Magic In Those Pages

Be the hero of your own movie. - Joe Rogan

I sit, once again, to start my daily writing session as another day of experiences has come to a close. As I write in this semi-empty common area overlooking the setting sun, I take notice of a commonplace item found in many hostels. Books. The assembly that lines the shelves or piled on top of the many coffee tables around the room is an amalgamation of the hostel’s own collection as well as travellers leaving their own books behind for others to read. A popular backpacker tradition is to exchange books that they have brought on their trip for something that has been left behind by someone else, which explains the wide variety of genres available to peruse from. Granted, there are always a couple of classics that are almost always present in the mix including Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, Paulo Coelho’s Alchemist, and Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild to name a few. As I look at the mass of paper and ink, I find myself thinking that for some reading these stories may have been the basis of why they set out on their trip in the first place. It was the piece of literary inspiration that they needed to set the gears of travel in motion; the push needed in their soul to venture forth into the great unknown. There is magic in those pages; an aura that radiates inspiration. At what point of their journey did they choose to part ways with their precious tome? No one but the traveller really knows this. A separation of an object that may not have outlived it’s usefulness to the owner, but left behind in the hopes of inspiring others as they have been inspired. The act of leaving something tangible only having gained something intangible in return. It may also signify an end for their metaphorical search. The end of their journey has come just like the protagonists in the books that they cherished. Although the book may have had a conclusion, this is all but an illusion. The book of life still continues on with the traveller writing their own story as they progress towards their own personal journey. While it may not yet be transposed onto paper, the story that is being transcribed in the annals of time will surely have a similar ability to inspire. As I watch the last rays of sunshine disappear into the vast blue yonder, I ask myself. What story will I leave?