All Drains Lead to the Ocean

Image courtesy of Flickr CC user James Whitesmith

Hello Lovelies,

As I sit here enjoying the cool relief of a long awaited storm and watch the rain falling onto the ground and water flowing down the street, swirling down the nearest drain, I am reminded of a line from one of my favourite movies (that just happens to be a children’s movie), Finding Nemo

All drains lead to the ocean.

-Gill, Finding Nemo

In Finding Nemo, this is meant quite literally, as Gill explains to Nemo a somewhat unconventional route to return to the ocean. In reality we know that all drains do not lead to the ocean, but for the sake of this post let’s just ignore that fact for the time being.

In life, the drain is a metaphor. One which describes the somewhat unconventional route to achieving our goals. We are reminded that whichever path we choose to take is not important. What is important though, is that we continue to strive towards achieving our goals, that we never give up on trying to reach the metaphorical ocean of our hopes and dreams.

One day, I hope to be a published author, I don’t dream making a fortune from my writing or of 7-figure writing contracts (but if any one wants to offer me one, feel free to contact me). I do dream of sharing my creations with others, connecting with an audience through words, transporting them to different worlds, places and times.

There are many ways in which the dream of becoming a published author can be achieved, many different paths that lead to the same outcome, sooner or later.

I’ve already taken the “scenic route” I guess you could say.

Some people leave school and head to university to complete undergraduate degrees that are writing related, I started my academic studies in education, with an undergraduate and then later a masters degree and I get to put the post-nominal letters BEd(Pri) and MEd after my name, if I so choose. Whilst these degrees and career may not be directly related to a career in writing, I do not believe it has been a waste, quite the opposite now I think about it. My tertiary education and experiences (in both life and work) have helped me to develop many skills that I believe make me a better writer.

Sometimes I wish I had taken my writing more seriously when I was younger, especially when I read articles about authors who were published before they were 21. When I think back to what I was like at the age of 21, not only did I have so many things going on in my life that no 21 year old should have to deal with, I also don’t think I was ready to dive into pursuing a career in writing.

Of course I was still writing bits and pieces at this age, I’ve always been writing and creating in some form or another, but it was often left unfinished and incomplete and I very rarely shared any of my work.

Sometimes I wonder if I would be any closer to my goal if I had embraced the writer within sooner, but I always come to the same conclusion: I wasn’t ready. No matter how much it frustrates me or how much I wish to have already reached my goal, I am exactly where I need to be. I needed the time, the life experiences, the education (even though it might not have been directly related to writing) to be able to embrace the writer within.

As long as I keep making even the tiniest of steps towards my goal, I know I am heading in the right direction and I will keep on taking those steps. I may not become rich or famous, but I will keep on writing and moving forward.

Enjoy,

KK

 

© Katherine A. Kovács and The Writer Within, (2013-2016). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Katherine A. Kovács and The Writer Within with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.