Jasmina Awards 2019. It said for 60 and above. Elderly. Repeatedly. It was as if my shelf life was up.
I read on. They wanted stories and poems. On Love and My Malaysia. Seriously?
Ask any writer. The former over-done; the latter echoed a Tourism Board catch phrase of a tropical paradise.
I found the feel-good description unappealing, when in truth with 1MDB and a new government, there were too many wrongs and, life was not a beach.
If I were to write will anyone want to hear the truth about the lies we believe in?
Though I did not submit a poem or a story, I attended the award ceremony. That was when the pieces started to fall into place.
The back story by its founder was inspiring. From Belgrade to Kuala Lumpur. It spoke to my spirit. The winning stories and poems were not especially impressive as literary forms. I wanted more from the winners and the jury. The critic in me drummed on.
Then, I became aware of something bigger and more significant happening in the space, which was the true heart of the event. A ripple of something life enriching and transformative in its making, with the power to lift us all up on a surf of endless possibilities.
There was an energy in the room. From silver- haired individuals expressing their thoughts and sharing pieces of themselves. Free and proud. Unafraid to be. Be it from an Everest base camp, in a wheel chair or, from a sick bed. To pen words minted rich with experience echoed through the room. Defiant. Finding an audience and a platform to celebrate age as a gift. To be acknowledged and heard.
Moving out of the shadows into the light to a new drum beat. This was just a new chapter in the journey of a lifetime.
Suddenly, it all made perfect sense.
written by Mercy Thomas