http://themanyportraitsoflife.com

The Many Portraits of Life (A Novel)

(Copyright 2009, Mark D. Jones, All Rights Reserved)

Preface

~~~~~~~~~~

This story is purely a work of my imagination and as such, is completely fictional.  Any references to actual names, places, settings, events, characters, and/or persons is derived solely and generically from my imagination and reflects no actual person – living or deceased – nor any business enterprise, village, city, county, territory, state, principality or nation. 

~~~~~~~~~~

“Faces in the crowd blend into an impressionist landscape, a mosaic of fleeting images extending to the horizon.  Yet each one stands alone as if a separate portrait hanging in a gallery – where light, color and texture tease out the very essence of a lifetime of experiences and emotion – with a malleable present and a future as yet unwritten and unknowable.”  – Mark D. Jones 

A reader once commented to me, “I am excited for you and I will be sure to check out your blog from time to time to watch it bloom into a beautiful garden of your thoughts and experiences.”

She expressed a desire to write as well and I finished our correspondence with the entry, “Enjoy…  🙂  And keep writing!”

The very act of writing, of creating something where previously nothing existed, is an elemental part of our humanity.  To tell a story, to pass along our experiences, to entertain, to teach, as well as to learn something new about ourselves that was previously unknown – but now has meaning in our lives – is why we write.  The creative process is where we derive our value in being authentic and true to ourselves. Like a sunrise on a secluded beach only experienced in that one moment in time, it will forever be part of who we are. Our souls spring  to life through spontaneity and discovery – either experientially or extemporaneously – resulting in a mosaic of experience and emotion that becomes the very fabric of our lives.

Like a child waiting for an amusement park to open, I began this adventure tugging on imaginary shirt sleeves and pleading, “Can we go in now!”  For a whole new world awaited my exploration, called The Many Portraits of Life.  This journey began as an online adventure when I decided to write about relationships while at the same time immersing myself in many of my favorite places and themes.  What began as a single relationship, quickly evolved into seven different relationships as I dreamed of circumstances I wanted to visit and explore further.  Soon these relationships began to overlap one another around the edges, until eventually they began to weave together into a beautiful tapestry of color and life – as if strolling through an exhibition titled The Many Portraits of Life in the wing of an art museum.

It’s only natural that I would find myself strolling through my favorite thoughts as this story unfolded into a rainbow of my dreams.  You will find parts of me within each and every character, setting and place as I invite you to stroll with me along garden pathways through this landscape of my heart’s desires –  leading to unexpected destinations in this world of my imagination that now eagerly awaits your arrival!

Cheers!

Mark

~~~~~~~~~~

The Many Portraits of Life (A Novel)

(Copyright 2009, Mark D. Jones, All Rights Reserved)

Introduction

“Transitions in life present us with delightful possibilities and unexpected outcomes.  Passions once dormant, now awakened with heightened awareness and anticipation.  It is in these precious moments when events are unscripted, lines are unknown and drama unfolds in unpredictable ways that opportunities avail themselves to us.  All of a sudden, events take on twists and turns that bring immediacy, focus and renewed hope to what once were lives lived in drab shades of gray.  Fates now transformed – resplendent in the vibrant colors of spring like an emerging butterfly from its cocoon – reveal fresh new dreams of young love at any age.” – Mark D. Jones

Moments in time – simple passages from the present into the future – transport us to a world of discovery that eagerly awaits our arrival. Like sea shells revealed by receding waves or coral suddenly transformed into tidal pools teeming with life, it is our choice to boldly and courageously seize the moment before it vanishes or slips through our fingers as so many grains of sand.  In the excitement of these moments we experience the purity of unfolding expression and chance, when life introduces itself to us and hearts beat with renewed urgency with each serendipitous moment.  These are life’s signature moments when we’re most receptive to serendipity, carpe diem and to living life as it’s meant to be – spontaneous, unscripted and in the moment.

It is into this unscripted world we now travel, where lives are open to chance, trials of the heart, self-discovery and awareness – forming images of who we are and who we want to be – The Many Portraits of Life.