Moving on, Moving ahead

My thoughts on the 'calamity'

I was broken in mind and spirit, when I happened to bump into ‘someone’ who welcomed me warmly and let me speak my mind. The ‘someone’ wasn’t judgmental or sarcastic, did not rubbish away my problem like it didn’t exist. Spending sometime in the company of “someone’, has been good for me. I am now able to function better than I used to.

 

The ‘someone’ isn’t a friend or a lover, not my mother or teacher either, not a psychologist or even a psychiatrist. It is Writer’s Café.

 

Yes, Writer’s Café did mess up but once in a while, don’t we all do?

 No human being can claim to be perfect. Neither can our creations be perfect. Humans mess up and this is only a website;technology isn’t dependable 100%.

 

Serendipity helped me get back a dozen or so of my writings. Some of the others, I have re-created from memory. A few are being re-constructed but I still have about 50 missing pieces that I do not think I will ever have back. My poems, my stories- they were a part of me. And I was devastated when I first realized that they’re gone forever.

 

My first thought was – I’m leaving the Café. But then a day passed and I did not leave.

Another day passed. I received Serendipity's message in my inbox along with some of my writings.

I still did not leave. I was behaving like a kid who had packed her belongings in a knapsack and was sitting at the frontdoor, hoping that some miracle would undo her steps.

 

It was then that I accepted to myself that I did not want to leave. I told myself that I was thinking that way because I did not know what to do, how was I supposed to live here with no writings to call my own?

It was then that I made a decision. I wouldn’t leave. I would re-build again.

I thought about survivors of earthquakes/other natural calamities. They start again, even after they’ve lost everything – material possessions, loved ones…

Why can’t I?

I’m not trying to be philosophical. I’m trying to be realistic.

When life throws us into an adversity, sometimes it is because there is something in that situation that we need to learn from. All of us have a lesson from this; we’re going to be careful in future, have copies of whatever we post here.

 

I saw and read several pieces about the WC-calamity. It has obviously saddened everybody but people have different opinions. Whether they chose to stay or leave is a different matter altogether but I wonder – if they leave, will it give them back what they lost or will it guarantee the fact that such a disaster will not happen in future?

I have many reasons for staying and not one for leaving.

When I joined Writer’s Café, my mind was in a mess. My life still is but writing about myself and reading about others has made me want to try to live; live to the best of my ability. I have got a lot out of this site – friends who support my writing, great writers from whom I can learn to be better at my skill and the feeling of knowing that no matter how bad the day is, I can go back and read something that will help me forget my troubles, if only for a while. It would take something really really big to make me want to walk away from my ‘shelter’.

A singular incident/accident  isn’t big enough.

 

If I had to think of one reason why I have chosen to stay back it is the fact that leaving the Cafe would be a bigger loss to me than the loss of my writings.

  

 

 

 

Reviews

[Deborah Leah Krempa]

You have written a very honest and sincere piece. I lost over a hundred poems, and I stayed because I enjoy the people here. When my son died the cafe was my outlet and I made many friends, I would not want to leave behind. Thank you for sharing. Debileah

[Nicholas Hallows]

Luckily for me I joined WC just after the great calamity. Also I am so OCD that I have a million copies in different forms of my writing.

'I was behaving like a kid who had packed her belongings in a knapsack and was sitting at the frontdoor' - lately with all the drama that has been flying around this site I have considered leaving, but I too realised this was how I was behaving. I have met some great people so far on this site who have been welcoming and supportive and really appreciate that. My writing has improved as I am always pushing myself and learning from the other great writers here.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I whole-heartily agree.

NH

[Roy]

I agree. It's a great place. Thanks for sharing your feelings about writerscafe. I hope the cafe, the people in it, and their writings continue to bless you.

[Dezaraye]

I love how you've processed this and I'm so glad you didn't leave. Mistakes do happen, that's true, and I think we all lost a part of ourselves, but we're stronger for it. And it's amazed me the way that everyone pulled together to make it through.

[V. K. Harris]

Bravo, I agree it was tragic, but being here is really like coming home where you are comfortable, Home Sweet Home. Great write.

[Rain]

This piece should have been in the Top Writings. I don't reall it being there, but it is a diamond of wisdom. Your understanding of life and how it goes is something many people can learn from. I only lost a half dozen pieces, but they can't be replaced. I thought just like you..of people who lose everything in a flood, or earthquake. It helped, just as this piece helps. Rain..

[kree8ivity]

Swelling grief brims in my eyes when I remember all of my lost artwork. The only option is to live here or move on--so I move on. Anchors away! :)

[Spoken]

A story we all can relate to. So much was lost.. and yet so much remains. I'm so glad you decided to stay!

[Serendipity]

I am glad to have been able to help.

Your writing, your words, I can feel them. I know that I would have felt a loss had you decided to leave. Losing your writing is like losing a part of yourself. But like any disaster we must "start again, even after they've lost everything". We do not give up, we were not made to give up.

"There is something in that situation that we need to learn from" and what we've learned is we are strong. I learned that there are friends out there that I truly didn't know I had. And for that alone, "leaving the Cafe would be a bigger loss to me."

[Fran Marie]

"To err is humun to forgive is divine"~ who among us has not made mistakes~ i lost close to 400
` I lost some forever and most I had copied or oringinal drafts~in need of revision
at any rate ~ I am just glad to have a chance at restoring and I am having fun reading old writes I forgot about~great write and Thanks for sharing~Fran Marie