“My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible.
All are of no value unless they are followed by action.” -Hafid
I have always dreamed of being a writer. For writers can express feelings, entertain or teach people, earn from their works, leave a legacy for generations to come and all.
I have been offered to write for a monetary reward many times. But in as much as I have ideas and desire to put them into writings, I always decline. I still do not have the capacity to easily come up with an article. A 500-word article for me is like a day’s hard labor. And for a couple of bucks or a bit more for such job is just quite uninspiring for me.
I can still vividly picture my first day in my expository writing subject back in College. The professor asked us: "Are writers born or made?" My mischievous mind immediately turned on in high level and with gusto, I raised my hand to be called. As expected, I was noticed and called to be the first to share my thoughts. I said writers are born and then made. I have not known anyone who, before even being born, is already writing inside the mother's womb.
The whole class cracked into laughter as the professor is staring at me with a grin. As if she is saying that a curly grade is already awaiting me.
But seriously inside me at that time, there really are born writers. There are people who actually, even without trying, have a very strong command on words. They can effortlessly tell words to fall into their respective places and form marvelous thoughts.
But writers can also be made. There are those who cannot even hold a pen nicely. But through strict discipline, hard work and immense desire to be a writer, they become writers.
I am for one is not a born writer. I do not read a lot of books. I hate long articles. But since that day, I have seriously considered to be a writer.
I have kept all my articles from that class to this day.
But then, there was no other way for me to hone my skills those days. Good learning materials were then kept in the most dreaded place called the library. Access to the internet during those days is so limited. So my journey to my dream was held in abeyance for years.
Until one day, the era of easy-access to internet was born. And I learned and read about the blogs of Bro. Eli Soriano in wordpress.com (https://esoriano.wordpress.com/) , who then won the most educational to follow in mashable awards (http://www.mcgi.org/mashable-com-hails-bro-eli-soriano-the-most-educational-to-follow/).
I was again inspired to write.
I wrote my first publicized article called "Al Principio" (https://www.facebook.com/notes/tito-paz/al-principio-time-is-fleeting-for-those-who-rush-crawling-for-those-who-wait-dun/151807048185832) which I publicized then to the now-defunct Friendster blog page. But due to the declining popularity of Friendster, I transferred it to Facebook Notes.
After which, it took a while again before I was able to write another article to follow it.
I write every time I feel like writing. Following my own rules and style and with no particular subject line.
My desire to write grew. But then I always have this lack of confidence. I could not come up with a real blog to be publicized on a blog site. I always have this worry of coming up with a boring one and get criticized by obnoxious netters. I do not mind being criticized constructively by the way.
And then this fateful day came when I received the assignment of being a scribe. To rewrite the letters of St. Paul to Timothy and to Titus gave me a jump start.
While doing my assignment, I felt like an additional strength came unto me. And I thought this is the best time to start publicizing my articles on a real blog site.
So here is my first blog, the start of the creation of a writer in me, with God’s help.
Let this be the landmark of my journey towards improvement. From this baseline, I’ll be able to see if I have improved in the time ahead or will I just give up for I am not born nor ever be made a writer.
Or maybe, one day, this will serve as a reminder to those who are also aspiring to become writers. That it is never too late to start.
So what is the joy of writing then? One of them is this great pleasure of just starting to write.
I hope to see you all in my next article and together let us explore the other joys of writing.
