“Bohr's Blog” has mostly been about me sharing my experiences in writing The Pride of Central, hoping that my knowledge might help others who are trying to produce their own books.
But today, we are going to flip things around. I want my readers to help me out with something. Not something major, but with a question that has bothered me for a long time. It may not sound like a question about writing at first, but there is a connection.
What is courage?
I ask this here and now because I have been called both brave and cowardly for writing. The people who think I'm courageous say things like, “It's so brave of you to put your story out there where others can see it.” But the people who think I'm being cowardly tell me, “You write for a living because you're afraid to actually do anything.”
Comments like this that I have received – both while promoting The Pride of Central and during my journalism career – have made me wonder what courage actually means. To be honest, I did not feel brave at all while writing my book. On the other hand, I did not think I was cowering in fear either. But maybe I don't have the right picture of bravery in my mind.
So what is courage in every day life? I don't mean the obvious examples like a solider who puts his life on the line or fireman who runs into a burning building to save someone else. I'm asking about what most of us face in day to day life – the writers, the accountants, the grocery store clerks, the truck drivers – what is bravery for us?
I'd like to share my thoughts on this, but I may save them for a future post. For now, I'd rather see what you think. Please, either comment here on my blog, or go to one of my social media feeds and comment there.
Next week: A scrimmage, or a World Series