The End of the Beginning

“I want everyone to take out a sheet of paper and respond to the following question:

.

“How do you feel about writing?”

.

-Shayne Clarke, MCom 320, day 1

.

At the beginning of the semester, I didn’t know quite how to answer such a vague question. I didn’t know what my professor was looking for or how I could respond in order to earn full points. After all, I needed an A in the class if I wanted to apply to the accounting program.

.

I believe I have learned a valuable lesson since then. Writing is like a falcon. When caged in by grading rubrics and point values, all it really does is sit there and look pretty. When the irksome leash of GPA requirements holds back writing from its natural habitat of creativity, awesome potential sits dormant.

.

But if the falcon flies off into the sunset and never comes back, what do I turn in to my teacher? I still need enough points to get my A.

.

So I guess this is one of those, “there’s a fine line between…” scenarios. Can I really fly free in my writing? Or do I have to stay true to rigid form? Can I write my next formal business report in rhyming couplets with metaphoric subtleties? Or do I have to use OABC, HATS, CARBS, and simple words? If I’m assigned to write about writing, can I write about falcons instead?

.

Conclusion: Yes.

.

It’s my writing. I can do whatever I want. If I want to compose the most perfected business report, employing every tip and trick in Baker’s book, that’s what I’ll do. If I simply want to whittle with words or tell you that baby falcons are named eyasses, that’s what I’ll do. However, I will never name my babies anything ending in those five letters.

.

Coming into MCom 320, I was excited to be done with writing. But now that my GE requirement is finally complete, my writing is far from it. This entry represents the end of my blogging assignment, but this semester has really been just the beginning. I learned to love writing for writing’s sake. I realized how fulfilling it is to dig up just the right word and nestle it in just the right place. Is it being graded? I’m glad I don’t have to care any more, but it wouldn’t make much difference. I’ll keep on writing.

.

So four months late, I feel I can finally complete my day-one MCom assignment. I love writing. I love writing because it’s mine. I love writing because it can get right down to business when an evaluation report is suddenly due during finals week. And I love writing because it can soar free on a crisp December evening, long after the testing center doors have closed on a hectic semester. Diving, tumbling, in hot pursuit, or effortlessly floating into the sunset on the current of imagination.