Growing up, I was told that my future lay in an area where I could express myself creatively. Putting a piece of myself into my work that could be shared with others enticed me. Writing was my friend, something I could confess my true feelings to, and it would remain by my side with no judgment.
But like a childhood friend, we drifted apart when I went away to college. We couldn’t recognize each other, like enemies sharing no more than a passing glance and plotting each other’s downfall. College drove a wedge between us, and I slowly forgot the joy and content I felt when I wrote. Acting as more of a nuisance, I viewed writing as an assignment that didn’t deserve to get done until moments before the deadline.
I wonder what type of person I would have become if I never gave writing a second chance. If I continued to view every assignment as exactly that, an assignment. Only feeling satisfied by crossing off a task and not from the opportunity to express my thoughts in front of an audience.
If I never gave writing a second chance, would I have taken my professor seriously when she suggested I declare a writing or journalism minor? If I hadn’t, I would not be writing this editorial right now. I would not have had the opportunity to manage the public relations team for our campus newspaper. I would have missed out on making new friends who share the same connection to writing as I do.
If I never gave writing a second chance, would I have mustered up the courage to write a play? I wouldn’t have submitted a script to Theaterfest and watched my original dialogue and witty characters take to the stage in front of a sold-out theater. My friends and I never would have written a musical and I never would have taken the leap of faith to start writing that book I’ve been talking about for years.
If I never gave writing a second chance, would I have the job I do now? Being able to write digital copy for an established brand in the cosmetic aesthetics industry only happened because I had writing samples to showcase my abilities. If I had completely turned my back on writing, I would be lost with no job and nothing to keep me motivated.
There are many things I have done in the last four years that are rooted in my writing capabilities. To think there was a point where I despised having to write a paper instead of seeing it as an opportunity to further hone my craft breaks my heart. Then again, you need to know the pain of a broken heart to understand the beauty of a heart that’s full of love.
Writing has been by my side when I needed it most. Sure, we have had our fair share of tribulations, but I will forever be indebted to the beauty that is the written word.
