Come on back and we’ll see if you remember the simplest thing of all — how it is to be children, secure in belief and thus afraid of the dark.
― Stephen King, It
Stephen King is one of my favorite authors. He is truly an artist with words. I am not quite finished with It but so far it is one of the best books I’ve ever read!
Something that really stuck out to me recently is how all the adults have completely lost their memory as to what happened in Derry 27 years prior. Now…I won’t spoil anything here, but essentially there is a long scene of flashbacks where the adults have to slowly recall what they did as children in Derry. I thought this was a super creative way to intertwine the adult and children’s stories together, but it also resonated with me because I can actually relate to this.
For the past few months, I have been contemplating and wishing I could write more. This was something I truly believed was a new interest in my life. When I was in school, english was always my worst subject, which lead me to believe I was a terrible writer.
“If I suck at writing, then why would I ever pursue writing?”
This is the thought I was left with. These kinds of thoughts actually made me believe I hated writing. However, when I think back now, I can honestly say some of my fondest memories was writing papers. I had a whole process for researching quotes, structuring the paper, writing it, and editing it. I loved every second of it!
There was something so peaceful about lighting a candle, sitting at my desk with a cup of coffee, and just writing. I was always so excited and proud of what I had written…that is…until I got the grade back and was completely squashed.
It was truly scarring and kept me from ever even thinking about writing for about 5 years!
Today, thankfully, I have rediscovered the beauty of writing! However, this is still not a new love interest for me. I had another realization recently much like the kids in Derry. I realized that when I was 8 or 9 I actually loved writing! I remember sitting in trees writing short stories, poems, and even the beginnings of a book! The memories of these times seem so distant, as if they are memories of someone else. But they are indeed mine, and that was in-fact me.
I truly believe that that little kid still lives on in me! I loved writing when I was a kid because I had no one to impress; I was not writing for a grade. I was writing for the feeling of freedom; I was truly creating something.
“I was creating an experience.”
I wasn’t the best writer then, and obviously I wasn’t the best in high school either. However, I certainly got better over time, and I want to continue to get better today.
I love writing! It has taken me 23 years to figure that out, and this is the first time I’ve ever said it. The beauty of writing as an adult is…there are no grades! I can enjoy the experience of writing again, and perhaps if I’m lucky enough I can even entertain, teach, or inspire a few people along the way.
This is my short writing story thus far and I’m sure there are many like it. I hope I can encourage at least one person through this post to pick up the pen or keyboard and start writing again too!
A version of this post was previously published on medium.com and is republished here with permission from the author.
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Talk to you soon.
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