‘The Great American Novel’
Sadly I don’t have a note to the editor, but I wanted to share a thought I had the other day.
We both mentioned “The Great American Novel” Well I found myself debating. ..What would BE the Great American Novel. What will give it that title. Would it be something like “Forest Grump” A story of a young boy who humorously achieves many things even though he doesn’t seem like much?
Well I decided that the novel would be nothing like that. I think the Great American Novel would be something completely different! It would be a book of stories. Representing not politics or history, though it will have some. It will represent those who feel like a minority. People who grew up with anxiety, depression, or so called “Mental Health Issues” along with the different ethnicities showing what it really means to be American.
I suppose this may be a common thought, but I don’t think everyone perceives it the same way I do. Being American, is often seen as being born in the US, but it’s not. America was built on foundations that we lack nowadays. Trust, Respect, Equality, Honor. Our inner strengths! Just look at some of the many social experiments on the internet. Deep down we are all the same. It doesn’t matter what your ethnicity, sexual orientation, skin color, religious beliefs. In the end we are all the same. The US is often called a mixing pot, and I’m here to say that it is. But once you mix everything together it becomes one right? It might have a few lumps or bumps, but it becomes one thing.
That’s exactly what being American means. We are all one. I just hate some people can’t figure that out. That’s why my book will be one to shed tears to. One that reminds you when you were a kid. One that reminds you of that time you gave a stranger money, but thought nothing of it. The time you watched a paraplegic stand higher than anyone else, and the times you feel like you couldn’t get any lower.
People are the pages, but to fill then all we wouldn’t have enough ink.
The Great American Novel, Is the people.
Morris A. Winters
Americus

EDITOR’S NOTE: This young man, a student at Americus-Sumter High School, visited with the editor and publisher of the Times-Recorder recently to learn more about newspapering and its opportunities. The two writers spent over an hour talking about a multitude of topics, as writers often do.