Since I started writing for Odyssey, I have been asked time and time again why I choose to spend so much extra time on something that doesn't affect my grades, or that I don't get paid to do. I found myself wondering the same thing earlier this week. Why on earth am I stressing myself out, especially during finals week, on something that doesn't affect my grades. So here's my answer
I write to feel heard, to express who I truly am. I write to discover, to uncover. I write to meet my ghosts. I write to vent. I write to feel the things I haven’t felt. I write to honor beauty. I write to say hi. I write because it is my free therapist. I write to make this world we live in a little less scary. I write to feel like I am a part of something bigger. I write to share my joy. I write the reasons why I do the things I do. I write to remember, to feel. I write because I can. I write to cry . I write about the things that bother me, in the hopes that they will change. I write as a form of translation. I write with the passion I wish I was able to convey in normal conversation. I write because it allows me to confront that which I do not know. I write as an act of faith. I write to remind myself that what I have to say matters. I write to grow, not just academically, but personally. I write because it helps me understand. I write as a way to feel in control. I write carefully. I write to feel useful. I write when I am bored. I write to listen. I write in a way that makes me feel whole. I write to soothe the voices shouting inside me, outside me, surrounding me. I write to laugh. I write because I believe in words. I write because I do not believe in words. I write because it is a way to challenge myself. I write because it is art. I write because I love the sound of the keys tapping. I write because it is the way I center myself in my body. I write because I believe it can create a path in darkness and out of it at the same time. I write with the reader in mind. I write because I need to. I write the things that I am too scared to say out loud. I write because I feel like I have to. I write to forget. I write with the utmost certainty. I write run-on sentences because sometimes I need to ramble. I write what I want the world to be like. I write to express my faith. I write when I procrastinate. I write to organize my life. I write when there is nothing else to do. I write to the dead. I write when no one else will listen. I write because it is important to. I write for my family. I write because I love to be creative. I write for the surprise of a sentence. I write with the belief of magic. I write knowing it will never be good enough. I write knowing words always fall short. I write knowing these words could be my last. I write out of ignorance. I write when I just want to scream into a void. I write past embarrassment. I write because it is dangerous. I write as though I have a huge secret to tell. I write because I love it. I write because I can.
