Jamie Hersch-- the writer?!

I have never really thought of myself as a writer. Although I try to write songs from time to time and I enjoy short creative writing pieces, I don't identify with the "writers." Apart from written assignments, I don't write very often. I write songs when I can't really say what I'm feeling or when I want to say something that I don't want anyone else to hear. Each year, one of my New Year's resolutions is to keep a daily journal, and each year that journal begins with January 1st and slowly dwindles come May or June. Writing is a principal way through which I can express emotion, especially pent-up feelings that I very seldom allow to come out. That's why I like writing. However, oftentimes I forget what I originally sit down to write about and veer off in some other, often less-intense direction. My rage or love or happiness or hatred or fear or sorrow is immediately quelled by the time only the first few lines are recorded on paper. I oftentimes get frustrated with the fact that my hand cannot come close to keeping pace with my mind. This is why I decided to keep a blog instead of a notebook for CIS, in hopes that my original thoughts and feelings might have a better chance of getting documented because of my good keyboarding skills.
The topics I seem to write most about (in songs, at least) involve anger felt toward someone for being "mean." I've got a list (fortunately, pretty short) of things I would say to people if I could say them without producing any negative consequences. Nearly all of my songs involve polar opposite emotions: intense love or intense pain, and sometimes both. I also really enjoy trying to write through someone else's eyes, like a character of a book or even someone I know. I think this has something to do with my love for acting, but regardless, it's a lot of fun and a cool experience. I don't know many significant experiences I've had with writing, other than to say that I absolutely love the feeling of satisfaction I get when I finish a paper, song, or even a paragraph or sentence that I think is really good. I guess a memorable writing experience would be when I was about ten years old and I decided to make a book for my brother for Christmas. I was at a birthday party, and one of the party activities was to actually create a book (bind it, cover it with fabric which each girl chose herself, etc.). While the other girls made their books into picture books or retold a well-known story, I was determined to write a story in that book and give it to my younger brother for Christmas. I remember I didn't finish it in time for his Christmas present, or even in time for his February birthday present. In fact, I had trouble finishing the book in time for the following Christmas! But I did, and I remember feeling as proud as could be giving him something I had spent so much time on and put so much of myself into. I also remember him looking at it like, "This is it?!" I was really hurt that he didn't appreciate it, let alone like it. Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure he still has it packed away somewhere in his room, and it will be interesting to revisit it someday when it's rediscovered.
As many people already know, my dad is a singer-songwriter and has been since he's been in junior high. Most people cannot fathom the idea of making a living by doing what he does: writing and singing his own music to some very appreciative audiences and making music into community outreach opportunities. Since I've been a little girl, my dad has encouraged me to write songs. When I refused, saying, "Mine aren't good enough," he simply encouraged me to write down my feelings, keep a journal, and maybe someday I would find the inspiration to turn those words into music. My mom has always been an excellent writer; she's an early-childhood special education teacher, but she files hundreds of reports and is constantly writing something. Perhaps the most admirable writer of my whole family, though, is my grandfather. About one year before he suffered from a severe stroke which ended his ability to speak and to write, Grandpa Russell filled an entire book with handwritten (exquiste cursive writing, might I add) stories of his childhood and early life as a husband and father. The book has become one of my family's most treasured possessions, as it is one of the few remaining ways we can remember how he used to be, where he came from, where we came from. My family still reads stories from it from time to time, and it helps me to read about, laugh with, and remember the grandfather I once knew.
I think I have become an increasingly able creative writer. Throughout the CIS Lit. course, I produced three different short creative writing pieces. I have also become increasingly confident in my ability to produce songs, something which my dad is very happy about. I still struggle with drafting. I edit in my head and immediately make changes, rather than just "letting it flow," as the "From Sight to Insight" book described. One of my personal course goals is to become less intimidated by the idea of making mistakes in a draft, and allowing my self to "just write." We'll see how it goes!

NHS Induction Speech

I need to write a short speech on scholarship for tomorrow's NHS induction ceremony, so I thought I'd type it on my blog and see if anyone had any suggestions, additions, deletions, etc. Let me know if you do; thanks! When you look back throughout history, who are some of the people you would call "leaders"? George Washington? Martin Luther King, Jr.? Sacajewea? Mahatma Gandhi? Mother Teresa? John Lennon? Now look at today's society: who are our leaders? The President of the United States? Bill Gates? Kevin Garnett? According to Webster's dictionary, a leader is defined as "on that leads or guides." So what does that mean for us NHS members? Leadership is a vital pillar of the National Honors Society. But one of the most important things to remember is that you don't have to be famous to be a leader. Whether you are the captain of a sports team or the President of Student Council or a manager at your work or a member of NHS, you are all leaders. One of my favorite quotes comes from the movie, "Remember the Titans." After a rough practice, one of the members of the football team tells the captain, "Attitude reflects leadership." This is so true. By being inducted into NHS, you have all been appointed to be leaders. Now we all must exhibit leadership by being respectful and respectable people. People will follow you if they respect you. This means setting a good example for others by being a good person in your everyday life. Mahatma Gandhi once said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world." So I encourage you all, as NHS members, to go out, be that change, and exhibit leadership.