Yesterday was the official National Day on Writing (October 20th) and this week at Fairfield University we are encouraging students to find time to reflect in tweets on why they write - a weeklong event. The invitation has been sent to the Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield network, to neighboring schools, and to the world inhabited by friends of Facebook. The task, of course, is to encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect on why they write, what writing means to them, and where they find themselves writing most often.
Over the weekend, too, my niece sent me several videos of shenanigans in central New York and it helped me to realize that
I write to stay connected with family. No, I don't send old-fashioned postal hugs like I used to, but I do frequent my Facebook page, this blog, and my Twitter account with familial updates and connectivity. Yes,
writing keeps me in close proximity with those I love. Even though I'm not down the street or a regular at the dinner table, I can use platforms like this for writing that keeps the ties growing strong. I write to be the brother, uncle, and son to all I've grown to love in Syracuse (even though they hate when I write about them)
Exhibit A: Here is my nephew, Jacob, impersonating his father's incredible dance skills.
Exhibit B: Here is my niece trying to get out of my sister's sweatshirt after she stuck her leg through an arm and fell to the floor.
Exhibit C: for Cynde. Here is my sister, Cynde, asking my niece's friend a very important question - one she simply needs an answer to.
Yes, I write to make sense of my family, their videos, and the bond that we share. I use this space (at times) to share this world with others. I write to be a part of incredible kinship and brotherhood.
Family = Ubuntu. Ubuntu = Family.
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