Relationship to Writing

Relationship to Writing

Writing has always been unpredictable when it comes to my appreciation of the craft. I have always found persuasive or analytical essays to be the most difficult and reflective essays, depending on the reflection, the easiest to write. As I have advanced along with my studies, I have began to accept the fact that writing can be inspiring when passion is put into it. For the purpose of placement into a specific writing course, I was tasked with writing an essay on how language shapes the depth of people’s interactions. Essentially, I was being asked to draw from my own experiences and relate them with how others viewed and interacted with me as a result. Although I faced a few challenges while writing the placement essay, I was ultimately able to get my point across on the specific topic.

To begin with, the length of the essay and the timeframe within which it were to be completed gave me fits initially. Because I was getting ready to make my way to Ann Arbor for the Bridge Program, my schedule was filled with visits to the doctor, bank, school supplies shopping, to name a few. Additionally, having to write on such a specific topic and on such short notice made it more difficult to efficiently organize my thoughts and have them connect to the central theme of the essay. I remember sitting down and attempting to write the thesis and my mind just being a dark space void of any imagination. Since it was pretty early in the morning, I thought that my struggles could have been tied to the fact that I had not yet eaten breakfast and that maybe doing so would get my mind moving. Unfortunately, this was not the case as even after eating breakfast, I was still struggling to formulate any thesis, theme and experiences that would fit the prompt.

Ironically, my breakthrough finally happened while listening to a vibrant, colorful and moving Haitian song on my phone. The song spoke about the struggles we as Haitians (or any immigrant for that matter) face upon coming to the United States and the tough task that is adjusting to the American culture, which is a polar opposite of the Haitian culture. I instantly began to write as certain memories began to flow back into the forefront of my mind. From there, the assignment became significantly easier in terms of difficulty but little did I know that I would have to recall one of the most horrifying experiences of my life.

On the morning of January 12th, 2010, my dad dropped my brother and I off at our school located in Petion Ville, Haiti. One would think that we were safe in an environment where adults were responsible for our safety but many kids had been kidnapped as a result of their harmless decision to simply go outside and play soccer or buy some water. As usual the school day went at what seemed like an excruciatingly slow pace and I could not wait to get home, the only place where I felt the slightest comfort of safety. Once our last class ended, the students rushed out of the school in a sight comparable to that of a bison herd running wild in the plains. Upon making it out of the school, our dad quickly drove us home as the busy streets were not safe for anyone, never mind children. After finally reaching home, I hoped that my mom would be there waiting to surprise us by maybe jumping out of our closet or maybe hiding under a bed! She was not there. After about an hour consisting of my brothers and I playing soccer in the backyard, we began to study the material we would need for the next day of school. Once my father was sure that our oft wandering minds were focused on the task at hand, he left us and begin his usual afternoon activities. Everything, and I mean everything, was fine until it happened. I heard a strange noise similar to that of a car’s engine starting. I thought my dad was probably going somewhere but I was quickly proved wrong as the ground began to shake under me. My brother and I instantly began to scream as small pieces of concrete started falling around us. Through all the commotion we could hear our dad’s voice telling others to run out and get to safety. After what seemed like an eternity, my brother and I finally made it outside the house and the rest is truly history.

It goes without saying that my life has drastically changed since that day. Most drastic of the changes is the fact that my brothers and I have left Haiti and have had the pleasure of being raised by an aunt and uncle here in the United States. Unfortunately, I barely get to see my parents, I am in constant fear that they could be gone any second due to the dangerous nature of Haiti, and had to experience being constantly bullied because of the way I spoke which is in direct correlation to where I come from. I have always found it difficult to put my feelings about my experience on January 10th, 2010 on paper and essentially make myself vulnerable to the judgements of others, both good and bad.

This essentially gave me all the resources I needed complete the placement essay. Although I was not aware of who would read this information, I still felt confident that through my story I could spread maybe even a slither of awareness of an immigrant’s struggle to fit in a new environment. Although many do not experience bullying/teasing to such a degree, I was and still am confident that all it takes is ONE story to elicit the very emotion from someone that can change their entire perspective on life itself. 

I believe that finishing this “assignment” prepared me for college writing though in a very limited manner. Not only was the length a pretty good example of what to expect when writing a college paper but the prompt itself was more advanced than what I was used to. More textual evidence/citations, analysis, and a greater focus on structure where just a few literary aspects that I noticed while writing the essay. Furthermore, I view writing as a way to raise awareness about certain issues that I find difficult to speak about. However, some of the things that I need to improve in order to become a better writer include but are certainly not limited to: better focus on a central theme, clearer thoughts, and more efficient use of certain literary devices. I firmly believe that if I correctly apply these literary tools, I will become a more efficient writer. This might take time but with enough practice, it can be done.