Sunday 26 February 2017

Author or writer?

I've always love the word author. Even now.
There seem to have a ring of elegance, majestic and dignity to it.
Writer to me, is just someone who writes.
But an author...I don't know...is more accomplished? More professional? Or simply, to me, just better than being known as a writer.
In my mind then, I known I want to be known as an author not writer.
However, it took me more than two decades to finally explore what is the ultimate difference between writer and author.
It turns out from my google search that my presumption was correct.
But it was sad that I would probably be classified as a writer instead of an author. But hang on a minute, the website says that if you've published an article then you can call yourself an author? Or am I just being delusional?
Oh...and wait, there's another term, blogger.
I guess, in the end my point is, there are simply just many different ways to describe, classify and even stereotype a person.
Ultimately, should a term define us, or do we define ourselves?
Of course, there are going to be various words to describe something, and undeniably, we do need them to express ourselves. Just like how we will still distinguish author from writer.
BUT...maybe we can contend with staying true to ourselves rather than being obsessed with fitting into the labels. We could still work towards the person we want to become, but this should be a fulfilling experience instead of a struggle to be in a better 'category'.
Not to say it is necessarily bad, but perhaps we should enjoy what we do.
Life's too short anyway.

Thursday 23 February 2017

Digression

[Disclaimer: This is, unfortunately, not going to be an interesting piece nor a life-changing source of inspiration...so if that's what you're looking for, please feel free to click the "Next Blog" button at the top or scurry away to do your other more important stuff! Still, thanks for stopping by!]

It's been 3 years and 319 days since my last post (apologies to those who have actually been following!). And, of course, as I always do when coming back from a long hiatus, I re-read all of my past posts...

Funny how I would do this every time. And it is even more surreal as I read through my old posts, that they felt familiar and yet alien to me. It's like reading someone else' blog. I couldn't believe that I actually had the courage back then to have written half of the stuff here.

Seriously, this blog is like skeletons in the closet...dark secrets that I've long forgotten re-surfaced as I skimmed through the pages...I can't remember how many times I cringed when reading through it. Despite all the cringe-worthy moments (I know, I know, why am I still here babbling even more personal stuff here?!), I find myself filled with nostalgia and a twinge of sadness.

Regardless of all the unbelievable things I've written (and wished I hadn't), this is still ultimately me who had written this...the part of me which I've forgotten or buried too deep away from myself. That I used to have aspirations, dreams and tried to work towards them but now these passions which used to be so important to me, has become something I sacrificed in exchange for the more generally accepted ambitions. True, age and experience has change my mindset a bit; I now saw a different side to things and have learn to embrace and enjoy them rather than stubbornly shunned them.

Still, it is sad that I have side-stepped stuff I used to love, especially when I still love doing them. Frankly, I blame myself to have lost that old me. Hence this comeback.

Whilst unfortunately I cannot promise that I can turn back to the old me, and as usual I'm not a very disciplined person (ha! guess people don't change that much after all), I'm still hoping to keep this blog to document my life journey and growth.

To those who had actually read this whole post, thank you and good luck. Let us rediscover that person we used to be. Cheers to our old self!