A Brief History of Myself as a Writer, Part Two

       This is Part Two in a series of far too long posts. For background information, please view Part One first.

       I entered university as a very excited but extraordinary naive hospitality management student. My writing didn't improve much that first year, and instead, something rather unfortunate happened, something that completely changed the way I thought about myself as a writer. 

Freshman Year

       “Over the last few decades, many governments have attempted compulsory wealth distribution. Generally implemented with a “wealth tax”, these forays into wealth distribution have been met with contempt and even anger from the taxed citizens. Many feel that they are entitled to keep what they have worked hard to earn, while others are of the mindset that those who have a lot should share with those who have little…
       On a global scale, wealth distribution is a much more practical idea. More people would be able to give less money, and help, in the long run, more people. Moreover, were wealth distribution to become a global standard, there would be far less opposition. It may, in fact, promote better relations between developed and undeveloped countries. The resentment the citizens of some undeveloped countries feel towards wealthier countries may be lessened if they were the recipients of an international wealth-sharing program. This would create a prosperous atmosphere conducive to better trade agreements, safer travel and tourism opportunities, and an overall boost in in the global economy.”

       During my first quarter as a university student, I was accused of plagiarism. An assignment in a basic general education course instructed us to express and defend our opinion on wealth redistribution, and I was confident enough in my work that I submitted my first and only draft, without outside ideas, opinions, or editing assistance. I received full credit, but far more impactful was the professor’s two-line comment: “While it may be beneficial to seek help in the editing process, it is important to ensure that all ideas expressed are purely your own.” This was an attack on both my character and intelligence. He believed that there was no way I could have these ideas myself, and so I must have stolen them from someone far more gifted and capable. I was offended, baffled, and infuriated. I responded to his comment in an email, and offered to provide him with samples of my work as evidence to my ability. He never responded.

I will probably never know if he believed me to be incapable of the work I submitted because I was young, female, or of a minority group. No matter his motive, he inhibited my ability to participate in his course, and led me to be both suspicious and automatically defensive in future writing courses. As an educator, he failed.

Sophomore Year

“Medium…We frequently miss the hidden meanings, implications, and associations that emanate from uninhibited use. The Oxford English Dictionary alone has ten definitions with over twenty sub-descriptions, as well as five separate definitions for medium in its plural form, media. They range from the simple definition of “…something intermediate in nature or degree”, to the more complex, “any intervening substance through which impressions are conveyed to the senses…”, and also include “a kind of cotton goods”. Additionally, The Oxford English Dictionary addresses all the ways in which ‘medium’ can be applied to various topics, such as art, theater, photography, and spiritualism. However, with so many accurate definitions and such varying degrees of clarity, we must consider other influencing factors. Further considerations in how we generally define ‘medium’ are the culturally acquired connotations…Based upon both the documented evidence, and our standard accepted uses of the term ‘medium’, I have determined that a medium is, “any middle ground, or intermediary tool, used to identify and satisfy an end goal or idea. A medium is what connects point A with goal or idea B.” Simply stated, a medium is an instrument with which we achieve or express a task or idea.”

            This assignment pushed me further than I had ever been pushed. I was tasked with defining the word ‘medium’ in one single spaced page. I had never read an argument of definition, let alone written one. It brought the fun and excitement back for me; I had gone so long without the rush associated with phrasing something just right that I had forgotten what it felt like. I didn’t know it was missing until I had it back, and oh, how I was thrilled.

“The turn of the 19^th century marked the end of an era of significant change for the United States.  The Civil War had come to a bloody, but final, end, and slavery had ended along with it.  The new frontier had been discovered, conquered, and “civilized,” and the industrial revolution was well under way.  Americans of varying societal and economic statuses now had more money, and more time in which to spend it, creating a new market for mass entertainment.  This call for amusement was answered most dramatically by the arrival of the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.  Visited by 27 million tourists during its six-month run, the exposition served as a distraction from hardship by providing 65,000 exhibits on 633 acres.  Presented were displays of international themes and curiosities, and while the exposition purported to represent the unity and cultural advancement of the United States, it was in fact plagued by the discriminatory morals of the time.”

            This has been the single most intriguing, inspiring, and enrapturing essay I have ever written. As fervent history buff, I was enthralled by the opportunity to analyze a unique time in America’s history, and writing a persuasive argument about a historical event was a new experience. I was pushed past merely summarizing and into critically evaluating people, attitudes, and behaviors that were not always well documented. I fell in love with the process, and it was around this time that I officially became an English major. I wanted to write all the time. I wanted to never do anything other than read history, and write about it.

  

Now

“Generally, grammars define an indirect object as “a second noun objects that tells us to whom or for whom the action expressed in the verb is being carried out.” (Celce-Murcia & Larsen-Freeman, 1983) It is identified indirect object use as challenging to English as a second or foreign language students because of the variations in possible prepositional phrases as well as the rules that govern which verbs allow indirect object alternation. Further complicating this learning process is the fact that one verb may not allow the indirect object to occur next to the verb while another of similar meaning does. Of the verbs that do, there are several conditions that must be considered, which further complicate acquisition.”

This is the introduction for a research proposal I’m currently working on. It is not the most exciting writing, but I have chosen it as a sample because it demonstrates how far I have come in technical writing ability. I can do so much, and the knowledge that I still have more to learn is both daunting and inspiring.

“Overall, the act of passing has influenced identity in both positive and negative manners. It altered personal histories and community bonds in harmful ways, but was ultimately a means of achieving social justice in a remarkably unjust society.  Finally, it provides opportunities for learning within both communities, presenting an opportunity for society to move towards a more inclusive future, through the initiation of interpersonal discussion.”

I love this passage because I have come such a long way from the “I think/I believe/I feel” statements that were rampant in my high school era samples. This selection is an analysis of a book I read for a multicultural literature course, and the paper as a whole discusses the act of African Americans “passing” as white as it affects personal identify and community identity. Academic writing is often a discussion of other, but this became a discussion of self, as I came to the realization that the themes involved were directly related to my own family’s rather complicated history. The beauty of writing is that, no matter you original purpose, it has the ability to take on a life of its own, to grow and change and develop in ways the author never imagined. It is amazing, frustrating, and enlightening all at the same time, and never fails to surprise.

I can objectively acknowledge that my writing has evolved exponentially, but I don’t know what the means for my future. I’m not even always sure how writing does, or doesn’t, fit within the life I want for myself. What I do know is that, as long as I continue to enjoy it, I will continue writing, and reading. For me, the two are inexplicably intertwined, and I cannot do one without the other. But somehow, I think I wouldn’t want to.