Fifth Letter

I do not have much time, so I will be brief.

I have been reading this night about self-discipline, motivation, will-power and self-esteem.
All most esteemable topics. Things I feel I lack and would wish for myself.

But I look back to a moment in time,
When by the flickering shadowy light of a oil lamp
A small boy or a girl would have read a book
And found a whole new world of experience -
One that removed them from their room,
As Peter Pan flew the Children away from theirs.

And I know that I still wish for all those esteemable things,
And I will try and I will learn, and I will be better at this business of living,
But that which I will live for, what will truly motivate me -
Is the knowledge that there is this world of experience out there,
Of new experiences, loves and pains,
That must be claimed by the hard act of choice
Out of the mud and grime of daily experience.

For I believe that life is not in an empty inbox
Or a clean rubbish bin,
Or even laundered and ironed sheets and underwear,
But in knowing that you are alive, in seeing something
For the very first time
- At least once a day.

Like a baby newborn.