Five Minute Friday: Write

It always bothered me that in high school, there were countless additional math and science and history classes offered...but not English classes. There were the four required years (variety of levels, of course), newspaper, and yearbook. But nothing extra for those who loved to read and to write.

One of my very favorite teachers and I created two independent study English courses for me to take my senior year, under her guidance. The first was a literature to film appreciation course (I remember studying Pride and Prejudice, The Joy Luck Club, Like Water for Chocolate and one or two others.) and the second, creative writing. I could not wait to begin the creative writing class.

I developed a short story...wrote a number of poems...attempted a play...but was quite surprised when she encouraged me to also keep a journal. I had been writing in diaries and journals for years...but didn't see that as a form of creative expression. I imagine I kept that journal reluctantly.

How little I knew then that memoir-style writing...recording the moments of my simple life...would be the one form of writing I would keep at the longest and enjoy the most.

It would be one that I would practice in the quiet moments of naptime and one that would bring me to laughter and to tears. A style of writing that would recall to mind those very halls I walked and the girl I was then.

I'm so thankful for Mrs. Gooch. Thankful that she knew. And that she encouraged a seventeen year old girl to pursue the dream to write.

Today, I'm joining in 5 minute Friday...you can read more about it and join in here! I'm not sure if I'll continue the other Fridays this month, but today's five minute topic seemed to fit this month perfectly!

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This is Day 4 of 31 Days: Crafting a Creative Life. You can find an archive of all the posts from this series here. Thanks for joining me this month!