Risks

'Once upon a time' is the most basic and universal opening there is.

I didn't know how to begin this blog at all, and I thought: "why not just go back to the basics?" I am pretty much terrified at the idea that someone could be reading this, but I'm even more terrified at the thought that no one will read it. So by some miracle someone is actually taking the time to read "Once upon a time:" thank you so much and please don't stop reading. I'll try not to babble too badly.

I'm not even sure what this blog is going to be about- I'll probably talk about books, songs, poetry, random discoveries that I thought interesting... I am a great believer in random discussions, because my mind is pretty much everywhere. One moment I'm thinking about running late for the train (which I always seem to do) and the next I'm wondering if it really is true that a toilet flushes on an e flat note.

Anyway, so despite me feeling terrified, in life we must take risks. Here is a poem I found once by an anonymous writer, which I think sums up taking risks perfectly:

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool;

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental;

To reach out to another is to risk involvement;

To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self;

To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk loss;

To love is to risk not being loved in return;

To live is to risk dying;

To hope is to risk despair;

To try at all is to risk failure.

But risk we must.

Because the greatest hazard to life is to risk nothing.

The man who risks nothing 

does nothing...

has nothing...

is nothing...

He may avoid suffering...

but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love or live.

Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave. 

He has fortified freedom.

Only the person who risks

Can be called free.

And here is me, taking a risk.