You remember the 3 R's: reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic. For a couple of hundred years, the concept of learning to read, to write and to do arithmetic calculations has formed to backbone of basic education. Generally, if you read, you are taking in the words of someone else [sure, could be your own writing but mostly it isn't]. If you add, subtract, multiply or divide, you are following the steps required. But when you write, it is you coming to the fore.
In writing, you think the thoughts, you choose the words and you make the symbols for your words. In writing, you paint with words. Generally, you don't make up the words' meaning or spelling, although I did make up the word "pessimum" in my dissertation (it's the opposite of 'optimum', meaning 'the best'). You didn't make up the format for placing writing on a page or the rules of punctuation. In writing, you are trying to use a restricted set of tools to get your point, your mood, your feelings across.
Whether you are thinking of politics or cutting your grass, your thoughts and the way you think them are unique. The way you decide to express yourself is yours alone. It can be quite satisfying to take an idea or a memory and put down some words that pretty well express your thought or what happened. If you feel as my sister does, and writing just does not appeal to you, maybe doing some sketching or snapping some photos might be of interest. Putting one of several very functional apps on your iPad or phone and just speaking into it for a minute can be fun. You can create your own podcast these days and email the sound file to dozens of friends.
Just deciding what was the highlight, or the lowlight of your day today or yesterday (can you remember what happened yesterday? Prove it!) can show your life in a novel angle. I tried listing three good things a day for more than a year and learned that there are such things every day.
Especially when we are young, we have the job of writing resumes for job applications. I think it would help us all if we copy Twitter or scrapbookers and slowly build up an archive where people can look through our writing or photos and see what we have had on our minds and what has occupied our time over the years. Just open up Word or a blank email and jot down what is own your mind. Repeat for 100 days and see what you think.
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