When I did this kind of work, it was as if some dormant part of me came alive. It was more than just a hobby; it felt like a way of connecting with the world—the way I was meant to connect with the world. It was my theory that everyone has some kind of skill or hobby like this, like my programmer friend who had a side business making scented candles, or my grandfather, an engineer who became a self-taught gourmet chef in retirement. Joe’s friend Keith called this a “blue flame,” the passion that ignites a fire within you when you do it. Writing, storytelling—this was my blue flame.
