I decided at the age of 8, that I wanted to become a doctor
because they saved people’s lives. By the age of 13, I realized I did not like
science at all. So instead, I wanted to become a lawyer; I read about how they
fought for justice and how much they earned. One of my aunt’s friends was a
lawyer, and somehow I saw the exciting part of law by how much she had to
travel. I was set, my dream from then on was to become a lawyer.
Little did I know, that It was just the beginning of the
journey: of utter confusion, to sudden realizations and major decisions.
Three years later, in my 11th year in school I
found myself writing an essay on behalf of my friend. Why? Because she was too
lazy to write and I loved writing. The topic of the essay was : My experiences
in school and this was something I felt very strongly about.
I poured my heart out and could not stop writing. My mother
proofread it for me, and she loved the entire concept.
To summarize it- I let my emotions run riot, on how having
acne made me feel inferior. I was taunted, teased and bullied till I was
11. But when I met my friends in class
7, they defended me and they loved me for who I was. It changed my perspective
of myself; it instilled in me a confidence of not letting something like acne
beat me. They got me to a place, where I was loved and happy.
And the best part about this was that I felt grateful and
humbled to be loved for being me, acne and all.
Writing was cathartic.
The response to the essay? It was mind blowing and overwhelming.
My parents were happy and proud. They sent the essay to everyone they knew, and
I got even more encouraging replies.
My best friends- they are another story all together. First,
they complimented me on how I wrote so well. Then, they switched to the modest mode
saying that I was stupid to think like that because to them I would always be
the same person. One of my other friends, he loved what I wrote and from then
on he made it his mission to motivate me.
Like everyone has sudden realizations in their lives, this
was mine. Like something clicked in me.
I wanted to write more, I wanted to explore this side of
mine that could affect so many people and mostly myself.
But I found out, how difficult it is to write for someone
other than myself when I was supposed to write for my school magazine. Also,
that there were so many people who wanted to write the same way I did. What
could make me different? I was stuck.
Then somehow, becoming a lawyer seemed more appealing.
Because at least,I would be able to work for my client on my own and go back
home with the satisfaction that I did what I thought I should have done not
according to someone else.
The doubts in myself, they started.
How could I make it as a writer?
How could I make it as a writer?
Aashna Raja is a guest blogger for The Potter's Earth.
She is studying for a Bachelors in Mass Media from Sophia College for Women in Mumbai. She loves writing short stories and reading books, and wants to pursue a career in Journalism.
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Beautiful piece. it speaks so well about the importance of having a supportive ecosystem (parents, encouraging friends). It goes a long way to help one explore all areas of interest and pin down to one or two that really get your juices flowing. All the best with your quest...and yes, you can surely be a superb writer so Journalism is a good line to choose! :-)
ReplyDeleteLet the confusion roll. For most this journey almost never happens. We are always scared to play along. The answer will only stare us in the face some day, if we maintain the honesty of the search.
ReplyDelete