I don’t often get asked to come in to a classroom and impart great pearls of wisdom on writing and the future of journalism. And some of my editors might chuckle at that statement alone!
But last week, I had the pleasure of going on what I joked was a "speaking tour" at two local institutions of learning.
While vastly different audiences confronted me at SUNY Brockport and the Discovery School — a charter school located in a wing at Bishop Kearney High School — I was thrilled at the level of enthusiasm and interest I found about the topic of writing. And I was heartened and humbled by the invitations alone.
But I’ll admit that I felt less than confident to stand in front of the classes as the "expert" in writing. Because as I told the students, writing is a lifelong exercise in learning. And I’ll bet even Nobel-prize winning authors don’t feel that they’ve boiled it down to a science.
Of course, there are basic rules about language, grammar and spelling that should be followed. But, as an introvert, the opportunity to be creative and express yourself is why I have loved writing since I was a third-grader like the students at Discovery!
My overall message, however, was how important it is to become a good writer — no matter the paths that these students will eventually follow. And I look forward to reading their work someday.
But the best part of the visits? Two of the little girls gave me hugs as I was leaving. What a blessing indeed!
