When I was asked to write for The Odyssey, I was honored that someone would want to hear my opinion and thought that my ideas were worth sharing. I have always been someone who was known to be opinionated and outspoken on many issues. I always felt that it is part of a societal obligation to share information and create conversations to make a difference. It is part of our civic duty to talk about the topics that others are sweeping under the rug. When I was in my freshman year of college, my friend shared with me that she used my Facebook feed to know what the current events affecting women in our society were. That was humbling. It was humbling for a two reasons. The first reason was simply because this was a person that I admired for her leadership. The second reason was that I felt I had fulfilled my civic duty and in starting conversations about issues that needed to be discussed.
Fast forward a few years, here I am five articles into writing for the Odyssey and I cannot get my thoughts onto paper to write another article. I have plenty of stories, but they are all spun so tightly in my brain, that I cannot unravel them into an article. There are stray ends with facts and stories; the "why" and the "how" are all there, but to turn that ball of knowledge into 500 words is extremely intimidating.
To make matters worse, the high school I attended was known for their writing courses. The students who came out of there went to college and won awards, ended up with 4.0s and are all these amazing writers. Graduates would discuss how their college teachers just knew they went to this high school because their essays were so good! Yeah...not me. My college professors would always tell me that "your paper is interesting to read, but it is not scholarly or professional" or whatever. The ideas were great, the writing not so much.
I want to have a conversation and share my ideas. I want you to know what I am thinking because idea sharing is how you make a difference in the world. Continuing education, challenging the ideas of society, and challenging your own thinking is the only way to learn what needs to change; and as much as I want you all the know my ideas, I want to learn yours.
So as I sit here, struggling to organize my thoughts on the many topics in my brain and build up the courage to share those final products with you, I challenge you to do the same. It can be extremely intimidating to take something you are passionate about and put it out there for the world to see. As hard as it is to write your stories or put your opinions out there for someone to argue, know that you must do it. You may not be the best author, but your stories are important. I encourage you to let your voice be heard. Folks may not agree with you, someone may be more educated than you, whatever is keeping you form sharing your ideas, kick it to the curb.
Share your ideas, challenge the world around you, and make a difference. I do not have the answers to overcoming writer's block; I just know that it is important to do so.
