Everybody has their story. This just happens to be mine. This is a piece of paper. This is ink. And this is the colour black. This book is full of that particular colour. And of course, these are words, and you’re reading them. Your brain is telling you this. It’s also guiding you down the page as we speak. Go on, take a minute and keep reading. You see? Isn’t it amazing how your brain just knows how to do that? Now take another minute and ponder this; what if you couldn’t read these words? What if you couldn’t see? Would you still know what words like this look like? What about your imagination or your interpretation of text? Do you ever think about this and consider the fact that it is a God given gift to have the natural ability to have eyes that see images and words? Try not to think too hard about this, you’re going to need to save your energy. I’m going to continue to challenge you and point these things out with the pages that follow in behind this one.
Growing up in a small town makes for a pretty simple and pretty standard way of life. It was only when I flew from the nest, or as my parents coined it “spread my wings,” that I started to realize just how significant or special small town stories can be. When I began to fly, this is when I started asking questions like “what if?” When you look at something over and over again or you tell the same story but in a different voice or under different circumstances, to me it seemed like just a natural process to analyze every mundane detail that people seem to forget about or leave out of their story.
This book is about an ignorant kid who didn’t know any better and who knew nothing about the world outside of his little town of Belleville where he milked cows since he was 4 years old. It’s about growth and change and substance, how he navigated his way through the city, the subway, bus routes and the different colours of skin. It’s about realizing potential and going on adventures to ask the necessary questions that need to have answers. But even when they don’t have answers, there’s a story that goes with it, and this helps you, as a reader, navigate down the rabbit hole.
The idea and inspiration for this bounded material of ink and paper came from a variety of things. Life happens fast, and when it does, you can get left coughing the dust that the tail pipe from the car created or if you take too long to blink, sometimes life passes you by completely. Well, I got caught breathing in the dust that was left behind and I figured I had two options. Metaphorically speaking, I could stand by the side of the road wondering exactly where and when I went wrong and see the car fade in the distance. Or, I could cough for a brief moment, battle through it, and run after the vehicle, keeping it in my site and eventually grasping for the door to get back in and face the road to life head on. I chose the latter. And this is the beginning of that story.
When I analyze something or write about something in this book, I try to tell a story. It’s because I’m from a small town that these stories create what I will argue as a unique angle or hook. I try to be optimistic when I tell you stories because it’s vitally important to remember this; realize that there are one of two certainties in life. You believe that everything happens in a pre-planned schedule, where we as human beings are not in control of our destiny or fate and life has already been pre planned, deciding for us when we begin and when we end. Or, you understand that everything that you do in life, every action, every minute and every second of each day happens completely on its own, with no set plan, being in control of your fate and anything that helps shape your destiny. Things just happen, just because. It is my job, as the author of this book, to point out these things to you that you might not think about. Give an old idea a fresh perspective. It is my duty, to stand behind my words and ask questions. We can find the answers together. If you can’t find the answer or figure it out on your own, then listen to me. Read my words. After all, that is the point of writing, isn’t it? To be convincing?
Keep this is mind: this is a no nonsense book. Recess is over and class is back in session. Get a warm drink and cozy blanket. You could be here for a while.
