I Learned to Write Before I was Born

My great grandfather wrote in his school paper. He went to Weber State Academy and was known for his ability to write. I really don't know much else about him but about ten years ago I read something he wrote. I was sceptical about it (whether it was really going to be good), because that's how I am, but I remember thinking it really was great. So I've thought maybe I have a writer's gene that gives me a little sense of what sounds good even without any real knowledge of how to write (or at least that gives me a reason to believe I can write).

I've always done well when I have been given writing assignments growing up. In fourth grade I was given a writing assignment to write a tall tale. I remember getting much praise. My story just floated out and made sense and qualified as a tall tale. I guess that was good writing. As a young primary girl I was given a talk in church. I didn't understand how to research topics for a "talk" so I wrote my own story about a bug that had to overcome trials against the odds and read it to the listeners. It seemed to get my point accross. In Junior high I had similar experiences with poetry. My English teacher gave my class an assignment to write a poem in ten minutes. She told me she was surprized that I could just sit down and write as well as I did in such a short amount of time. I guess I knew what I had to say.

When I came to college I was introduced to writing and rewriting which I thought was boring and long but I did it thinking I should trust that something good would come of it. I guess it has. I have learned to be more efficient, more interested in what I have to say and less interested in what I think my readers may want to hear. Of course I had to learn to produce what my professors want for an "A" and in the process of doing so I think I have learned how to write better--at least a better paper--and improved on my mechanics.

My Intro to Literature professor said one day, looking into my baby blues, "I see your eyes have been opened". I think part of growing up is learning to write and part of writing is growing up. I have spent time enjoying classes where I read books I would never have read and thought about answers to life's questions I never would have thought up without the class and the book and the writing. Learning about other people and their thoughts has given me ideas on how to communicate, to speak, to write. I have been able to experience a different part of my self.

The time I've spent on writing research papers, however, I didn't much enjoy. At first I didn't mind the research--I found that part extremely interesting--but the writing became a chore until I took a couple of world history classes. Then everything about research changed. I liked what I was learning, writing, and feeling. It was an outlet for me to see the world with bigger eyes and tell a story with my own opinion attached. Or my observations. It was a challenge but not so hard that I didn't find satisfaction in the whole experience.

Writing is something we can all do whether we have the writer's gene or not. I don't always write well. In fact, I usually write kinda lousily, but I figure as long as I keep doing it I will keep getting better and I think doing so has helped me uncover things about myself and other things that I had previously been blind to. For someone else the reason for writing may never be for anything other than to get a grade but I don't think it will ever be something I'll regret doing, especially if I can pass it on to my posterity.