My long lost cousin, LLC, likes my stories and he thinks I am a good writer. He has heard me talk many times about my muse. So, naturally, with LLC’s super curiosity, he wanted to know about the muse.

“ Is it like a fairy at the end of the garden?” He asks.

“ Not exactly.”

My cousin looked excited.

“ The muse originates from Greek mythology. The Greek God Zeus had nine daughters called Muses.”

“ Nine daughters, he must have been inspired!” Smiled my cousin.

“ Yes, he was, and these muses represented the arts and they were supposed to inspire us to be creative.”

My cousin looked out the window and had a dreamy expression on his face.

“ I have a vision of my muse. She has long flowing hair and a beautiful body. She is wiping my brow and feeding me grapes.”

“ Does she inspire you, cousin?”

“ Oh, yes, she does inspire me.”

“Now, my cousin, you’re getting to know a little about Muses.”

“ I want to know more.”

“ But now, seriously, I know when my muse is around because I feel a change in the energy in the room.  My muse has such an influence on me that I just tingle with creativity.”

“ God, cousin, that must be quite a spiritual feeling.”

“ It is, very spiritual.”

“ What is a muse like?”

“ Well, she is a strong woman who knows what she wants. She wants to inspire creativity in people. She has an urge to create and experience life to the fullest.”

“ Sounds good to me,” my cousin’s eyes were glistening.

“ Are you going to start a writing career?”

“ Maybe. Now how do you keep the muse around?

“ Well, you have to feed her.”

“ What!”

“ That’s right, she needs food.”

“ What kind of food does she like?”

“ In our lifetime we stuff ourselves with sights and sounds, smells and tastes, textures of different people, events large and small. All this data goes into our subconscious. These are the stuffs that feed the muse, and the muse grows.”

“ That’s very interesting.”

“ To feed your muse, you must always be hungry for life’s experiences.”

“ How do you handle a muse?”

“ Very delicately. If held lightly, the muse will fly. If held too tightly, the muse will die.”

“ How can I make sure she won’t leave me?”

“ There are no guarantees, but if you observe as you live everyday, noting the world around you, and read voraciously, she will not leave you. There will be times , however, when you might have to meditate when she strays afar.”

“ Does a muse have to be a person?”

“ My dear LLC, it can be anything that inspires you.”

“ Then I know who my muse is.”

“ Who is that?”

“ My bitch Labrador, Aphrodite, her love and inspiration are unconditional.”

“ Well, like my long lost cousin always says:

“ Different Strokes For Different Folks!”