grateful I am able to. So – a huge thank you to my readers!
On a lighter note – please enjoy this recipe I’ve just discovered that may have just changed my life. I often crave something sweet after dinner, and since it’s just me AND since I just worked out, I prefer it to not be enormous and unhealthy.
Enter CHOCOLATEY MUG CAKE. Vegan, no oil. Chocolatey, sweet. AN INDIVIDUAL PORTION!
– 1 HEAPING tbsp of cocoa powder
– 3 tbsp flour (Whatever kind you like, I prefer NOT white – I used Robin Hood ‘Tastes Like White’
– 1/8 tsp salt
– 2 tsp brown sugar
– 1/4 tsp baking powder
– Couple drops of Stevia (Optional)
– 1/2 mashed ripe banana
– 3 tablespoons almond milk
– 1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix dry ingredients together very well – then add the rest and mix together super well. Transfer to mug, tiny bowl, ramekin. Microwave for about two minutes. CAKE. ENJOY.
