Why writing enables us to live the lives chronic illness can’t
As a spoonie you often feel like you’re missing out on life. But even before I became ill, when I was around ten years old, I wanted to become an actress. Because – and may I quote myself here -: ‘That way I can live many different lives I won’t get to live as one person.’
Ten year old me was a smart lass.
I didn’t become an actress. For one, I couldn’t handle eyes on me. I did dance in groups, but never solo. I sang along to music, but always quietly. There’s a definite pattern here that I managed to finally shake off as a journalist student where I had no choice to be assertive. Turns out practice does help. Such a shame..
Instead of acting out different lives, I became the creator of them. To be honest, it’s even better.
And better yet as a spoonie. We miss out on so much, but we also get to create even more out of nothing. Characters, worlds, species, language; we get to create it all from scratch.
C.S. Lewis put it best: ‘You can make anything by writing.’
So let’s never stop writing, even amid the harder days.
Sandra Postma
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