New Year's Resolution--To Fall in Love with Writing Again

[Sophie Minter]

My first memory of books--my mother taking my brother and me to the library when we were pretty young, say six and eight. The best thing about going to the library for me was picking out books for myself and not having to share with anyone. When I sat down with those stories they were mine all mine. When my brother and me watched Saturday morning cartoons together we had to "share" the TV. Which meant since he's two years older than me--I watched whatever he wanted to watch. We also shared a room, and a radio. But not so with books. So that began my love affair with books. Then came the stories, that took me out of my trailer home, small town with two bars and was predominately Caucasian. If you look at my profile you can tell--I'm not Caucasian. I'm the product of a very white father and Filipino mother. Even though I didn't always fit in growing up, the stories I read didn't care. They didn't judge me. Now we come to writing. Like most readers, I wrote--excessively. Especially during my teenagers years when that whole not wanting to be judged thing really came into play. Writing wasn't just a way for me to express myself but a way to work things out--get them out of my head, and on paper, where I could see them. Thus, stories and writing, have always healed me in a way. Made me a better person, a better me. Even now, at the age of thirty seven whenever I have a problem, I don't call my mom, or my best friend, I reach for a book by a writer who put it out in the world-- for me. So, if you haven't already guessed, books, and writing, are my best friends, and that's why--I love writing.