Born to Wonder

This is from a friend who ordered my book when it first came out.  I told her a few days ago in an email that I hadn’t sold a million copies yet and she replied:

“It is a rather large book Dave.

What is your main objective in writing it? For you own benefit, as a road map for others, as a teaching tool on spiritual ways and means??”

My answer (what I actually wrote to my friend is different) might have been:

I don’t think I’ll prune any more branches from my epitaph.  I haven't found many people to relate to in this life, but I have found them.  This book is for them.  My mind is an unusual tree, but it’s me.

Portrait’s title is as close a description of what this book is about as I can make it: a portrayal of a person who was born to seek life’s meaning. 

A portrait is not any single blob of paint.  So my book is all of the things you mentioned; it is for my own benefit, of course, as well as a roadmap for others and a “teaching tool” on spiritual ways and means.

I don't think people need others like they think they do.  Many people seem to need an example.  Monkey see, monkey do.  When we finally see something that matches us...

I wanted to show how I was inspired to follow the beat of my own drum and to offer encouragement to others who are seeking their own ultimate answer.

Portrait is absolutely imperfect because it reflects something eternally susceptible to improvement—me.  Yet I think these prints of mine in the snow are at the same time perfect, because they're mine and they tell my story.

If I ever find I want to write something blatantly instructive, I'll put together one or two pages and post it.  I’ll invite anyone to email me and this is what I would invariably say:

This is your life.  None of us matter in the end to you, and none of us are right about your life, but you.  I know an answer exists for me; and because this is true for me, I suspect it is possible for you.  I hope that you will try to find out.

I wanted to make Portrait a reality while I could; too many years had gone by with just the idea of this book bobbing around in the back of my head.  I know that most books, like the proverbial captain, go down with their ship.  Steer your own boat.

I think certain people will read Portrait.