The Book Stacks

I have been working my way through my files and stacks of paper lately for a myriad of reasons. I have been looking for my “Mice are Nice” poems and I just generally want to find the various surfaces in my office. Before you ask, no I still haven’t found the poems. I have, on the other hand, located one item of particular interest to me. You see, I have all of the files that my parents kept while I was growing up. I have a folder containing random pieces of art from Preschool up through the infamous painting class I took in High School. There is a folder containing every sort of award imaginable. And also in this stack I found my report card from first grade.

Now, I expect that some of you folks are now saying to yourselves: ‘Big deal. What does your report card from so long ago have to do with writing?’ Well, I’ll tell you. When was the last time you took a look at your old report cards? Do you remember those little notes that teachers used to put at the bottom? You know. The ones that said things like: “runs with scissors” or “plays well with others.” Remember those? On my First Grade Report Card, Ms. Martin wrote, in the spot set aside for the 2nd quarter: “Elisa is generally a hard worker but is slow in completing written work.”

When I re-read this report card that little note struck me as quite amusing. I was slow at completing written work all of those years ago, and it really hasn’t changed. Ms. Martin was the coolest teacher. She taught us to weave, and there was a loft in her classroom. It was in her class that we put on the play in which I got to play General Border. If there was anyone I would have worked hard to excel for, it would have been her. So I am left with the knowledge that, as in the slightly mangled quote above, some parts of me have not changed in all this time. I still spend a lot of time deciding what to write. I argue with myself over word usage and the sure knowledge that I am starting too many sentences in the same way. I take a long time completing my written work, because I want the end product to be perfect, or as close as I can make it. Sometimes I’ll even hum a song Mr. Rogers used to sing to remind myself that faster isn’t always better.

“I like to take my time. I mean that when I want to do a thing, I like to take my time to do it right…” - Mr. Rogers

Yes, I am a bit of a perfectionist, but I try not to let that stop me from finally getting those words on paper. Because if you work hard on your writing, perhaps someday you will receive the grown up equivalent of the note from the fourth quarter of that same year.

“It has been a pleasure having Elisa in my class this year.”

And really, how much more can you ask for from life?

I write therefore I am…even if it takes me a while.

Kwai Chang Caine, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, poems, writing, Mr. Rogers