Awaken the Senses

Today the sun was shining and the temperature, pleasant. I helped my sister out by taking my almost 11 month old nephew for a walk with my five-year-old son. What a day for it!

As I walked I opened my senses. I could hear distant sounds of a highway miles away. The wind whipped through my hair and I felt the warmth of the sun upon my face. I closed my eyes. It sounded as if I were in a bird sanctuary. I heard the call of a red winged black bird ahead to my left as well as many others I cannot name. The pleasing songs filled my ears. I could smell the sweet sent of clover flowers nearby. I opened my eyes. There they were to my right and left. I would never have noticed them if I had not opened my senses. I heard the crunch of the stroller wheels as it rode over pebbles, and the scuffing of my five-year-olds feet upon the pavement we treed on behind me. He was getting tired of walking.

I have learned that as a writer, you must become more aware of your surroundings. The sights, the smells, the sounds. Awaken your senses and take everything in so you can paint a picture of the experience to the reader. When I read a novel I love to feel as if I am there. Taste, smell, and see it all before me. It opens up another dimension. You escape for those moments as your eyes devour the pages. What a wonderful adventure!

Creating with the written word is a wonderful gift writers can give to others. That is how I want to view it when I write. Do I want to give humor? Love? Mystery? Suspense? Something someone can hold in their hands and be transformed to another time and place.