Why I Write

I write. Even when I don't I am composing thoughts in my mind. They are fleeting thoughts, gone without a trace, hidden from recall, unless I write them down. Today in our Summer Institute we pondered the age old question "why do you write?". And so I listed some of the reasons I write. 

• to remember 
• organize
• honor
• understand 
• to break information apart
• to put it back together
• to understand and figure out my next move
• to forget or remember the past
• sometimes I don't but it is always on my mind
• to problem solve 
• for purpose
• to get better at writing
• to remember the struggle I ask of my students
• to model 
• because I believe that clear, truthful writing is the highest form of thought
• because I want to be a better writer

When I write, I remember I can do this, even when I don't. Words sink through to the depths of my soul, soaked in pain then emerge tight-fisted and strong.