About Me, My Passion for Reading and Writing

Monday 4th March 2013

My interests are quite varied; I lean towards a liking for the arts: painting, writing, ceramics, music, movies, some theatre, poetry and I'm also interested in human nature (psychology) and Christianity. I enjoy the outdoors, hiking, walking and spending some time at the sea. I have had a passion for reading and writing for many years.

I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1956 and moved with my parents to a coastal city called Port Elizabeth as a young child. I have a brother and 2 sisters.

I am writing about the passion that is growing in me for the rekindling of my interest in writing and my long term love of reading. When I was at boarding school in the 1970s I developing an interest in writing and poetry. I had a few exercise books that I would do my writings and drawings in.

At this point in my life I very much enjoy reading and writing.

When I was at junior school I received a few prizes for reading and spelling; I won a couple of books relevant to my age at the time. In standard 5 (now it would be grade 7) our class was asked to write a play; I wrote one called 'the smugglers cave' which our teacher liked.

At about the age of sixteen I started reading some more advanced books, one or two by Aldous Huxley, The Grapes of Wrath by J. Steinbeck, a few by Stuart Cloete and others which I cannot recall the name's of at the present time. This was when my interest in writing began; in standard 9 (grade 11) I was introduced to poetry in our English class.

At first I did not understand, and did not really like poetry until I started to learn more about it and then I developed an interest in it and started writing some verses myself. I was put in charge of the Reference Library at boarding school although those weren't really the types of books I was interested in.

We had lessons on two of Shakespeare's plays at school and I started reading novels and autobiographies as well. Later I read a lot of popular poetry and a few books by authors such as Jack Kerouac, J.P. Donleavy, John Updike and Kurt Vonnegut, amongst others. I also delved into some books on mind control, philosophy and stories by Herman Hesse. I enjoyed some of these books especially the stories by Hesse. Nowadays I use my bible as my spiritual guide in life.

After doing National Service in the Navy I took some time off and became a bit of a hippie growing my hair long and sporting a beard sometimes; I attended university for a while but I dropped out and attempted some market gardening; growing and selling vegetables. I indulged in writing some bizarre poetry and doing abstract drawings at this time. After a while I found some work in an office and did not do much writing for a long time but I still read a lot of novels.

In more recent years I have enjoyed books by Olive Schreiner, Doris Lessing, Peter Benchley, Michael Cassidy, Catherine Marshall, William Golding, Dalene Matthee, Ernest Hemingway, David Gutterson and Winston Graham, to name but a few. I took a look at autobiographies by popular 1970s musicians, as well.

Over the years I wrote a few short stories, but it was only in 2012 that I discovered writing sites such as this one which has rekindled my interest in writing. I'm interested in writing more short stories and perhaps a novel or two but I am mostly doing short articles at this time.

I find writing absorbing; the time just seems to fly by. I've developed a passion again for writing but would like to expand my horizons in this form of art. A bit more about me: I am currently in a relationship with a woman and have an early pension but sometimes do odd jobs to supplement my income. My other big interest is oil painting, I've written a hub about it.

Writing

To seek

to find

to learn

and grow

in the art

you love

that draws you in

Your inner being

to stir, to move

and mould

to share

with those

who seek

the same expression

you hold

and cherish