REPOST: Grandma’s Hands Taught Me How to Write

Sitting at my grandmother’s feet watching her write in her small journal is what I remember most about her.  She left this world on August 3, 2016 at 9:30 AM.  I found out at 10:03.

All I’ve been able to think about is her sitting in her brown or green recliner, picking up her small notebook from a flowery decorated tray table sitting on the left side of the recliner, and writing something in it.  She never wrote for a long time, though.  It always seemed to be no more than one or two sentences.  That is the memory that I see when I think of my grandmother.

She’s the first person I saw write.  She’s the first image I have of someone putting pen to a piece of paper and writing something on it.  That’s why I began journaling… because I saw my grandmother, Bertha Allen do it.  She was my introduction to writing.

I have writing in my DNA.  I was blessed with the gift on my father’s side as well.  He’s a writer.  Funny thing is… my father likes to cook, too.  The boys, my two brothers got the cooking gene, and my sister and I got the writing gene.  I laugh every time I think about that.

I have been writing since I was nine years old, when I wrote a poem for an Easter program at my church.  After that, I began writing almost every day.  I always had a pen and some paper, usually a small notebook like my grandmother had on her tray table, in my hand.  Jotting down and observing the things around me became a quotidian task.  I know I got on people’s nerves.

I still love to write today.  I still get excited when I get an idea for a story or poem.  I still get emotional when I experience the emotion of one of my characters.  I still feel a sense of pride when someone says they enjoyed my writing.  I laugh as I read an old story, poem, or essay I wrote.  Looking at my writing portfolio gives me pleasure, as I reflect on the skills I have learned over the years.  I get a moment of joy when I complete a writing job.

I’m a writer because God gave me that talent.  But, my grandmother is the person who opened my eyes to the gift that I had inside.  She started me on my path as a writer.

Prayerfully, one day, I can do the same for some young writer.

NOTE:  I couldn't rewrite the essay without thinking of this one.

Week 2: In-Class Writings...

In-Class Writing
INTRODUCING YOURSELF AS A WRITER
THE PROMPT…
Your first in-class assignment is to compose and present a short introduction of yourself (about 200-300 words) as a writer so I may better get to know you. I'd like to get a sense of who you are and what your voice is.

Explanatory Quote Essay
From… Mahatma Gandhi
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

First In-Class Writing

We did our first in-class writing today.  It's our introduction as a writer prompt.  I wanted to write a new essay, but I couldn't do it.  I'll just post the one from last year.  It's about my grandmother.

I mentioned it in class showing the students how I started it... I got choked up.

Now, my grandmother's old house was in the area that was hit by Hurricane Harvey.  The house is in Refugio.  Looks like Bertha Allen is always gonna be on my mind at the beginning of the school year.

Miss ya! Grandmama... Rest well!

Fall 2017

It's the new school year.  It's my endeavor to keep this blog current.  #professorproblems

Weekly In-Class Writings...

I'll start posting the in-class essays that we write each week eventually.  I hand write them with the class, but I finish and post them later.  I'm a couple of weeks behind. I have them written in my Writer's Notebook, though.