E. Magill
An Anectdote
By the time I was in fifth grade, I had managed to skillfully avoid my creative writing assignments through procrastination
and manipulation of my wonderfully helpful mother. She had taught me, mostly through how she reacted when I continually
refused to clean my room, that if I put something off long enough, she'll get frustrated enough to do it for me.
However, there was one creative writing assigment that came my way back then, while I was home sick, and I shrugged my
cute little shoulders and decided to give this whole writing thing a shot. The task was simple: write a short story entitled
"Night of the Animals" and make it about whatever you want, as long as it relates back to the title.
Maybe it was because I was sick at home with nothing better to do, or maybe the creative lightbulb had finally turned itself
on over my head, but I knew I could write such a story and I even knew I could enjoy it. So I pumped out a good 500 word story
that chronicled one of many escape attempts of my pet gerbils Fred and George, gave the printout a kiss, and sent it to school
through one of my classmates.
I didn't actually get better for a week, so I didn't find out until long after the fact that the teacher, Mr. Rudzik, had
been so impressed with my little story that he had read it to the entire class in my absence. Within seconds of returning
to the classroom, I was assaulted by fellow students who hadn't said so much as "hello" to me before, all expressing their
love of my gerbil adventure. Mr. Rudzik sat at his desk, watching this curious event with a knowing smile.
Keep in mind that I was a shy little kid, beat into submission by two older brothers (don't
feel bad for them--I grew up to be bigger in the end) and a horrible amount of social awkwardness. I had gotten in trouble
for fighting and kleptomania, and my grades were far from stellar though everyone said I was exceptionally bright. In short,
I was not used to being in anything resembling the limelight.
Needless to say, it felt great, and I vowed that very day to become a writer. Despite it all, including my ability to
find the limelight in other ways--from my band to my close friends to my family--my determination has gone unchanged. I still
feel that giddy sense of amazement when people tell me they like my work or like it enough to give me an honest critique of
what could be better.
So thank you, Mr. Rudzik, for teaching me something no other teacher was able to.
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