Lets Start at the very beginning, a very good place to start...

When you read you begin with ABC, when you eat you begin with macros, calories and me.

As you might have guessed by the title I have always been a little bit obsessed with musicals and "The Sound of Music" starring the phenomenal Julie Andrews, was a prominent feature of my childhood. It is funny in-fact how many quotes from various musicals resonate with how I wish to see my life. Perhaps it is because innately they give a sense of hope for something better, they reflect real and raw humanity allowing us to engage entirely in an emotional dialogue. I think the empowerment of dreams and courage installed by the arts and feature media inspire us to be better versions of ourselves and so in this pessimistic world where we like to jump straight to facts and figures, crude realities, and discount emotive narratives, I think it is important we take time to recall the power of belief; of daydreams held with conviction, in such a way that their hyper-moralistic truths might actually seep into society; and of love and kindness shared and spread like an infectious song, not kept locked away for only a single soul. Perhaps then if we could all access our emotional literacy the world would start to sound a little more unified, on the same page and in tune...! (but that's just the theatrical optimist coming out in me and it seems I have already digressed...)

For me writing was never a massive part of my life, I always loved reading and so I suppose it is a natural progression. But, it was not until my senior year at Southland Girls High school that a real passion was awoken within me. I suddenly felt I needed to tell the world what I felt, what I thought others felt, and why the world seemed to orbit the way it did. I was drawn to this new passion by a wonderful woman, my English teacher Mrs. Fletcher. Mrs. Fletcher saw the beauty of the human spirit and the good in the world, she was everything a role model should be, and more. She was elegant and had an air of sophistication about her, yet she was gentle and loving. She did the simple things right, she knew how to connect with people and make them feel incredibly valued, and it was this uplifting spirit that inspired and evoked me to write. I wanted to write well for her, to show her I cared about this life, and the opportunities given to me.

With Mrs. Fletcher in mind and the profuse impact she had on my life, I want to start by sharing the most pivotal points of this story, then work my way right back to primary school for you, and finally, reconvene with the present.