LatinosUSA

he started

late in life

somewhere in

his early fifties

if I recall

and in just a few

very short years he

became

the inspiration and the

motivation for all

things associated with

late blooming

He sure proved to the

world that it’s never

too late for

dreams

«But what made you start?»

I once asked him

and he said, «a fingernail.»

Clearly he wanted me to ask,

‘A fingernail!? Oh my God,

what in heavens do you

actually mean by that, sir?’

but I kept silent

just watched him

and then he

went on

«Yeah. One day

at the age of fifty-three

I just found this

broken fingernail

lying on the floor of my

bedroom. I’ve never even

spoken to a woman in well

over ten years, let alone inviting

one over. Hahah!

So you can imagine my shock

as I observed that broken

fingernail just lying around on

the floor.

Fear was obviously the first,

most primal feeling that

inundated my soul.

And I was right to fear.

For I was indeed stalked

and about to be possessed.

And that, my friend, is how I met

my muse.

It wasn’t some apparition

coming and looking for

her broken fingernail. No. It was

all my fear and morbid curiosity

that brought her into my life,

summoned her

if you will. The mind conjured her

up and

as I started writing about

her, about the event of finding

that fingernail

on my bedroom floor, our

relationship caught

outlines.

But one thing I do know

and that is that

it’s different for every writer.

Your muse might not come to

you in the form mine did,

but don’t give up. Keep

looking, my friend.

And one day, one night, you might

just be surprised by

what you’ll find.»

I thanked him for the

advice and went

home and got drunk

«You wanna write about it

sometime?» she

asked

«Sometime,» I said. «Sure. But not

today.

Today let’s just get drunk and

feel shit and

sit in silence.»

We really

did that

all night

and on the next day

we started writing again