To Write or Not to Write

To write or not to write, that is the question! 

 Okay, maybe it is not the question, but it may be one you wrestle with. I know I did. I began writing when I was a child in sixth grade. My family had just survived a traumatic event, and my twelve year old mind was struggling to comprehend it. I couldn't understand why it had happen, and why the people involved even allowed it to happen. It took me years to finally figure that one out, by the way.

  I still remember to this day what inspired me to write the poem that came out of that mess. Highlights (for kids), remember that fun little magazines from your childhood? I was skimming through the magazine, reading my favorite sections-probably Goofus and Gallent;} I came to a selection of poems written by kids; I was mesmerized. I pulled out a pencil and began. I probably wrote a few Roses are Red type poems first knowing me, I'm not sure, but I do remember writing the poem that started it all. I wrote my feelings about what had happened, not going into detail, but more or less summarizing it in general terms like Love, and Pain and Confusion. It gave me great comfort to just write it all down. I showed it to my mom, she didn't believe I'd written it. My mother has never been big on complements, mind you, so her surprised at how well the poem had turned out gave me encouragement.

 Next, I wrote a few poems for a seventh grade English class that were well received by my peers. In college, I graduated to writing a short story about a young boy who'd commented suicide. His death troubled me so deeply I couldn't get it off my mind.  I wrote about his struggles, adding some of my own details since I didn't know everything that contributed to his ultimate surrender to death. My teacher raved about the story and encouraged me to publish.

For me, writing became a way to deal with things that weighed heavy on my mind. To this day if something bothers me, I write about it. Most of the time my writings do not enlighten me with any big revelations, or life-altering tidbits, but writing my thoughts down helps me sort through it and come to peace with whatever it is.

 So my advice: Write! If not for others, write for yourself, at least at first.  You may begin writing and before you know it, a novel is born! There just may be a Les Misérables inside of you begging to be published...then they'll make a Broadway play out of your book… then a movie starring Liam Neeson…

 You never know until you try!