Escribir means "to write" in Spanish.

I don't fancy myself a writer. In fact, I've always claimed to hate writing, but having a blog has changed my mind a tad. 


In high school, I had a widely- and well-respected English teacher tell me that he thought for sure I would apply to represent the school as an English Sterling Scholar. I laughed out loud at the very notion; the only writing I did was either for his class (with which I had a slightly-love-but-mostly-just-hate relationship) or in my journal each night. Although I appreciated the compliment, I refused to believe that I could ever enjoy writing enough to "represent."


That was all before I began blogging and writing a missionary this summer. What a blessing it has been to be forced to write! Both of these new challenges have required that I step up my game. I won't claim that my blogging is out-of-this-world-excellent, but I like to think that I can get my thoughts on a (web)page without becoming the blogger everyone hates to read. I also won't brag about my missionary-letter-writing skills, but I've noticed in just the past couple weeks that I feel much more comfortable and sound more like myself than I did at the beginning of this 2-year venture. 


Although I don't have a high school now to "represent," I think I'm gradually learning a crucial life skill: how to represent myself through writing. I've kept a journal since an important seminary lesson in ninth grade, and I have six or seven volumes of adolescent musings and happenings. I used to think that my journals were stellar stuff, but now I think I would find those older editions somewhat boring to read. Nothing really changed except that, as of this summer, I write more thoughts and fewer events. Instead of bulleted lists of occasions, I have more essay-style sentences, paragraphs, and topics. It's quite nice. Sure hope my posterity appreciates all this work. 


I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this rant, but what I can tell you is that when I sat at my computer with no clue as to what I'd choose to blog today, I felt instantly like I just wanted to write. It's the first time I've ever wanted to do that, and I'm considering it a milestone. No more excruciating nights of procrastinating papers, no more boring journals, and most blessedly, no more denying the opportunity to analyze life around me. Writing is definitely a thinking exercise, especially when done with purpose and meaning, so hopefully this new sentiment can help me to see and consider things I would never have given a second glance before now. 


I think I might just go pop open the Martinelli's and celebrate.