Being True To Oneself - Imperative

My oldest son is taking a creative writing class during his last year in high school and the teacher gave them an interesting assignment.  They were instructed to write a small snippet. a poem, or something similar that described who they are inside.  Sort of opening the window into their mind, letting their peers have a peek.  My son is more reclusive than most and he also has quite different interests than a lot of kids, so he decided he would just borrow lyrics from a song or something like that (which the teacher did allow, of course).  When I found out however, I put down my foot and made him write something of his own.

You see, he is really interested in dark, grim visuals and imagery.  He likes zombies, blood and guts, and all the things that make up great B horror movies.  He's all about the Grim Reaper, and don't let him see anything with skulls on it unless you're prepared to buy it.  He worries all the time that his thoughts are too dark, too weird for most people to accept.  He isn't into really hurting people of course (trust me, we had that conversation.  I had to make sure he wasn't into self-mutilation or something similar), but he does like some pretty dark things.

He tried to tell me that he's Goth.  This began a conversation on the evils of labeling and how none of us are single faceted like that.  What I ended up telling him is that there's no sense pretending to be something other than who he is.  We've had a number of conversations about embracing who he wants to be and being okay with whatever that is.

These continued conversations intrigue me because it's neat to observe my son discover who he is and where he fits in with the rest of the world.  I'm doing my best to guide him, but a part of me knows he has to figure this all out on his own.  Since I didn't have this kind of relationship with my own Dad, I'm ecstatic that I have managed to do a little better in this regard.  The other thing I notice is that observing both my boys makes me re-evaluate myself from time to time.  If I'm expecting them to know and accept themselves, I have to be prepared to do that myself.

Know Thyself.  Great advice.

On the writing front, I have good news and bad news.  The good news is that I was lucky enough to win a copy of the talented Michelle Davidson Argyle's new book Monarch.  That is so awesome.  Having read her self-published title Cinders, I am really looking forward to this book as well.  Thank you Michelle.  I am so looking forward to receiving my copy.

As far as bad news, I am truly sad to say that tragedy has struck my copy of Elana Johnson's book Possession.  It wasn't my fault though (okay, not completely anyway LOL).  I left the book on my desk at work so I could read during my lunch.  I have a small fridge on my desk that works by cooling the interior 30 degrees below ambient temperature.  I've moved to a new office and unfortunately the ambient temperature at night (in that office anyway) must drop really low because the three Diet Cokes I had inside froze and exploded.  When I walked in the next morning, there was Diet Coke all over the desk.  Yes, it was all over half the pages of Possession too.  And though the pages are still legible of course, it's just not the same.  I will have to purchase a new copy because the one I have right now just breaks my heart.  It hasn't stopped me from reading it of course, but still.  

My most humble apologies, Elana.  I should have treated your book with more reverence.