CTYA’s Blog has started a new Feature every other Wednesday called “Thangachi’s Corner”. “Thangachi’s Corner” is a comfortable space to discuss relatable topics and issues relevant to the Canadian Tamil youth of today. For more information about this feature or to suggest a topic, feel free to e-mail us at blogs@ctya.org!
Written By: Keerthana Raveendran
I want to be an author.
Yep. It was my childhood crazy dream.
We all have these kinds of dreams about our future when we’re young. Maybe you wanted to be a bird when you grew up. Maybe you wanted to be a part-time firefighter, nurse and rock-climber all at once. Perhaps you wanted to spontaneously win the lottery one day and spend your life travelling the world (this particular idea lingers longer than usual). For me, the crazy dream was to publish a novel.
The difference is, while some people usually grow out of their wild ideas, I held onto mine for as long as I can remember.
The trouble with writing, though, is that it’s unlike any nine to five job. It’s a difficult occupation to pursue. It offers no guarantees, routine, or promise of success. You can’t turn on that inspirational part of your brain whenever you want and produce genius. Most of the writing process is made up of procrastination. You can spend six days trying to write a single sentence, and then spend a single hour, two weeks later, scribing five thousand words as if you’d known exactly what belonged on the page all along. If you’ve ever struggled to write an essay, you’ll be very familiar with the process.
Writing is high risk, high reward. And I in particular, have never been the risky type.
What I’ve learned over the years, though, is that you need to be committed to get what you want, whether it’s a job, a state of mind, or a possession. For some, commitment means setting regular deadlines to meet goals. For others, it’s about constantly being reminded of why that special objective is worth the trouble. It’s one thing to dream about succeeding, but another entirely to go about doing it.
Desire goes a long way – you can either passively wait for all your dreams to come true and risk bearing disappointment in the long run, or you can grasp your challenges by the collar and face them with eyes wide and heart open – who knows, you may even be surprised by what you can accomplish.
So in this hectic world where there is school to attend, work to get through, OSAP to repay, and barely enough time to write essays for school, let alone on an extra-curricular basis, here’s my high risk with this new feature. Maybe you’ll do the same with your own metaphorical uphill battle. Because these days, hard work might not give you what you want. Even sheer luck won’t get the job done. Sometimes, you just have to want it badly enough.
About the Author:
Keerthana Raveendran, known by her flock as Thangachi, is an aspiring author with an eye for the eccentricities of the Tamil Canadian culture. As an unemployed student with a mountain load of student debt, she is currently broke, so you will probably be able to relate to her. As a writer, she has a special kind of wit that is present on the page and absent during the awkward conversations you tend have with her in person. Thangachi is currently a Masters student studying English at York University.
Read More by Keerthana!
“They Call it Maanam”
http://tamilyouth.ca/they-call-it-maanam/
“Who are they anyway?”
http://tamilyouth.ca/who-are-%E2%80%9Cthey%E2%80%9D-anyway/
“Remembering our Literature”
http://tamilyouth.ca/remembering-our-literature/
“To my Tamil Friends”
http://tamilyouth.ca/opinion-piece-to-my-tamil-friends/
“Society and Expectations”
http://tamilyouth.ca/society-and-expectations-negotiating-between-boundaries/
Tags: Speak Out
