The contributor of the rings

Resemblance?

I submitted my very first article to Inspiration-Letters the other day, a forum for inspired writers here at the Sri Chinmoy Centre site. Although something of a closet writer for a while, I have until now never been asked to submit an article to this forum, and thus have been forced, nursing bruised pride and wounded ego, to tell people repeatedly and without prompting, "Yes, but I was published in New Zealand's largest magazine a few years ago you know." Less than convincing air of indifference aside, I was in truth all the time waiting for the call from the Inspiration-Letters editor.

The article was a 2,700 word "when-will-it-end?" behemoth, signal of self-indulgence perhaps, but inspiration was the true intention. The assigned topic for this (yet to be published) issue was "Extreme Sports and Adventure," and knowing of no sports more extreme than early morning jogging I went with "Adventure," although subverting it somewhat to own writerly interest: about myself as usual, my favourite topic of all.

I just now received a reply from the Inspiration-Letters editor, an acknowledgment of receipt, and quite unexpectedly (and generously), a comparison of myself to Tolkein—influence of hobbit and elves detected quite by surprise in my epic-sized rambling.

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