To be, or not to be

“To be, or not to be: that is the question” Hamlet says as he contemplates the meanings of life and death. That’s a big question we all ask ourselves these days. It’s a big question in the world right now. While we may not be contemplating life and death, we often contemplate our purpose in life. We wonder what paths we need to take, where we may end up, and what we might have to suffer on the road. To be, or not to be.

What part does this play in writing?

For a long time I’ve written casually. Yes, even now these very words are casual and leisurely, but my real burden was whether I wanted to consider myself a writer. I’ve never identified myself as such. I’ve joined groups on Facebook, worked occasionally on personal stories, even started blogs where I could have more freedom and ability to write. I did all this with little commitment. To be, or not to be.

Recently I gained a new perspective. Writing is something I’ve always loved why not work at it? Why not make it into something more then just working on things when I feel like it? I always have the desire, it just comes second to easier relaxation. So I worked to make a commitment for myself. I wanted to write and so I wanted to be a writer. I know I’m no pro. honestly I question my ability daily, but that’s what deciding to be is about. To be, or not to be.

By deciding “to be” a writer I’ve taken on some of the challenges, learning grammar, structure, and all the millions of things that make writing better. I commit to becoming better, taking criticism, putting my work in the eyes of the world. But by doing all that it allows me to stretch the muscles I’ve always wanted to. Become more of the person I always thought I was. I chose “to be”.

I could have just as easily chose “not to be”. In some ways it would have been easier, but in a lot of ways it would be harder. I know as long as my efforts to be a writer doesn’t hurt the people I love more than writing, that I have the power “to be.”

“To be, or not to be: that is the question:”