Writing. Some of you love it. Some of you think you hate it. A few may actually hate it, but that may be because you only associate it with assignments from school. To be honest, who doesn't hate some of those?! As writing is one of the main components of our curriculum, it is my job to provide you with a multitude of opportunities to write to a variety of purposes and audiences, and--as with any assignment--different ones will always appeal to different people. But 'real' writing has so many more advantages. Sometimes we write just to "dump the junk" as Mrs. Jones loves to say; this is where we have so much going on we just write it all down sort it out, to see what our thoughts really are about the subject, or simply to let it go. Sometimes we write when we are happy--or when we are sad--just to express those emotions that seem so overwhelming we just have to get them out! Sometimes, we write to remember: what we think or how we feel about someone; I often write things down about my dad, stories I don't want to forget, things about him I want my kids to know too. Other times, we write to organize our thoughts, compare positives and negatives before making decisions, make a list of things we need to do. Finally, there are times we write just for the opportunity to create something, maybe poetry, songs, or stories. We write because we live, and because we want to share our experiences, our lessons we've learned the hard way, our good fortune, our THOUGHTS with each other! Blogging gives us the chance to do any of these things. What I do on this site isn't actually considered blogging in the grand scheme of things; it is merely providing you with opportunities to share your thoughts on a particular subject. Online journal prompts where I occasionally (okay, maybe more than occasionally) add in my two cents worth. Over the past few months, I have been really excited about the ways in which you have opened up, written more--shared more--in your entries. So, while we are on Spring Break, I am giving you a blank slate. Write about what you want, for any reason that you want. You can dump the junk, write a poem, share something you've written for any reason, tell me what you are doing over the break, express your concerns about the unfairness of life, outline your ideas of how to make the world a better place ... anything. The possibilities are endless. All of you have to do is ... write. As Ernest Hemingway once said, "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." Okay, I know none of you are using a typewriter, but you get the point (and substitute 'keyboard' or 'touchscreen' if it makes you feel better!). Share your thoughts. Share yourself.
One last point of interest for you 'non-writers' to think about. At my conference last week, one of speakers shared with us the results of a recent study: Did you know that the average high school-age "struggling writer" sends approximately 8000 texts per month? Doesn't sound like a writing problem to me. Or maybe we just need to re-think about what we consider 'writing?' Food for thought. Oh, and this isn't technically an assignment; it is an opportunity to write, as--as such--will most likely be rewarded with bonus points. Feel free to comment on others' posts as well (in a positive, appreciative, or constructive manner, of course). Have a great week off! :)
Sports is human life in microcosm. ~Howard Cosell
