As I talked a lot about inspiration in my last post, I thought I would tell you about the source of mine.
I have been a Bruce Springsteen fan for many years, and it was his song “The Price You Pay” (from the album “The River”) that inspired me to write my novel. I loved it from the moment I first heard it and over the years that followed, it pretty much became my song. It saw me through good times, and not so good ones. This will probably sound a bit pathetic, but I almost viewed it as an old friend. It was always there for me, just waiting to be played. It didn’t judge me or criticise me. I could just close my eyes, lose myself in the music and find a little inner peace, albeit for a short while.
I really don’t know why this particular song had such an impact on me, as Bruce has written so many great songs. Because he is such a wonderful story teller, it was the lyrics that captured my imagination. I appreciate that their meaning will be subject to individual interpretation, but for me, they are about the decisions and choices we make every day, and how these can ultimately influence the paths we follow in life. And we all know it’s true. Everything has a price. You make your choices, you take your chances and then you pay for them.
The choices we make may be driven by need (like that job 1000 miles away which offers career progression and more money), but the price you pay is leaving behind family and friends. Sometimes they are driven by love, like the individual who gives up part of his or her own life to care for a loved one who is sick or disabled. There are also situations in which we have no control and decisions are made for us, like someone serving in the armed forces who’s sent to the front line.
And then there are the myriad of other reasons. The choices we make fuelled by anger, hatred, jealousy, lust, greed, spite and fear. They are all such dangerous weapons. They have the power to make us do things without giving a damn about the consequences and the consequences are the price you pay.
There are some people who make the decision to do things for the sheer hell of it and because they can. I’m talking about those who pick on a particular individual because that person is a little bit different somehow. Perhaps it’s the colour of their skin or what they believe in. Perhaps it’s because they’re too thin or too fat, too tall or too short. Maybe they wear glasses or have goofy teeth? A bit spotty perhaps? Is it possible that they have some illness or disability? The problem might be the colour of their hair or that they’re a bit quiet and then we get to the really scary bit, there may simply be no reason at all.
The list seems to go on and on. Is there no end to it? Bullying a person is so unnecessary. Isn’t merely getting through each day tough enough as it is, without causing someone else that extra bit of misery and pain? I just don’t understand it. No-one should feel threatened or frightened. Everyone deserves to find a little bit of happiness in this world, because life is bad enough as it is without people making it worse.
These things are important to me and always will be because I know how it feels to be victimised, me and the millions of other people out there like me. And this is what prompted me to write my novel “Mine is the Law”. You see, it’s true what people say about time. It is a great healer and eventually you learn how to forgive but unfortunately what it doesn’t teach you is how to forget. And in Bruce’s words, it’s the price you pay.
amrobusauthor 