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More stories from Cooper James

My Final Words
May 10, 2016
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What is the point of writing? Is it to ask questions? Is it to give answers? Is it to express the thoughts of the writer? Is it to engage and make the reader reflect? What can I write about that would make the reader question something in their own life? Can I simply ask them to think? Do I have to give them a topic to indulge themselves in? Do questions need answers? Can the reader come up with their own answers that would satisfy their reading experience more than the writer just giving them away? What if the writer hinted at topics of thought? Would the reader react and think or just keep skimming away at the page? Is there really a point in reading something without thinking? Is there really a point in writing without thinking?

Why is thinking so important to reading? Why do people think? Why do people ask questions? Why do people expect answers? Why can’t they just find the answers within themselves and be satisfied with that? Do they not want to know what they really think and feel?  Why are people scared of themselves? Do they see what other people believe and become content with holding that to be their own truth? Or do they think for themselves? Do people reflect on what they read? Can questions without answers be more useful than questions with answers? Does it allow more free thought and self-reflection? But how can a writer narrow the topic they want the reader to think about? Can they casually slip it into their prose? Can they even put thoughts in the readers’ minds or is that an impossible act?

What do you value in a piece of writing? Do you want to be engaged? Do you want to be taken to another place and time? Do you want to escape life or enrich the one you’re living? What do you value in your life? What do you really think about yourself? What’s important enough to you that you have found time to include it in your life? Is it a person or a group of people? Is it a talent or hobby? Who are you as a person? Are you your own person or are you trying to be the person others say you are? Are you a perception of other people or are you who you are? Can you be something you’re not? Is the perception of you your true reality? Do you want to be who you are? Do you want to change what you’ve done until this point or have you come to terms with it? Do you want to change for the future? Who can answer that question?

Can a person really change? Does it depend on how hard they try? Does it depend on how badly they want to? Is change necessary for people? Is it necessary for you? What do you want to change? Why do you want to change? How do you want to change? Can you bring yourself to cause this change? Are you looking to become someone completely different or just a better version of yourself? Do you have a model for the change you seek? What inspires you most to change? Is it a person? Was it this writing? Was it you, finally empowering yourself to act? What is the real question in all of this? Are these questions at all? Or are these just the answers you were looking for?