What makes a writer a writer? There is no degree, no bar, no license to separate a writer from any other soul. There is no qualifying moment, no walk across a stage we can point to that alerts the world that: Here is a writer. Instead, being a writer requires only the belief of the writer herself that a writer is what she is.
I say all this because I know that I am a writer. I am also a lawyer, a husband, a son, a brother, and soon-to-be, a father. But there exist definitions for these labels, known criteria I can point to that qualify me. Not so for a writer. My only qualification is that something inside me comes alive when I sit with a blank sheet of paper and a pen to translate my bouncing thoughts into something coherent. For me, writing is exciting and it is therapeutic. It is part of what makes me tick, a necessary part of who I am. So, I am a writer. I have no qualification other than that belief, but a belief is all I need.
I do not know what this column will lead to, or if it will lead to anything at all. I have no agenda other than to write on issues I am passionate about and about which I feel competent writing. I may recommend a book or a movie or comment on a recent court decision (gotta use that law degree for something). I may assert my opinion, but I hope only when I can support it with more than mere fluff. I may tell a story that surprised me, exposing the world from a new perspective. I may criticize and I may applaud, but I will do both only measuredly and constructively. If I do any of these well, I will consider this exercise a success.
My goal is not to convince you that I am right (unless you are my father), but to engage you – to tell you how I see the world and learn how you see the world. Thoughtful dialogue is too rare in our society, yet it is our lifeblood. Without it we are left with prepackaged “commentary” that insults our intelligence. We are left with leaders who are not really leaders, but play them on TV. We are left without information and so robbed, we are left without choices. Finding thoughtful dialogue is too difficult, but it is there. All it requires is an open mind, a respect for opposing viewpoints, and the faith that the best ideas and not the best marketing campaigns will change the world.
I certainly come, as we all do, with my own viewpoint. I value diversity of experience and perspective. I believe a society should be judged not only by the successes it achieves in various fields, but on the way it treats its most vulnerable citizens. I don’t believe that might equals right or that a majority view is automatically correct. I believe in leading by example. I value education, but I also value getting your hands dirty. I believe in the American dream of lifting yourself to stability and success through hard work, but I also believe in providing the necessary assistance to those who start behind to achieve this dream. I don’t believe in blind allegiance, but I do believe in trusting those who have better experience and knowledge and continue to search for the right balance between questioning and trusting. I believe hours spent with family should be valued as much as hours worked, but I fear this is too rarely an option for many of us. Most of all, I believe that peace stems from doing what you love. And, among many other things, I love writing.
So, welcome to uneven kiel. I hope you’ll enjoy this as much as I will.
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