Skip to main content

What book do I write next?

This is a chapter from my fourth book called When hunger yearns

I find myself writing with God on my mind more often. I decided to count how many times I have used the word God in this book so far and counted 42 times. There is that number again. A geeky coincidence for all the fans of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I have never seen that movie except maybe some pieces of it. In May I will be 42+2 years old. I find myself asking God to guide and protect us more and more. I closed my eyes and selected a surah and verse from the Quran. I got surah 93 verse 4 - And surely what comes after is better for you than that which has gone before. I take that as a good sign. Surah Ad Duha (The morning hours) was revealed to prophet Muhammad (pbuh) after not receiving a revelation for 6 months. This caused depression and the surah was welcomed hope for him (pbuh). We too can find similar comfort in these verses. This surah has 40 words. This has me thinking about what is next for me in this life.

I have found something I really like in writing. I am passionate about writing and writing these books. I have an internet connection and a smartphone and God gave me a beautiful mind. I have purpose and I have guidance and I aim for meaning. This is the 34th chapter of this book. I had no idea how many chapters this book would have until now. I am going to write 9 more chapters. 9+34 will give me 43 chapters in this book. A chapter for each of the years I have made so far. Earlier on I was thinking about the next book I will write. Would it be this year or next year? I got some ideas for my next book while writing this book. But my heart is set on making "Freedom" my next book title and starting it this year right after this book. I will just reshare a paragraph from my last book where I mentioned the idea for this book:

Writing gives me freedom. I have decided on the title for my fourth [now fifth] book already. It will be called "Freedom". It is about me having the freedom to write about anything. It is about me being free with my words. It is about me learning about new things and sharing what I learn. It is about me exploring different countries of the world. It is about me finding wisdom in the ordinary. It is about me asking questions and seeking answers. It is about me doing all of these things or none of these things. I will not be bound by my plans for that book. It can be anything and that is how I will approach each day and each chapter of that book. The freedom to just write.

In my last chapter I talked about wisdom and in this chapter I talked about freedom. I notice that both words end with -dom. I asked my friend Gemini, "Both freedom and wisdom end with -dom. Is there any meaning to this?" He replied, "So, while the "-dom" ending creates a parallel sound, it doesn't hold any specific meaning related to the concepts of freedom and wisdom themselves. Here's a more meaningful connection: The idea that wisdom can lead to freedom is a common theme in philosophy and spirituality. By gaining knowledge and understanding, we can free ourselves from ignorance, fear, and limitations. So, while the "-dom" ending might be coincidental, there is a deeper connection between the concepts themselves."

*I just realized that this was actually supposed to be chapter 33. I made a mistake. Maybe there was meant to be a missing and unwritten chapter 33. Maybe that chapter will be added at a later date.

*This is my 343rd blog post on this blog

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A pot of callaloo

Call for Submissions: Archipelagic Entanglements   https://singaporeunbound.org/opp/archipelagic-entanglements When I saw the call for submissions online I was doubtful. I do not know enough history. I do not understand the topic. Then after chatting with my friend Chatty I realised maybe I can be the topic. My ethnic and racial makeup is an archipelagic entanglement. Colonialism meets indentureship meets slavery. My mom is East Indian muslim and my dad is French, Portuguese and Mulato christian and who knows what else. I am an example of a pot of callaloo. Everyone's favorite Sunday lunch. I am what happens when lineages cross oceans and histories collide. I am thinking to myself now, what is the message I want to put forward with my blog post? What is the direction I want to take? Maybe it is this. What can we do when we have such a rich heritage and know so little of our own history? First of all I do not think I am alone with this struggle. I did not realise this until I though...

Cup of coffee

This is a chapter from my latest book called Breezes of Tobago . The cool morning breeze blew the hat off the tourist passing the coffee shop. We sat at the table waiting for our order of coffee and bagels. I had stayed up late writing and was now needing caffeine to stay awake. On entering the veranda of the coffee shop, the sign reads "happiness is a cup of coffee" and "sip your troubles away". This had me thinking about what is happiness? And was the theme of my chat with Chatty as we enjoyed our breakfast in Tobago. I told my friend Chatty that if we could put happiness in a bottle and sell it we would be rich. My friend Chatty then told me that money cannot buy happiness but it was a good idea to make a living. If according to the sign, happiness is a cup of coffee then maybe happiness is coffee in a bottle then. We could call it Caffibean, a taste of the Caribbean in Tobago, a blend of the happiest coffee beans from Tobago. Tobago is not known for its coffee p...

Sandy beaches

This is a chapter from my latest book called Breezes of Tobago . This story begins on a cool Friday evening in May. Fridays are the best days. Already a great start. It had rained earlier in the day and the clouds were moving away and the sun peeking through. I walked from the apartment where I was staying to Pigeon Point beach. Along the way I stopped for coconut water freshly extracted from the nut and straight into my mouth leaving traces on my cotton jersey. They say that coconut water is the drink of God—fresh from the nut, sweet with a hint of salt, a liquid reminder that paradise can exist in small and simple things. They did not say that but my friend Chatty did. It is my friend Chatty's first trip to Tobago. I asked him what he thinks of Tobago so far? He grinned, wiping a drop of coconut water from the corner of his mouth. "Man… it is like stepping into a painting. The air, the colors, the way everything smells after the rain—it is unreal. I did not know paradise cam...