The writer invests everything in their art. Even if they are not a great writer, it remains their passion. If they are serious about it, they may put their heart and soul into it. Completing their writing venture may demand every sinew of their being and every drop of emotional energy. What follows is the …
I’ve realised the past few days that most people can’t hear me. Even more so in a land where people are loud by default. Every word I utter goes unheard, as if I opened my mouth to speak but no sound came out. The only way to be heard, it seems, is to shout.
To live in this rural backwater, you really need a vehicle. We don’t have one, nor could we realistically afford it. At least, we couldn’t justify the expense while we live the majority of our lives elsewhere. Even the vastly inflated cost of a hire car is difficult to justify. Stuck in town this afternoon, …
The kids huff and puff when mum and dad pray salah. Today, it moved me to pose a question: “Why do we pray?” I answered that blurted out thought myself. “To express gratitude,” I suggested. Quite apart from all we take for granted, just look around at these multitudinous blessings. “Just look.” I’m just a …
Alhamdulilah.
We return, we repent, we give thanks. Alhamdulilah for a safe journey back home. Time to sleep.
At passport control in Istanbul, the border officer glances at my passport and smiles. “You came from Rize,” she says to my wife. “How on earth did you find this man?” “Kismet,” replies my beloved, “when Allah decrees a thing, He only needs to say, ‘Be!’ and it is.” Through the years I’ve come to …
Who would want to be famous? I get hypertension just observing them.
We brace ourselves for the summer. Will we have the holiday we yearn, or will caring responsibilities take over once more? Alas, the era of celebrating our anniversary seems to be behind us. Fortunately, we have three dates to choose from, so all is not lost. Life is a test, we know this. You can’t …
The best time to publish a book, I believe, is when you’re dead. Sure, you won’t get to collect your royalties, but then few living authors make a living from writing anyway. But looking on the bright side, being dead means you’re less likely to be bothered by bad reviews, and the crushing existential crisis …
No, I can’t wear these noise cancelling headphones. I feel like I’m swimming under water. No, it’s worse than that: I can hear all the sounds in my own head. Dreadful. Must get out.
If you make your audience your income stream, what will you do when you have to tell your audience what they don’t want to hear?
