“You’re a Writer!” They Proclaim

And then you take the long winding road…

I remember the first time I was hit by the writing bug. When I was in the sixth grade, an essay I wrote about my grandpa made it through as a winner of a state competition. Just being chosen made me feel like there was something special about me that had suddenly appeared overnight.

As I went through junior high and high school, the “accolades” continued in a quiet spurt. Essays of mine won savings bonds from local contests my school had us enter. I didn’t think much of it till high school when my English teacher stood in front of my class and read a creative writing piece she had assigned us. Though I was mortified — of course, it was high school, and who wanted to be the teacher’s pet? — I was also secretly pleased. Beyond just good grades, I seemed to have a knack with words.

I also flourished with the school newspaper and the yearbook committee my senior year. Though I was far from a popular kid, it was nice to know that the things I wrote mattered in some realm to a greater crowd of people. My mom and dad didn’t read my writing at all unless afterwards it had won an award.

Because my family struggled financially — as well as having a burden with all my mom’s health problems — I had no sights set on college. I didn’t even look into any because I knew college wasn’t…