by Pamela Heemskerk
It seems the fame of the legendary Quirky Quills has spread
beyond Toowoomba, and even Queensland.
How little I realised back then, how much impact a
supportive group can have on developing your writing gift. Some of us were rank
novices to writing—lacking courage to even show our cat what we had written;
others were, like the Man from Snowy River, fast becoming a household name.
I was talking to Mazzy, one of our QQ, recently, and she said
QQ was like her ‘church’—a place of love, care and nurturing of gifts. It
reminded me of the parallel between our walk with the Lord and developing as
scribes. As the Quills met, with encouragement, teaching and nagging (what was
that word?), along with some serious hand-holding, we sent off works to
anthologies, devotionals, and even competitions. And some were accepted!
Showing your writing is like baring your soul. I felt so
vulnerable, writing from the heart, and then exposing it. Scary. Yet from this,
I learnt that others related to my experiences. I learnt about taking risks,
stepping out. And I learnt resilience—that first rejection … Ow! And then the
second … And then a few more …
As I grew as a writer, I grew as a person. I learnt to persevere,
to motivate myself, to be disciplined and to take responsibility for developing
my craft—just as I have learnt to take these same steps in my walk with God. He
is my source of inspiration, directs my writing goals, and stretches me (ouch),
to show how much I can achieve when I work in partnership with Him.
Although I am yet a relatively new writer, I am past coddled
eggs and milk in my own journey. I have wanted to give back to the writing
community. When I renewed my 2019 Omega membership, I again saw the motto, and
this prompted me to continue meeting with other writers in our locality.
Now, as a person with a hearing impairment, I am well aware
of the effect words have when they are received; and the lack of effect, or even
the negative effect, when they are not received. Sometimes I don’t hear
important things; sometimes I miss out on a crucial part of the conversation
and it leaves me bewildered and unable to follow. Lost words have no impact on
my life; worse they can have a negative impact because I missed hearing
something really important that would have made a difference.
I figured that if I was having trouble with using hearing
aids, then there’d be others. My struggles with hearing prompted me (with some
badgering from a friend), to put my experiences on paper. I realised through
this, that I could turn my frustrations and negatives around hearing loss into
something positive. And eventually, with support from QQ and Omega, it became a
book. I hope it has helped someone.
WORDS THAT CHANGE THE WORLD
I was meditating on these words – and the Lord put on my
heart that there are writers whose words are not changing the world. Their
words are sitting on a computer, or in a drawer and not doing the thing for
which they were purposed. How like unused hearing aids! Hearing devices are
meant to enrich our lives, to help us participate fully and be involved in our
world. They are to help us move forward in our lives again. But they take
practice, perseverance, and sometimes some support from other users. We
sometimes fail, or feel self-conscious or embarrassed about using them.
Just as a user of hearing aids takes risks in learning a new
way of living, will you as writers take the risk? Will you persist? Will you
move forward into your calling? Will you chance letting your words ‘change the
world’? Or will you play it safe, carefully preserving your ‘one talent’ on a
USB?
Now, I’m sure the USB retailer will have appreciated the
sale. But words are far more powerful than a few dollars at the shop. Your
words can make or break the health and wholeness of another; those timely words
can transform a life. Your gift of writing can
make a difference. Will you seek support, take courage, and put your words
out there?
Who knows, one day someone might come up to you and say, ‘Your
words changed my world’.
Pamela Heemskerk is a physiotherapist, writer and jigsaw addict. She acquired a hearing loss during her first year at work and has worn aids for approximately 30 years. After many conversations, where others who are hard of hearing reported similar issues, she decided it was time to fill the information vacuum by writing 'Rather a Small Chicken ... A Guide to hearing Loss for Family and Friends.
