My Life as a Writer
My life as a writer is a long and winding road up to this point. I LOVED to write as a kid. I started when I was about 8 or 9, and would write like sports articles that I didn't think anybody else would read. Shocker, people found them and read them. But I just loved to write my thoughts and feelings about what I was watching, it was a serotonin boost, before I knew what that was. As life went on I lost it a little bit, my guard went up and I lost the motivation to write, I felt as if what I had to say didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. I was just another young white voice, and there are plenty of them in surplus, so I wasn't sure I had anything else to add.
I graduated high school and was lost. Wandering aimlessly without any real plan or idea of what I wanted to do. I was enrolled in college, but felt like I shouldn't have been. I left, and didn't look back for years. I was working, as a dance teacher, construction, warehouse, and somehow found that bit of inspiration. Looking back at my life, the people who always pushed me and advocated for me were most of my teachers. Realizing that is what I want out of life. I want to help kids find their path, give them the confidence to share their thoughts, their ideas, and help them realize their potential. But writing was still a terrifying prospect. I hadn't written anything in years. And then I found myself in a creative writing course.
Changed the scope of my life. My professor Matt was awesome. He pushed me more than any teacher had. I had a lot of ideas but sometimes didn't know how to put them on paper. He saw all those ideas and just asked me questions, what did I want to write about? Why did I want to write about it? He dug into my writing, wasn't afraid to tell me when I was trippin, and encouraged me when it was good. He would stay after class every week and just talk with me, and even called me when I really needed that extra push. I did some of my best writing in that class, and have continued writing free verse poetry ever since. I love music, and diverse music and film, and take inspiration from those coming of age stories. People who put everything on the line and take courageous leaps to put on paper all those feelings that have been locked inside. Everybody has that inside of them, it's a matter of getting that push to accomplish it. That is my one and only goal as a teacher and a writing coach.
https://jamboard.google.com/d/1HyPlaOn9KjslK_Rd_jk6N_Ug_4LhYvLjYDiWMcJKerk/edit?usp=sharing
Thank you for sharing such a vulnerable piece of yourself, Terrence! I think your message and your experience goes to show that you are never too young to dive into something you love, and you're never too old to return to something or expand on something that you once thought was maybe just a hobby. I am so glad you had someone to encourage you along the way! I hope we can be a Professor Matt to our students!
ReplyDeleteHey Terrence, I love to hear that a major motivator to be an educator for you is to help kids find their paths and motivate them. At the beginning of my 16th year teaching, I look back at the people who were in my program and very few are still teachers. Obviously, there are a myriad of reasons, but when I think about who "made it," it is those of us that could teach anything (while English might be our favorite:). It's always been about being there for kids. Your path to teaching will give you a perspective your students will appreciate and admire. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Terrence,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your literacy experience. I definitely sympathize with your long path to realizing you wanted to teach. Like you did, I worked a number of odd jobs trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I went to pilot school, worked at a toothpaste factory, thought about joining the FBI, and finally decided to go to college. Like you, I took creative writing my first semester and it changed my perspective. I realized that I need English in my life, and teaching is the perfect way to do that.
I'm inspired reading about how Matt pushed you as a writer and helped you to connect with popular culture as a muse for reading, writing and composing in general.
ReplyDeleteHey Terrence! I appreciate you giving us a glimpse into your own personal journey. Overall, it appears that you have had a long journey, so I am excited for you in the sense that you are about to be able to, as you alluded to, begin the career that you will genuinely enjoy and embrace.
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