I was 10 years old when I realized that writing could be used as a form of expression and personal enjoyment.<\/p>\n
My fifth grade reading teacher, Mrs. Howard explained that each day she would come up with a writing prompt that the class was required to respond to in our 1-subject notebooks, otherwise known as my journal \u2014 something that would quickly become the one thing I knew I could look forward to each day when I went to school.<\/p>\n
I was quiet in school, but always felt I had something to say. Not only did this journal give me an opportunity to do so, but it made me feel like I actually had a purpose and a reason for my rambling. After time, I had decided that I needed a journal of my own that was to be used outside of school. I ended up receiving one through my friend who had decided that she was going to accompany me and write in a journal as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom gave me ten dollars for this journal thing and I have five dollars left,\u201d she\u00a0 said. \u201cI don\u2019t know what else to spend it on, so here.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the extra money, I purchased my first journal.<\/p>\n
Later that day, I was so excited that I started writing about my day while riding the bus home. Now, nearly 10 years later, I can say with confidence that I have been writing non-stop since that bus ride home.<\/p>\n
When I first started writing, I was young and na\u00efve. I would write about the things I ate for dinner, how my parents were so annoying because they didn\u2019t understand me and how boys were stupid.<\/p>\n
As I got older, I started writing about things that really meant something to me. If something made me upset, I would write about it. If something made me happy, I would write about it. And if I found something that caught my attention and I needed to look into it, I would write about it. I got into the ritual of writing every night and I could see myself progressing.<\/p>\n
My handwriting was improving every year, my sentence structures were clear and the content made sense. With writing, I was able to get my emotions out and it helped to make sense of my surroundings.<\/p>\n
I had also started to branch off and write poems \u2014 my imagination went to places I did not know I was capable of. I would spend days at school almost obsessing and finding ways to create what I wanted on paper.<\/p>\n
Recently I was informed that, Mrs. Howard, the teacher who had introduced me to this new form of expression and enjoyment, is retiring after the school year\u2019s end.<\/p>\n
Not only did this make me upset because I realized that her time as a teacher has come to an end, but it made me understand that a real teacher has an impact on a student that can last for years.<\/p>\n
Not only did Mrs. Howard introduce me to writing, but she also gave me skills to critically think about what I wanted to create. She always encouraged me and told me that if I kept writing I would be sure to do something great with it one day.<\/p>\n
I am not sure that I would be where I am today if it was not for my fifth grade teacher. And I think about it often. It is important to remember your past, because it helps to define your future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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