Lately I’ve been questioning whether I am valued as a writer. I think writers tend to do this often because it seems everyone thinks they too can write. Some can, but others shouldn’t even try. There is a natural talent involved in being a writer, but more importantly there is a discipline involved in honing your skills. It takes years of practice to create quality writing. Many subscribe to the belief that all you do is sit down and write, anyone can do it. And I suppose Monet sat down and just painted a picture. I’m sure he didn’t spend years perfecting his craft.
I’ve spent years bettering my craft and will continue to do this till the day I die. So, I can’t help but get a little annoyed when people just pop up out of nowhere and write something that makes the bestseller list i.e. Nicholas Sparks’s The Notebook. He has bragging rights for stealing letters from his great grandfather and writing a book that reads like a second grader wrote it.
Then you have those poor unfortunate souls who have great ideas, but can’t chicken scratch a draft to save their teeth. I was looking up some stuff on Craigslist and came across the greatest display of humility I have yet to encounter (and I know a ton of people who should demonstrate severe humility).
Not only is this hilarious, it’s beautiful. It reminds me that I am fortunate enough to have an education, not that it was handed to me by any means, but I got it either way. This person most likely has an original story to tell, a story that should be told, and is one of many stories that never are told. It’s a symbol of how important writers really are.