Welcome!

I love stories. They don’t have to be in the form of well written literature. Epic tales, sweet romances, heart wrenching dramas – sure. But also office anecdotes, clearly fabricated accounts of why the person I’m meeting is late and the end of whatever the weird guy behind me on line is talking about. I love them all.

When I was a kid, we went to see Little Women in the movie theatre. I had read the book and loved it, so was naturally excited to see it unfold on the screen. There were certainly differences – things left out, things added in – as there are in all book-to-movie adaptations, but it thrilled me.

There is this one scene after Jo moves to the city. She’s sitting in a room with a number of men discussing politics and offers up her opinions on the matter. One gentleman comments that she should have been a lawyer. To this she responds, “I should have been a great many things.”

That idea always stuck with me. I wanted to be a great many things. At first, I thought that while I would be a lot of them, I probably wouldn’t have time to be all of the things I wanted to be. A little while later, I realized I could be every single thing I dreamed of. I could live a million
different lives in a million different places, simultaneously. All I needed was a good story.

Since that realization, I’ve had a myriad of careers, some related to what I actually do, most completely different. I traveled to places I’ve never been and revisited those I have (in a more fiscally responsible sort of way). I’ve been born. I’ve died – sometimes quickly, sometimes not. I’ve vanquished evil and been in two places at once. I’ve had a million different
names and look forward to having a million more.

I figure before I embark on my next many adventures, I ought to check out the lives I’ve already lived and I totally think you should join me. Not just as a passenger on my weird train of remembrance, but on your own. What’s your story and how have other stories contributed to it?

While you’re thinking about that, here’s mine. Welcome to My Countless Lives.