The way to a girl's heart
is to hand her a pen. It isn't about that sappy chick flick that one can cuddle
up to their significant other with, or the dark chocolate she loves so much. It
isn't about the sports she has spent half her life trying to perfect without
making the team, or the music she listens to that makes her smile. Sure, all
those things fit in somewhere for some people, but for one girl in particular,
all she needs is a pen, and a notebook, and off she goes, ready to take on the
world, one story at a time.
To me, writing is magical.
It unlocks doors I would have never imagined. It gives me a chance to express
myself the way public speaking doesn't. Taking all the thoughts from the
jumbled-up mess inside my head and eloquently putting them on paper in a way
that can be understood is magical. I have listened to a lot of classmates
and friends tell me that they hate writing, or refuse to write unless they
absolutely have to, which kind of makes my heart sad for them. But through experience,
I’ve learned that writing is an art form that has to be worked on constantly in
order to perfect it, much like working in theater, or with culinary arts, or
with paints or pastels. Writing isn't something that everyone excels at. To
anyone else, it’s a wonder one would call writing magical. But to me, I know it’s
magical, because I have experienced its power for myself.
As a young child, I loved
reading. I fell in love with books the way two people fall in love. Magic Tree
House, Princess Diaries, and so many others. I wanted to know how authors had
these magic touches that made their writing come to life. As I grew up, I like
any other child, had the typical elementary school and middle school
experience. I was teased, picked on, and often friendless. I lost friends,
friends moved away, and a lot of the time, I was on my own. Some of these
experiences touched my heart and left an impact upon me so greatly, that I
wanted a chance to explain how I felt, but with no one there to listen, there
really wasn't a way to express the feelings I had to embrace alone on a daily
basis. My journal became my best friend, and the way to escape what I had kept
hidden from the rest of the world. Truthfully that’s how it all began. With not
a clue as to who those thoughts would be read by, or why I had the strong
desire to write them down, I just did it, no questions asked.
What started out as a writing session with my
journal every so often by myself, eventually changed into something much
greater. With the amazing opportunities that the 4-H Program has to offer, my
writing skills increased dramatically. At the ripe young age of 14, I had the
opportunity through 4-H to apply for a leadership position as a Reporter. When
I found out that I had been accepted, I was thrilled. It turned out to be such
an amazing experience, and the rewards were even sweeter. The skills that I
developed while being a Reporter have paid off in so many ways. I have since served as a Newsletter Editor,
and now serve as a Reporter for a State 4-H Newsletter throughout the state of
Idaho. Since the starting point of my so called "writing
career", I have had over 20 articles published in various 4-H newsletters.
Instead of writing for just myself, I am now writing for myself with the ability
to tell stories for other people. I have also grown to have such adoration for
the subject of English, and the writing that comes with it, while making essays
and stories come to life with a few intriguing words, and intricate spellings. Without
4-H, I probably wouldn’t have fallen in love with writing, or found a new hobby
of collecting notebooks, pens, and stationary. I probably wouldn’t be so edit
happy about correcting spelling on various billboards, or on my younger
siblings’ homework. But that’s okay, because someone has to do it, so why can’t
it be me?
Writing has a way of
invigorating the soul and exciting the mind, and has taken me on an incredible
journey. The best part is, it's only
just beginning, and that's magical. As I look back on the past years, as my
friends have either grown apart from me, moved away, or life simply just
happened, the one thing that has stayed constant and consistent to keep me a
float the waters of insanity is the ability that I have to write and express
myself through words. When I have a bad
day I don’t always turn to the few best friends I have to cry on their
shoulders. Sometimes I just can’t seem to find the words. But somehow, with my
journal and a pen in hand, the words suddenly magically start to flow from my
mind and onto paper, and I feel at peace again. I can't wait to see where this magical world
of writing can and will take me in the future as I start off in my second year
of college with a major of Communications and Journalism. I also hope to be
able to share my passion for writing in a way that others will be able to find the
magic it possesses, in their own lives and unique situations.
Thank you for your time in
reading this essay, and best of wishes for the winner of this contest!
kortni.marie.wells@aggiemail.usu.edukortni.marie.wells@aggiemail.usu.edu
No comments:
Post a Comment