Wednesday, October 31, 2012
An Unlikely Pilgrimage
I vaguely recall my emotional state. I had just turned
the final page of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry after a day of
reading and had begun to descend into the emotional chaos of post-inspirational-book
disorder. Despair, profound happiness, obsession, and an overpowering emptiness
overwhelmed me. In my state, I managed to reach into my desk and retrieve a pen
and a note card, flip through the book, and copy down my favorite quote: “It was
hard to understand a little and then walk away”. Setting my book down, I took the
note card and hung it on the wall right next to my mirror—my quote wall—with a
piece of tape. The quote joined the 41 other poems, quotes, and lyrics. As I stood
back and read the familiar words on each card, I could not convince myself
to look away. However, I reminded myself I never truly distance myself from quotes; I never really look away. In fact, I probably read more quotes daily than I see
people. Every day, hundreds of fragments of sentences resonate with me, if only
for a moment. 42 excerpts hang beside my mirror. One quote greets me every
morning in English class. I told myself that my quotes always stay with me because they allow retrace my steps, return to their familiar
words when I cannot find my way. Whether admiring the wall or not, I can still revisit them because they provide wisdom and
comfort. They help me understand a little about myself and my past while pointing me in the direction of my future. Leaving the wall does not mean I have to walk away. A while after I re-read
the note cards, I convinced myself to leave the quote wall and placed the book back on the bookshelf.
The emptiness still lingered, but quotes flooded my head to fill the void. As
always, old memories resurfaced: images of me, as a young girl, toiling with
contributing in class in elementary school, middle school, high school; visions
of me, a bit older, struggling to determine which talent I should pursue, which
path I should follow to fulfillment. Once again, I stood and returned to the quote wall.
The words welcomed me warmly and
reminded me of a childhood dream. My fantasy of a day when students will walk
into first period English, look up to the board and read my words. I could not
walk away.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
A bit more than a year ago you first showed and explained your quote wall to me, and since then I have started my own. Though I do not wish to have students read my writing later on, I do look upon the J.K. Rowling, Kurt Vonnegut, and Rober Downey Jr. quotes that cover a significant portion of my door for pleasure and comfort. They and you have encouraged me in many aspects of life, so thank you for inspiring me!
ReplyDeleteI too have a wall of quotes on the bulletin board above my bed. It consists of a variety of Bible verses, song lyrics, and inspirational quotes from books I have read. Every morning, I read one of the note cards, and it inspires and challenges me throughout the day. The power of words to encourage, embolden,and stimulate thought ceases to amaze me.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the quote wall! It resembles a collage of photographs over time, but can also hold such powerful insights into everyday life. I see how it drives you and others to succeed, and I hope to begin this same project as I transition from my high school to collegiate years.
ReplyDelete