The walk down the hallways of Faye Wright Elementary was intimidating, but not for the reasons you’re thinking. I was there to give a talk to the third-grade class about the art of writing. The art of storytelling. The precious art that I hold near and dear to my heart.
I remember thinking as I walked down the hallway with my lovely wife. How did I get here? This had to be a joke. Someone wanted me to speak to a group of kids about writing? Me? The guy who spent the majority of his school years screwing off?
I pondered what some of my old teachers would say seeing me in this setting. The teachers who had to endure a very different version of me. I chuckled quietly to myself.
Third-grade me was a hooligan, no doubt about it. When I thought of what I put my teachers through back then, I wondered if some sort of payback was in order. Like the kids I was about to speak to would critique everything I said and call me a hack. A thin slice of insecurity found itself in the back of my brain.
Wow, the defensive tactics instructor, T.G. Brown, was intimidated to talk to a group of kids. Impressive.
I realized how ridiculous I was being. I entered the classroom and met the teacher who invited me. Mr. Rick Saffeels. An incredibly nice individual who immediately made my wife and I feel at home.
I waited as he got the class in order. He did it with ease. I watched some of the kids around the classroom and thought to myself. This is going to be a good day.
The time to speak to the class came. We huddled around each other, and I heard Mr. Saffeels telling his class, “The word of the day is Tribal.” Being a Grand Ronde Tribal member, I loved this.
We talked about writing for the next twenty or thirty minutes. The more I did it, the more fun it got. I love writing, so it’s no problem talking about it, but the reactions really get me. What people say, do, or act like when you talk about it is when you make that connection with people who also have a love for storytelling.
The kids were great. Nothing like third-grade me, which was for the best. The talk went as well as I could’ve hoped. They were engaged, kind, and energetic. I had more fun than they did. They were a blast to chat with.
We finished up and took a photo together. Mr. Saffeels thanked me for coming, but it was a pleasure. Any excuse to talk about writing, I will gladly accept.
My wife and I left. On the drive home, I thought of a question that often rings in my head. What’s your why? Well, I have many ‘whys’ when it comes to being a writer, but I won’t bore you with all of those, so I will only tell you a few.
I love being an author because I love telling stories that insight emotions out of people and resonate with them.
Why else do I love being an author? Because I feel most alive when I’m writing. Seated in a chair and typing on a keyboard is where I belong.
I found another “why” that day at Faye Wright Elementary School.
I have dreams of creating a platform where I can inspire future generations of writers. I hope I’m that person they look up to, just as I did with other writers who inspired me. I desire to see them create incredible stories that resonate with readers across the world.
Will I see those dreams come to fruition? Only time will tell…
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