Response to a classmate’s journal, Week 1

I'll be honest. The first class was a little unnerving. I have never written a poem and given it to someone I was not familiar with. In fact, I have rarely given my poetry to anyone. I have either read it to them or watched them read it. I have always been very protective of my writing. I am not an "open book". My poetry was for me, and me alone. There has only been one exception, and I was letting go of someone very important. It was the last step in moving forward, the last step towards freedom. Maybe giving my writing to someone else is a good thing. I need to learn to open up more. I need not to hoard my thoughts and feelings. I need to find that sense of freedom again.
- Laura L.

I was reading everyone's blog this week, and I was trying to find something to write about this week. I wasn't sure where to begin, until I came across Laura's blog. I had many of her same thoughts on Tuesday, except for the fact I do not consider my self a poet or a creative writer. I've had things published before, but those were all newspaper articles. My four years as a sports writer did not prepare me for writing poetry. I'm glad I've challenged myself, but it does not make the process less nerve wracking. I'm just glad that other people are struggling with this concept as much as I am. I hope to become a better writer, and more importantly, a better teacher.