The Divine Alcoholic

Why do we write? Whether it’s pen to paper or keyboard to digital, what are the reasons for writing?

I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re here because of the title, but let me ask you a question that most writers genuinely never ask themselves throughout their writing career:

Why should we write?

There would be a myriad of reasons why everyone should write every day. But for me, writing boils down to three main things.

#1. Emotional stability

Cliche, right?

Some things don’t sit right with us. Sometimes shit happens and, because of that, writing is the best possible tool to channel one’s emotions.

I won’t throw some study at your face to prove my point. I’ll just toss an experience your way and hopefully gain your agreement.

I believe it was exactly last year when I was smoking the Juul vape constantly. Things like waking up, going to class, eating, working out… everything you could imagine a person does, in my case, was majorly affected by whether or not I had a Juul.

After reaching a financial pause, I decided I want to quit smoking Juul. So, after a full two days of thinking about it, I threw it in the trash and didn’t look back.

The following days were a nightmare.

I couldn’t sleep. All the blood coursing through my veins felt like it was being boiled; my body was burning for three days straight.

Everything annoyed me — the sound of my roommate laughing, texts from friends to meet up, long lines at the cafeteria, small lines at the cafeteria — everything was just wrong.

What followed on one of those hellish nights was an all-out tirade unleashed upon the pages of my journal. Things from memories of my dad stinking up the living room with his cigarettes to being broke every week from buying the Juul pods were being meticulously jotted down with anger and frustration.

I didn’t do a pros and cons list. I just did a cons list.

Nothing about smoking is good.

And so from those pages, I sprang up from an abyss and quit smoking for about two or three months. For somebody who’s been smoking for a little under a decade, that’s a serious win.

Without writing, I definitely would not have done it.

#2. Memory and Retention

I had this psychology professor from college who, on the first day, barred all students from using any devices to take notes. He said we only have the option of using a notebook.

My initial thought was that he was a hard ass, but it turns out that there’s a massive difference between typing something out and writing it down.

I’ve never been one to take notes on a laptop, but I never figured that writing actually helps to remember.

I’ve cheated on exams before, I’ve done my fair share of unethical conduct. But without a doubt, I’ve had to cheat less on an exam I’ve written down notes for.

Far from something mundane like note-taking for college, managing my life on a daily basis is an absolute struggle.

The capabilities of the human brain are astonishing, to say the least. But it does have limitations as well. One of those limitations is not remembering your anniversary or forgetting to get milk from the store.

To rectify for this, writing keeps in line every little overlapping thought in your head. Our minds are messy. Thoughts spring in and out of existence every single second. So, safe to say, it’s better to sort yourself out than to let the day claim you.

#3. “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future” — Lady Galadriel, LotR

Ah. The woman who won my heart says it all.

Who’s the most influential person in your life? Who’s your role model?

It could be a parent, teacher, celebrity, coach, or even a stranger that you encounter every now and again.

We don’t need to have role models to lead great lives. But, most people, without knowing it, do have someone they look up to… someone that showed them a light.

For me, that’s a professor of mine. Her name is Rae Muhlstock.

The iron lady of academia. This woman showed me what it means to create something: value.

See, all people do in their everyday lives is value creation. If one were to spend more than the usual time writing, then that will add value to his or her productions.

Disposition matters. Your innate capabilities have a say… but only a small one.

What follows from lack of disposition can be rectified by effort and toil. That’s where the endurance of our spirit will be tested most.

I never noticed my passion for writing until I reached her office. There was a receptionist who I approached to ask for her whereabouts:

“Excuse me, would you know where Rae is?”

“She’s coming back soon. She just stepped out of the office.”

I had a test about forty minutes away and I’m standing there waiting to speak to her. Our conversations never die even when we wouldn’t talk in person for years. She was a leader in the kindest and most practical way.

With rapidity, I began writing on a sticky note apologizing for not being there at the right time. Just as I was writing on the second sticky note, she came up behind me and screamed:

“Selim!”

And I got startled and excited.

“Rae, sorry to say this, but I have a test in about 30 minutes and can’t talk for long.”

Then as she spoke, a stream of calm and good simply rested on my shoulders for the rest of my time with her.

I left there with four minutes to the start of my test.

There was something she said that I will never forget until the day I die. It was really inspiring words that hit me like lightning in the middle of the room.

“Yeah, yeah… the thing is: it could be something as simple as bringing two words together that sound good! Or, or creating a phrase that expresses much more than pages. It could literally be a good text. It’s that simple”.