Don’t just follow suit

CEBU, Philippines - AS 26:  The Keynote Address Project 1 of the Professional Speaker manual

Dear young writers, congratulations and thank you. Congratulations for making it to your campus paper and thank you for STAYING as writers in your campus paper. Having written for our school magazine myself, I can certainly say that it takes a lot of commitment and poise to be a staffer. 

You know how it feels. There’s a lot to juggle. You got to have time for academics, family, friends, hobbies, yet you still write for your paper so give yourselves a round of applause.  Thank you for your contribution in keeping the written word alive.

To the organizers, the founders and advisers of the Guild of High School Campus Writers, thank you for believing that I could be a good model to your young writers. I hope I can give justice to the role you gave me.

Campus writers, you participated actively in the talks, workshops, and teambuilding activities in this three-day convention.  I know you still have the energy for a few more exercises so here goes one more.  Make your voices heard.

I will be spelling some words.  Kindly read the words to me.

1. P-A-P-A.   2. P-E-P-E.  3.  P-O-P-O.  4.  P-O-P-I.  5.  P-E-P-O.  6.  P-O-P-E.

Here’s one more exercise. Give me the name of each procedure that will be defined.

1. The surgical excision of the uterus.  (Hysterectomy).  2.  The surgical removal of the breasts. (Mastectomy).  3.  The act of saving the world from more air pollution.  (Don’t talk to me).

Dear young writers,  don’t just follow suit. Do know whom and what you’re following.  Understand before you comment, weigh before you relay, investigate before you propagate, think before you click. 

It was fun to hear you say that the last word spelled earlier was pope and that the last procedure defined was “dontoctomy.”  Don’t just follow suit.  Know the patterns and practices AND when to follow them AND when to modify them for a better purpose and a higher cause.

Dear young writers, that’s what you are to your school and your country.  Dear. Precious.  You have the potential to make it big in the media and in literature therefore yours is a huge responsibility.  So dear writers, develop your response ability. How?  Three D’s.

The foremost point, the first D is DISCIPLINE.

Submit your articles on time. Your editors and advisers have enough headaches.  Don’t give more.  It is arrogance and not wisdom to take pride in saying “I don’t have headaches.  I give them.”  

Read.  Research.  You cannot give what you do not have. 

We all condemn sensationalism.  We all cringe in disgust when commentators and columnists spread their bigotry and ignorance. Don’t be mere prattlers.  Be men and women of substance.

How many of you blog?  Tweet?  Facebook?  What’s your basis for liking and sharing?  We don’t mind liking and sharing provided it’s about truth, inspiration, and appropriate involvement that we share.  (I don’t mind either as long as you view poetryscribblesverses.blogspot.com and   abundanceandinspiration.wordpress.com.  Go figure :D)

Let’s be one in not just being automatic, dear writers.  And when we follow, we should know whom and what we’re following.

“Which planet is closest to the sun?” a science teacher discussing planets once asked.

“Mercury, Ms,”  John answered.

“Very good.  What’s the planet after Mercury?”

“I’m not sure, Ms, but I think it’s either Rose or Three-sixty.”

“We’re not talking about pharmacies, here, Jack.  We’re talking about planets.  It’s Venus.  Jack, take note.  It’s Venus after Mercury.  After Venus is what?”

“Oh, I’m sure I know that, Ms.  It’s Shamcey Supsup!”

Your teachers and schoolmates might push you to write about something. Nothing wrong with heeding another person’s word, but keep this in your mind and heart: Understand before you comment, weigh before you relay, investigate before you propagate, think before you click.

And creative writers, the passion for the written word that we should have should go beyond the passion for the written word we write.  We got to LOVE reading.  Palanca awardee Genaro Gojo Cruz once said that a person who wants to be read but does not read is selfish.  Multi-awarded writer Merlie Alunan once shared that she read a library before she wrote poetry.  Dear young writers, we cannot develop the depth and aesthetics of our works if we don’t learn from the masters.  We got to know and feel different writing styles and then find our own voices.

The second D:  DEDICATION.

Here’s another exercise.  Fill in the blanks.

1.  Last Christmas, I gave you my ______ but the very next day, you gave it away.  2.  Nothing I can say, it’s the total eclipse of the _______.  3.  Please be careful with my ______.

Right.  It’s not enough to have the brains.  You got to have heart.  How many felt the pain of apathy and insult when you saw new uses of your school paper? The new uses. Copies of the school papers used as fans. Placemats.  Sit-upon. For hygiene purposes in the room that comforts.  But, you’re still here.  I commend you for the heart that you have.  May your tribe increase.

And yes.  Having heart means giving time to reading.  At least one hour a day for enrichment and power reads aside from your required readings.  It develops sense and sensitivity. And of course, understand before you comment, weigh before you relay, investigate before you propagate, think before you click.

Third D:  DETERMINATION.

Keep writing.  Join writers’ workshops.  If you don’t make it to any of the writers’ workshops, apply again.  It’s good to be in good company.  The only way to become better writers is to keep writing AND reading. 

One more point on the third D.  Determination is not only about being determined to be published. I once came across a certain poster that said, “Stand up for what is right even if you’re standing alone.” That is, more importantly, what our brand of determination should be.

The three D’s once again:  Discipline, Dedication, Determination.

One last thing:  Keep an open mind but don’t be a fence-sitter.  Be cautious but don’t be confined.  I would like to close with a stanza from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Psalm of Life:

In the world’s broad field of battle, In the bivouac of life, Be not like dumb driven cattle. Be a hero in the strife. Good evening. (FREEMAN)