Fascinating First Lines: Part One

FASCINATING FIRST LINES

Part 1

Writing Down the Bones sounds like a strange title for a book, doesn’t it? But Natalie Goldberg’s goal was to help writers unleash their creativity and I  think she succeeded.

When a supportive friend gave me a copy of this book, I found it not only inspiring, but fun.

One of Goldberg’s suggestions was to take the first line from something you read, then expand it in your own way.

Though I wrote these years ago, the ideas are not outdated:

Hope Brings Joy

Age doesn’t matter in the realm of possibility. In a world full of inequity, it’s nice to know possibilities are open to all ages. The key to them is not age, but hope. A little child can hope just as easily as an aged adult. Maybe easier. Age can blunt the edges of hope until possibilities seem further away and longer in coming. But hope is related to that grain of mustard seed called faith. Plant the seed of hope, or faith, and you’ll reap a harvest of possibilities in due season.

Life is Full of Stuff

The longer I live, I know I can’t have everything. As a child I knew I couldn’t have everything because my parents said so. As a young adult I knew I couldn’t have everything because my finances said, "No way." As a mature adult I knew I couldn’t have everything because I’d already tried for many years and never had it all. The good thing is that at this age (retirement) I don’t even want it all. I accumulated a lot of STUFF over the years, and then what? I ended up downsizing and had to get rid of most of it.

Gifts Are Personal

If a person has a gift, he should open it. Have you ever handed a person a gift and heard them ask, “Should I open it now?” The answer most likely was, “Yes.” Part of the fun of giving a gift is seeing the person’s reaction when they open it. Some people get excited just because they received something. It doesn't matter if it is large or small. You thought of them---that was enough. God thought of us when He created the world. He gave us the gift of twenty-four-hour days. He waits in anticipation of our reaction upon opening His gift daily. He wonders what will they do to redeem the time today?

I read a lot, but finding a fascinating first line is like searching for gold. Perhaps that’s why I think these paragraphs still have value.

My hope is that they fascinate and inspire you, too.