Life, My Experience and Writing

  Writing has never been a  strong point for me. In fact, my journey with writing had a rocky start. As a child, I struggled to keep up with my classmates. I was admitted to school a year earlier than usual, which led to me being held back in kindergarten. It’s not the most promising start to an academic life. However, repeating the grade turned out to be a blessing in disguise. That year, I met many of my lifelong friends. Funny how life works sometimes.

   During first and second grade, I managed to stay on track academically, but writing presented its challenges. Cursive writing and book reports were complicated, as I was slow. I remember reading most of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but one of the teaching assistants doubted that I had read it. My weekly reports didn’t convince them, especially since I could recall major plot points involving Harry. Still, I consistently forgot about Ron and his pet rat, Scabbers—and other critical details to overlook, apparently.

   At the time, my interests leaned more towards hiking in the mountains and adventure. I loved learning about bees, growing pea plants, and imagining how the Jumanji board game in our classroom could come to life, like in a movie or the cartoon show.

   Eventually, my academic struggles intensified. I began falling behind, and the pressure of incomplete homework led to my anxiety and nervous breakdowns. This caused frequent tardiness and absences, prompting my enrollment in counseling and the special education program for special need students. Then, another major event disrupted my life—I had my appendix removed. Recovery was painful, making it difficult to move or even speak. I relied on writing to communicate my needs and thoughts during that time for the first two days. I even used a walking cane when I wasn’t resting. I was told I was adorable, by the staff.

   It was during this recovery period that I witnessed the tragic events of 9/11. I was lying on the couch in my parents’ room when the news interrupted my show, Tom and Jerry Kids. The disaster of that day gave me the desire to write about it in a journal my mom had given me. Despite this brief moment with writing in my journal, writing didn’t immediately become a consistent outlet for me, yet. It remained a school requirement, limited to homework and occasional journal entries.

   My relationship with writing began to shift when several life changes occurred. All my neighborhood friends moved away, leaving me with feelings of listlessness. Don’t get me wrong, I still had my brothers around, and we had the exotic birds we were raising, but my personal friends were gone except for at school. So, around the same time, video games became a part of my household, offering new worlds to explore. Then came a pivotal moment: my class was encouraged to write and illustrate children’s books. The finished books would be published and taken home for ourselves. This project sparked a newfound appreciation for writing and storytelling. I started to understand why people loved movies—stories could transport you to different places, evoke emotions, and create connections.

   Determined to continue writing, I began dictating stories to my mom, who helped me by writing them down faster and more clearly than by myself. I nearly finished one story, but during a later review, I learned it resembled a fan fiction mashup of The Legend of Zelda and The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. That realization dampened my enthusiasm but didn’t stop my desire for storytelling. I decided to expand my inspirations, and start reading books like Eragon, The Hobit, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, but like many children of the time I manly was lost to  shows aired on Kids WB, Toonami, and Cartoon Network, as well as games like The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Kingdom Hearts, and Final Fantasy VII and VIII. These stories helped me think about behind the Transformers quote, “There’s more than meets the eye.”

  In high school, I discovered Photoshop, cinematography, manga, and a love for music. I often spent lunch breaks in the computer lab section of the library reading the latest chapters of One Piece, Bleach, Zatch Bell, Hitman REBORN!, or Fairy Tail. Despite this obsession, I balanced my studies and social life. Aware of my difficulty studying after school, I developed a strict routine: sleeping at 5:30 p.m., waking up between 3-4 a.m. to do homework, attending early morning seminary, and attending 7 a.m. classes till the end of school followed by football practice.

   However, my sophomore year I made a change after consecutive concussions during the varsity team’s state-run. After much thought and prayer, I decided to quit football. My coach pulled me aside and told me that quitting now meant I’d always be a quitter and never amount to anything. Those words haunted me for months, but eventually, I turned that painful moment into a driving force to persevere. That experience taught me to say no when necessary and fueled my stubborn determination to act in spite of others.

   Later, when I told our family dentist about my dream of becoming a writer, he laughed and dismissed it as unrealistic, suggesting I should broaden my horizons as it didn’t pay well. His reaction strengthened my resolve to pursue writing and prove that I wouldn’t give up because someone doubted me. This determination carried me through other challenges, even as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Mexico City West Mission.

   During my mission, I set aside my creative desires to focus entirely on helping others. I sealed away my drawings and writings for the last year, which was incredibly difficult. Writing had become a comfort and even a sort of addiction. Even so, I finished my mission strong, finding fulfillment in helping families and guiding others to Christ.

   Returning home was disorienting. I had planned to work with my dad in insurance, attend BYU, and eventually start a family. But life had other plans. My mom unexpectedly packed my things and moved me to Utah, within the first week, and my carefully laid plans crumbled. It was a difficult adjustment, and my struggle with depression resurfaced.

   Still, I continued to work on improving myself and my writing. I have 56 stories in progress—stories I’ve been developing since high school—and I am determined to finish them. With new life experiences and inspiration from countless authors, I am becoming a more well-rounded writer.

   Looking back, my writing has evolved from a struggle into a lifelong passion, strengthened by challenges and moments of drive and inspiration. Every setback, every piece of doubt cast by others, has only fueled my desire to tell my stories that I believe will touch another’s life and matter to them, just like they have to me.