Assalamualikum everyone!
Today was the first class of my Expressive Writing course. The professor began the class by simply telling us to take out a piece of paper and a pen, put away all electronic devices, and - as he eloquently put it - "make a mess".

The simplest of instructions: "make a mess" i.e. write about anything.

At first, I was stuck. I didn't know what to write. I looked around and I saw people writing and writing. How disturbing! What are they writing about? I was so worried about writing an awesome story that it took me a while to begin. At last, I picked a topic and just went with it.

As soon as my pen started dancing on the paper, it won't stop. Ideas were flowing. In my head, words were coming out so fast that I couldn't keep up to write all of them down. I just kept going and going.

And then he said, "Stop!"

I was like, "What?! I'm on a roll here!" Of course, I didn't say that out loud. I didn't want to disrespect a teacher so I put my pen down. But in my mind the story kept on going and going. Then, he started talking.

He asked, "What just happened?"

*****

Interesting question. What just happened? Little did I know that I was reliving a moment in my life that I have forgotten. A moment when I was so deeply lost in my writing that I was in my own world. Everything was at the tip of my pen.

I was 17 again.

I remember when the teacher would give us open ended essay questions. I remember when the essay question was as simple as a word.

"Snow."

That's it. That was the question! How beautiful such a question was. I feel like there are no limitations to what I can write. Snow could be a name. Snow could be an incident. Snow could be a virus. Snow could be my pet. Snow could be snow. It was awesome!

I miss writing such stories, where it's less about grades and more about creating a masterpiece. Comparing and sharing your masterpiece with others. Enjoying their work of art as they enjoy yours.

That was one of the very few instances when I really enjoy doing schoolwork.

Thank you, Professor John Currie, for reminding me of it.
"Tap into the wildness of your brain. That's where the good stuff is." (John Currie)
credit : aiman azlan