As I’ve mentioned before, I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be self-publishing my very first novel this coming August. It’s a dream long in the making, and as the weeks go by, I’ll be revealing more about the story, the inspiration behind it, and the journey that brought it to life. Stay tuned, because what’s a good story without a little suspense?
Growing up, I’ve always found myself captivated by storytelling. Whether it was a timeless folk legend or a personal anecdote passed down through family, stories held a power over me, they transported, transformed, and sometimes even terrified.
Take Mexico, for instance. In its rich tapestry of culture, there are legends that walk the line between the mythical and the almost too real. La Llorona is one that captivated my attention. The tale of a woman who, in a fit of grief and despair, drowns her children and is condemned to wander riversides forever, crying out for them — “¡Ay, mis hijos!”
Then there’s El Nahual, a legend that speaks of shape-shifters, humans with the ability to transform into animals, often as a result of ancient spiritual practices or dark magic. When I first heard it, I didn’t question if it could be true. That’s the beauty of a good tale: it invites you to step in without skepticism.
As the years go by, of course, we learn to separate fiction from fact, myth from reality. Or at least, we try.
I remember the first time I read an article on Bruce Lee. It wasn’t just the facts that impressed me, it was how the story was told. The prose, the mystique, the almost superhuman imagery made me believe Bruce Lee was invincible. The movies reinforced it. His speed, his charisma, his philosophy, he became a legend in my young eyes. And honestly, for a while, I didn’t want to know otherwise. I wanted to believe that someone could be that untouchable, that we could strive toward that kind of greatness.
But life, in its humbling way, eventually teaches us that no one is invincible. Not even Bruce.
Still, the desire to believe in legends is something that never really fades. I think that’s why storytelling matters so much to us. We want to believe. We want to get swept up in the myth, the drama, the impossible made possible, and at the same time, we all have this deep-rooted urge to tell our own stories, shaped just enough to spark wonder in someone else.
Because maybe, just maybe, they’ll believe it too.
As I prepare to share my story with the world this August, I carry with me the myths that once sparked my wonder, the truths hidden in every tale, and the quiet realization that each story holds a piece of ourselves, hoping not to be forgotten.
The Mind's Escape 
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