What is the one thing that separates humans from all other forms of life? The answer according to me is simple, writing and reading. Yes, there is no doubt that there are several different aspects that make human beings distinct in the entire ecological system such as the ability to speak, dance, sing, participate in politics, build civilisations, and a plethora of activities but don’t birds sing, are peacocks not majestic dancers or don’t apes participate in politics to establish the alpha male in the jungle?
A person can look around their surroundings and write a poem about it describing the beauty of nature. That is exactly what makes humans so special, our ability to put down our thoughts on paper and make them immortal.
It is not always essential to write something that makes sense immediately, sometimes, we have to let it simmer a little before it seems like it has some meaning. There are times when people hit rock-bottom and during those times of sorrow, one can always rely on writing.
The documentation of one’s thoughts can sometimes help them to organise their life. I have always turned to writing when all hope seems lost and the only way to slowly understand the situation and recover from it is by jotting down my feelings which are generally intangible and turning them into something I can analyse and work on.
“Befriending” a pen and a paper or any other form of writing means that if there was ever a burdensome situation and there was nobody to help you out or understand what you are going through, sitting down and writing down your experience can give you an insight on the situation.
Many great writers likely never imagined their future fame, absorbed as they were in the act of pouring their thoughts onto the page. The quote mentioned above – “I write to discover what I know” by Flannery O’Connor signifies that writing is not just the process of putting down facts and knowledge the world is aware of; rather it is more about discovering the complexities of the human mind and the potential we have to discover new elements of life by diving deeper into our conscience.
When Anne Frank wrote her diary, she did not expect to be so well-known by the entire world and become a figure with such historical significance. She merely wanted to keep an account of her life and that is it, but because of the purity and the innocence in her writing and her passionate relationship with the pen and paper, today she has become a major literature and historical persona.
When we do decide to write something but it just doesn’t feel right about what we are trying to put down into words, there is this wave of frustration which if prolonged, turns into hopelessness ultimately resulting in abandonment of the piece. This is the most common and completely understandable issue known as “writer’s block”.
The irony is that this is experienced by people who want to write and not by people who just write for their wants and pleasure. But that is the beauty of writing; no matter how insufferable it gets, the moment the chain of thoughts starts to grow, the end product is always delightful so this is a sign for all those who have unfinished projects they have given up on to go back and find things to inspire you to write again.
We, Homo sapiens are “thinking man” but it will be a tragedy if we don’t have an intimate relationship with the very element that makes humans what we are. I urge all my friends and peers to read books, any book, it could be a self-help manual or just a children’s bedtime story book but the first step for us to start writing is to read.
The amazing world of books and its vast imaginations is beyond any other leisurely activities we usually prefer to do like mindlessly scrolling through social media apps or burning out our eye sockets binge-watching series.
Instead, why not get hooked on learning Russian literature through Dostoyevsky’s works or the inspiring words of J Krishnamurti, or just simply a short novel about the folktales of Nagaland? Just like that, you will find inspiration to befriend a pen and paper.
Nabhneel Deka
B.A. History Honours, 5th Semester
St. Anthony’s College, Shillong