Jaime Mathis and The Words

I write to create a world that I want to live in. It wasn’t always obvious that writing was an alchemical act, I just knew something happened when I put words on a page. As a nine year old, I received my first diary and the initial passage read simply. “Dear Diary, today is my birthday I am 9.” The words are unremarkable, yet when I go back and read them today, I notice my rough printing in orange pencil later gone over with blue ink pen to preserve the words. They halt and stalk over the page, youth pouring out of every hooked “j” and squiggly ‘l’. This surprises me. I remember feeling so advanced, so fluent as I wrote the events of the day. Words are Magic. The act of writing brings stories to life that would never breathe air if left in the imagination. Humans on the moon. Machines that can think. A world without war. In the first two examples, books preceded the actualization. People have always been dreamers and writers are a conduit for carrying the impossible

Sugar is one of my favorite things. Perhaps you can relate. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve being pumped full of red licorice and butterscotch buttons at my grandparent’s house. The sound of the mechanical crank on their hand-twist gumball machine makes my heart pound to this day. What bliss to feel sugared butter ease its way down my throat. What joy as soft licorice gave way between my teeth. Over time, the expression of love itself became linked to sugar. “Sweet-heart”, “Honey”, “Sweetie-pie”; all these phrases meant acceptance and warmth. Chocolate for Valentine's Day equaled adoration.  As I surfed social scenes, I began to realize I was not alone. There were a plethora of words allowing others to feel love through a sweetooth. The first time I heard someone say, “Give mama some sugar.” I knew I’d found my phrase d’etre. It solved everything. Starting my period? Give mama some sugar. Feeling despondent over my lack of disposable income? Mama. Su