SKEPTICISM and HOPE

“Skepticism” has followed me throughout most of my writing career. It has not been an enemy, but a shadow that insists on walking beside me. My awareness of that shadow becomes more pronounced, since I write about metaphysical things. As a result, I consistently feel that I stand between two worlds; where information arrives in partially unexplained ways or where people demand proof. I co-exist with the listening, questioning, translating, and honesty about what I know and what I do not know. It is an unusual environment, but it is mine.

What complicates my position as an author are the varied responses of my readers and reviewers. Some have informed me that since my sources are “odd,” authentication cannot prove the validity of my writings. I certainly cannot argue with them on certain occasions. A person’s influential external form of “skepticism” can often overshadow the non-conformed ideas of others.  I genuinely understand their hesitation.

I have had my own moments of doubts, where I wondered if I was misinterpreting, projecting or simply hoping too hard. Yet, I always return to the quiet understanding that my role is to present what I understand and shed light upon it. Predictability, there are some topics or opinions that resonate with me more than others. I have vacillated from having my thinking challenged to not agreeing with something or someone at all. However, each avenue teaches me about the human search for meaning and the balance between skepticism and hope.

This seesaw between “skepticism and hope” fuels my writing. Within doubt, there is room for purpose to arise. “Skepticism” can be a doorway that keeps me grounded and awake, not a stifling wall. “Hope,” on the other hand, opens me to prospect that not everything valuable can be measured and proven.