You are the Story I Tell: The Epilogue

While I knew that I wanted my last post in the series to be about Kim, I realized that a highly intense and emotional post probably wasn’t the best way to wrap up the series. So for the benefit of both you and me, I’ve decided to make a nice little wrap-up post to share some things that I learned and let out any feelings that weren’t let out earlier.

There are a couple matters that need to be cleared up, questions that were asked multiple times over the course of the series. First, I am not ill or dying, nor do I have any plans for my life to end in the near future. However, after the multiple deaths that occurred over the past year or so, I didn’t want to wait any longer to do this series. It was a series that had been on my mind for a while before that, and I knew it was the right time to make it happen. Second, the title for the series, “You are the story I tell”, is NOT derived from that One Direction song. It was taken from the bridge of Day at the Fair’s “Everything I’ve Ever Wanted”, my favorite song on the planet. Now that we’ve cleared up those things, on to other matters.

This series was probably the best thing I have ever done in my life. It certainly was the best thing I have ever done on my blog. It felt really rewarding to let people know what they have meant to me over time. I’m not always the best at sharing these feelings right away, but I very rarely forget anything, and I certainly don’t forget the good that others do for me. Each of you have meant a lot to me and continue to mean a lot to me.

The best part of this series was that it allowed me to hear from most of you. Honestly, as I conceived and composed this series, I didn’t expect to receive any feedback from anyone. You can’t go into something like this expecting anything in return. It humbled and inspired me to hear from as many people as I did, and it meant a lot to find out that in some cases, I was able to positively impact your lives as well. I’ll be honest. Sometimes I myself wonder if who I am and what I do matters. Thank you for the positive reinforcement.

Writing these letters really forced me to be honest with myself. That’s not always an easy thing to do. We don’t always like to focus on the parts of ourselves that we do not like or the times in our lives during which we could have (and should have) been better. On more than a few occasions, I was humbled by certain memories and the knowledge that people treated me better than I deserved. I cannot thank you enough for that, and I thank you for how well you received what I had to say. I hope I have shown progress over the years.

The series taught me a lot about myself and about the people with whom I choose to associate. At each step of my life, I have been surrounded by great people who have challenged me and made me a better person. I have had a long list of quality mentors, from teachers to family members to church leaders to handymen and psychic bus drivers. I know that my insistence on doing things my way can be frustrating to others, both mentors and friends alike. But no one ever gave up on me. Even during the periods of my life where I was in a bit of a holding pattern and not moving forward, you stood by my side.

Thank you for taking the time to read this series. If there’s one thing I wanted everyone to get out of this, it’s that while I am one man, I tell the story of hundreds of individuals. I would not be who I am without each and every one of you. I have learned so much from you, and I hope to be able to inspire others the way you have inspired me. I don't know where the next chapter of my life will take me. No matter where it leads me, I will always carry on your stories inside me. I hope to do a better job at keeping in touch. Again, thank you for being who you are and doing what you do.