The Joy of Writing

As I put my thoughts into words, something magic has happened. The transient life has stood still. Our passing thoughts have gained new permanent life on paper (or on the compute screen). Suddenly life gained meaning. It is no longer random, dull or hopeless. Despite the unforgiving fact of getting older and eventually facing death, writing allows us to leave something behind in this world. My physical body may disappear one day, but my thoughts have escaped and stayed on the paper. In addition, writing captures the moment of joy and sorrow, and it preserved something previous when you look back.

Writing is a form of self-expression. Every person has different ways of expressing themselves. When asked why he loves acting, Tom Cruised said, “Because it is the best expression of myself.” Michael Jordan found his best expression in playing basketball, Obama found his best expression in politics, and Steve Jobs found his best expression in creating computers.

Writing is a form of creation. As you put your thoughts together, presenting the ideas, you bring forth invisible things and turn them into physical form—the words. This applies to both fiction and non-fiction, to general essay and scientific report. In writing a memoir or fiction, you put together people and stories. You create an environment, the feel and the suspense. It’s truly a form of artistic creation. Many times when I wrote a story of my past, I got so absorbed into the creation that I forgot night arrived outside my window, and I was way past mealtime.

Writing is also a form of communication. When I write, I feel like talking to a group of people, and I need to present my ideas in the form that others can understand. This connects me to the world. A person is no longer an island when he or she can connect with others with language.

The ability to write is a special gift. Regardless our body condition, able or disabled, we can always write. Christopher Reeve finished two books after he was confined to bed. Let us enjoy this gift and bring more joy to this world with our writing.