To a beloved friend: There's a girl named Maggie Nicholson, a friend who has been etched into my life. Why do I think she's amazing? Because this is what she brings out in me:

I asked her how she was doing, and this is what I got...

"it consists of living in the rainforest and listening to parrot calls and immense cricket orchestras at night. flowers the size of my fist in every color dangling from banana trees and tall green plants. waking up at 6 am every morning to do hard manual labor in the burning sun or pouring rain. discovering ancient lithic statues with their eyes closed and folded arms having been asleep for hundreds of years beneath the cobbles in the babbling riverbed. soon i will be back in new york. only a week here left! what does your life consist of? i miss you sincerely! ♥ "

So I filled her in on where I am, and this is what came out....

"That sounds fantastic. Your skill with language is second to none, and I'd be a fool to try to equal your vivid description. Simply put, I can say that I have been spiraling through this past year like none other, falling from the ladder that I've built myself my entire life. What's odd is that every time there is something to grasp onto to "save myself," I let it slip by, as there is something chilling and mysterious about living like this. Usually when one falls, their only goal is to get back up, but I've been mesmerized by the dust, blood, and broken boards on this floor that I've found. Even beyond that, I've met others like me, that have fallen already and some new people that have joined me along the way. Some get up, some stay down. I used to think there was a rush or a choice to be made, but I'm realizing it's not about who's figured what out. It's about this universal understanding that life is worth discovering. Let's look under every rock. Let's help one another out. Judge not. Fear not. We're all in this together. So let's drink to the view from the floor. Perhaps the day will come when each man and woman must face their ladder again. But until then, my blood will stain these broken boards beneath me.

As for Lynchburg, Virginia, where I presently reside, it's been a myriad of experiences. The blossom of friendships, the rise and fall of young emotions, new music, the collision of bodies on dance floors in dusty lofts in historical downtown, self-exploration, imperfections, and the digging for purpose and dreams.

The best part? I'm completely lost, which I'm finding is my favorite place to be, because any direction is forward.

Maggie Mae Nicholson, I miss you, and where is this place you speak of in your message? I have no idea where you are nowadays, but I know that I'd love for our paths to collide sometime soon."


Maggie, thank you for your magical ability to bring out my melody. It's been ages since I've thought like I did in my response to you. It's the kind of inspiration that I've been dreaming of, that I thought I had lost.  ¶ 11:54:00 PM