The Power of Writing

I was never good at talking. I was quiet, shy, and often invisible to other people during my childhood and youth. My voice was often lost among my noisy siblings and chatty classmates, and I often felt alone even among a roomful of people. Fortunately as I was growing up, I found my voice in writing. I had kept a journal for many years, through which I talked to myself, to my imaginary friends, even to the strangers of a faraway time and place. I found comfort in solitude and serenity in the noisy world.

However, I had to find my new voice in English after I came to the United States. During the early years, English failed me miserably, and there were way too many misunderstanding and missed opportunities as a result of my language deficiency. While slowly and painstakingly taking up the new language, I gradually found my voice in writing, although it was weak and somewhat distorted. As in Chinese, I felt more comfortable at writing than speaking in English. There are many occasions when I have to turn to written communication to rescue me from a sticky and messy situation. On one occasion, I had a heated dispute with the dean in his office, and I ended our conversation angrily and walked out of his office. It seemed to be the end of the world, and I was doomed. However, I managed to calm myself down and sent him an email afterwards, and yet expected no response from him. Surprisingly, he replied my email, apologized to me, and reversed his decision in my favor. On another occasion, one of my research papers was rejected by the editor of the journal based on one reviewer’s comments. I could not convince him to reconsider his decision on the phone, so I wrote a letter to him. He replied as such: “I am convinced by your arguments, and your paper is accepted pending minor revisions”. These two events made me realize that most of people are open-minded and graceful enough to change their opinions and decisions, but it is up to us to use the power of words to convince them.

I like writing, in which I am in total control. Writing forces me to organize my thoughts and choose the words carefully; It allows me to pause, rethink, and clear up confusion. Writing is important not just to writers and journalists, but also to everyday people who write letters, emails, and posts on daily basis, and it has a hidden power that can make a message more memorable, and an impact long-lasting.

I hope that my voice, which was once lost and now found, will grow much louder, clearer, and richer.