From the Writing Desk – 2/14/26

Hello again.

Recently I’ve been thinking about sin.

I wonder if people really are all born with darkness in their hearts, or if there are those who are born without that little pinch of shameful truth. I only know that there’s no chance of absolutely everyone being perfectly pure, because I myself am not. Sorry to drag you all down, folks. But then, I don’t reckon everyone who’s been executed for murder is pure of heart either, so, that’s reassuring.

I jest, of course. I’m not so silly as to think myself on par with those hearts of black desire. I just happen to be acquainted with my own shame.

I once was told of a particular piece of my writing that the narrator carried too much self-loathing. I don’t know about that. Such people exist, surely. Perhaps it’s not entertaining to entertain such a thought process, but I felt it was worth writing about.

I wonder what it would be like, to be a soul clean of sin, and realize that the person you’re talking to is anything but. Would you envy them? Fear them? Respect their stalwart efforts in self-denial? I have to doubt envy or fear could occur, because these themselves speak to some moral corruption. Maybe not fear. But fear suggests a lack of trust, and I think trust is a powerful indicator of good in a person.

Is doubt a sin?

Anyway, I’ve uploaded a short story today. I rather like it, but I wonder if I shouldn’t have trimmed it down. In school, I always felt that I didn’t write enough when answering questions for assignments. I try to resist the urge to trim now, but perhaps I should invest in my own brevity.

Maybe I could appear more mysterious that way.

So long for now!