Writing · 12 March 2007
My wife thinks that I am crazy to want to write all the time. “Why would anybody want to write when he doesn’t need to?” is one of her favorite questions to my pastime. “Who would want to read what you write?” is the other.
(Before I go any further, I should say that my wife, Lisa, is happy that I have a creative pastime. She supports my writing endeavors even when I get on the computer and ignore the family for a while when I have a column, story, or script idea. She even reads some of the things that I write. Not all, but some. And to her credit, Lisa doesn’t read all of what I write because she does not want to hurt my feelings. Not everybody has such a supportive spouse or maybe they just do not have pastimes that their spouses can support.)
Regardless of how much Lisa reads my writing, she does have two great questions about those of us who are trying to be writers.
When many people graduate from high school or college, they do not want to write again. They feel that they have written too many papers or done too many essays already. Why would they want to write anymore? Why would they want to write when they were not required to do so? My wife is like that. She loves to read but thinks that other people should do the writing. I guess that I just happen to be one of those other people.
Then again, why would anybody want to read what I write? Lisa said that it seems a bit egotistical that I would think that what I have to say is important enough for anybody to want to read. After all, as one of my readers pointed out to me, I just tend to ramble on about whatever comes to mind. It is like talking to myself but putting it down on paper for the whole world to read and make fun of.
I do not think that what I have to say is earth shattering or even newsworthy. I just like to write about life. I just like to write. And if putting my ideas out there where people can read and criticize and poke fun at, I am more than happy to let them do so. I do not claim to be a superior mind whose lofty thoughts should be read and discussed by all. I am just a normal guy who happens to like to write. Yes, I hope to some day write the great American novel but I am happy that two or three people read what I have to say every couple weeks.
I am excited when one of my pieces shows up in the paper but after thinking about Lisa’s questions, I wonder what people think. I wonder if they ask the questions that she asks me. If they do, I hope that they answer the first question: “I don’t know why he writes but I am glad that he does.” And I hope that they answer the question of who would want to read what I write with: “I do.”
Writing is not for the faint at heart. It invites critics to disagree, tear apart, and poke fun at not only the writing but the writer. But that is okay with me. After all, I do not write for the hope of glory but because it is something my soul would cry out to do if I did not. So to the two or three people who do read what I write, I offer my thanks for the kind words you have shared with me. And thank you Lisa, for indulging and supporting my crazy pastime.
© 2007 Michael T. Miyoshi
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