Hi Human!

Thanks for being here! This is a continuation of the hello human newsletter, that has morphed into tokyoterri's rebellion which comes out weekly. I've also restarted the podcast with tokyoterri's rebellion. It's now easy to find all the tokyoterri things here:

​https://tokyoterri.com/tokyoterris-rebellion/​

As autumn arrives, I’ve been walking through the past, one box at a time. I recently started going through a collection of papers that’s been around for almost five decades of my writing. Song lyrics, poetry, essays, journal entries, pieces of this and that. It’s like opening a chest full of memories from different times in my life.

Not a memoir, but a mirror

As I read through pages filled with all the emotions and explanations I had as a young one, I can’t help but notice how much I’ve grown as a person and as a writer.

This isn’t a memoir project, but it’s hard not to think about how I’ve gotten to where I am today. It’s like a treasure hunt through my past, and I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would.

Imperfect memories retain power

One thing that really stands out to me is how unreliable our memories can be. A lot of my childhood feels like a dream now, just a collection of feelings and smells that come flooding back. In a way, this imperfect recall is a gift - it lets us re-shape our stories and unearth what really matters.

Golden years

Recently I read an article in Scientific American called With Age Comes Happiness: Here’s Why. The piece asserts that, contrary to conventional wisdom, many older folks report feeling happier than their younger counterparts.

As I think about my life, I can totally relate. I’ve found a growing sense of joy in just being myself. It’s not about trying to be happy all the time, but rather about finding contentment in creating, learning, and working towards meaningful goals.

Write, write revolution

As I sift through these papers, I can’t help but marvel at the journey my writing has taken. From the raw, emotional outbursts of my teenage years to the more thoughtful pieces I wrote later on, I think that perseverance and life experience have played a crucial role in shaping my craft.

Writers are advised to spend countless hours honing their skills through practice and study, but there’s something invaluable that only time can provide: the depth of understanding and empathy that can come from living a full life. While it’s fascinating to look back, I’m equally excited about the present and the future. My current writing feels like a glimpse into a world where diversity, intelligence, and positive action are at the forefront. This vision, shaped by my experiences and evolving perspective, is something I couldn’t have imagined in my younger years.

To all you fellow writers out there, I encourage you to embrace your journey. Every experience, every challenge, and every triumph contributes to the unique voice you bring to the page. As we grow older, we gain not just wisdom, but we create a deeper, richer palette to paint our stories.

So, here’s to the joy of writing, the beauty of growth, and the endless possibilities that lie ahead.

Until next time, keep creating the art that’s in your heart!

Terri

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